The Ant and the Dove
An Ant went to the river to quench his thirst, but the rush of the water carried him away and the Ant was now struggling to save his life. A Dove sitting on a tree overhanging the water, seeing him, immediately took a bough, and let it fall close to the Ant, so that he could climb on it. The Ant was thus saved from drowning.
A few days later, a hunter came and pointed the gun at the Dove who was sitting in the same tree. The Ant happened to be nearby and, perceiving the hunter’s intentions, stung him in the foot. The pain made the hunter miss his aim, while the shot startled the Dove and made her fly away
The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
A Town Mouse was invited by his cousin who lived in the countryside to spend a few days in her company. They had a very modest dinner, with wheat stalks, roots, acorns, and fresh water. After the meal, the Town Mouse began to describe the throbbing and charming life of the town, with all the luxuries and delights that anyone could desire. So, the next day when the Town Mouse asked the Country Mouse to go home with her to the city, she accepted.
When they reached the Town Mouse’s home, they found the most tempting food the Country Mouse could have imagined. But, no sooner had they started to eat, than a fierce Cat attacked them. They managed to hide, but soon after, a Man with a Dog came in and they had to hide again. The scared Country Mouse decided to return home immediately.
“You may have luxuries that I have not,” she said as she hurried away,” but I prefer my plain food and simple but peaceful life.”
The Hares and the Frogs
The Hares, persecuted by the other beasts and afraid even of their own shadows, had a council to decide what to do. The conclusion they came to was to die rather than live on with this shame. So, they went to a pond, determined to drown themselves.
But when they were just about to jump, some Frogs who had been sitting on a water lily, startled by the noise they made, rushed to the deep water for safety.
“Look,” cried a Hare, “there are creatures who are even afraid of us, so things are not so bad, after all.”