Aesop Collected Stories

Collected Stories

Aesop (c. 620-564)

1-2. The Bull and the Mouse

When it happened it surprised everyone.

A naughty little mouse went up to a bull as the great animal was grazing. Suddenly the mouse darted forward and bit the great bull on the nose. The bull roared with surprise and fury. The mouse turned and fled. Lowering his horns the bull charged after the tiny creature.

Just when it looked as if the bull would catch up with the mouse and toss it high into the air, the tiny creature reached its hole in a wall and scuttled in to safety. The bull snorted and pawed the ground outside the hole, daring the mouse to come out and face him. The mouse laughed at him.

This was too much! The bull backed off and then charged the wall, butting it with his head. He repeated this several times. The strong wall did not even shake. The bull realized that his head was now very sore. He felt dizzy and sank to his knees. There was nothing else he could do. Presently, a little voice squeaked from the safety of the wall. “You big strong fellows don’t win all the time, you know!”

3-4. The Eagle and the Beetle

One day an eagle was chasing a rabbit across a field. It swooped low over the terrified animal, its great claws extended, its beak ready to strike.The poor rabbit ran as fast as it could, screaming for help. The only living thing it could see was a tiny beetle.

“Help me, beetle! Please help me!” cried the rabbit piteously.

The beetle was small but brave. “Eagle!” he cried in his loudest voice. “I am speaking to you, Eagle! Do not touch that rabbit! It is under my special protection!”

Of course, the eagle took no notice at all. In fact he hardly noticed the tiny beetle. Suddenly he pounced upon the rabbit and ate it.

The beetle was very upset about this and decided to avenge the rabbit. He made his way to the eagle’s nest, high in the cliffs, and waited. Then, every time that the eagle laid an egg, the beetle rolled it out of the nest, so that it fell to the ground below and was smashed.

5-6. The Fox and the Crow

Crow landed high in a tree, holding in her beak a bit of meat she’d found nearby. Below the tree walked Fox, who looked up when he heard a flutter of leaves. He saw Crow and the meat dangling from her beak.

Fox wanted the meat, so he deceitfully said to no one at all, “How handsome is that Crow! So beautiful and shiny are her feathers! Ah, if only her voice were equal to her beauty, she would be considered the Queen of Birds!”

Now Crow, being very vain, heard Fox’s flattery of her appearance and was pleased. But she was also anxious to prove him wrong about her voice. So she opened her beak and let out a loud CAW, CAW, dropping the meat as she did. Fox quickly picked it up and ate it. Then he looked up and laughed, “My good Crow, your voice is alright . . . it’s your brain that’s lacking!” And with that, he walked away, leaving the hungry Crow to feel sorry for herself.

1. What is the setting of the story?

A) a fox’s den

B) a birdhouse

C) a tree

D) a boat on the river

2. Fox gets the meat from Crow because one of his character traits is being

A) helpful.

B) dishonest.

C) sad.

D) a good cook.

3. Which is NOT one of Crow’s character traits?

A) having feathers

B) being vain

C) having a loud voice

D) being smart

7-8. The City Mouse and the Country Mouse

Once there were two mouse cousins. One lived in the country; the other lived in a big city. They wrote to each other often and invited each other to visit.

“You must come to see how nice it is in the city,” wrote the City Mouse.“ I have a choice of wonderful foods to eat every day, like bread, cheese, and sweets. What do you eat?”

“I eat seeds from the fields,” the Country Mouse wrote back.“ And I sometimes find crumbs in the old farmhouse where I live."

One day, as the Country Mouse hunted for grain in the field, he thought of his cousin choosing what to eat.“ Why should I have to hunt for food?” he said to no one at all.“ I think I will head to this city my cousin keeps telling me about!”

And so he did. When the Country Mouse arrived, the City Mouse said, “Shhh! The people just left the dining room. Let’s sneak in for some bread and cheese.”

The Country Mouse was amazed at the leftover food just sitting on a table. “Dig in!” said the City Mouse, and he bit into a chunk of cheese.

The Country Mouse took a nibble. He’d never tasted anything so delicious! He was thinking how lucky the City Mouse was when he heard a noise. “Run!” said the City Mouse, as he grabbed his cousin’s paw. “Someone’s come to clean off the table!”

The two mice ran to a little hole in the kitchen wall. Inside, the Country Mouse trembled as someone stacked dishes in a dishwasher and went away. The City Mouse smiled, “Good, he didn’t see us. Let’s go get something else.”

The Country Mouse looked around. He’d never seen so many jars and bags and boxes! “What luck!” said the City Mouse. “Someone left the cookies open!”

The cousins climbed to a shelf where a cookie bag sat. After much pulling and tugging, they got a large chunk of oatmeal cookie out and began to nibble on it. Suddenly, the Country Mouse heard a loud MEOW! “Run!” cried the City Mouse. And they ran as fast as they could, back to the hole in the wall.

The City Mouse laughed as the Country Mouse shook with fear.“ Don’t be so scared, Cousin; it’s only the cat! True, she likes to eat mice and she has sharp claws, but she’ll go away in a few minutes. Then we can go eat more food!”

The Country Mouse shook his head.“ No, thanks, Cousin. I’m going home! Thank you for your hospitality, but I would rather eat my lowly grain and crumbs in safety than have your fine menu and be in danger all the time!”

And so the Country Mouse went home and happily ate in peace the rest of his days.

1. The City Mouse reacts to the food served by the Country Mouse with

A) anger

B) dislike

C) histility

D) sadness

2. Why does the Country Mouse consider the larder a dangerous place?

A) The hiding place it too cramped.

B) The rich food is unhealthy for mice.

C) Humans often come in unexpectedly.

D) It is difficult to digest food on the run.

3. According to the story, eating luxurious foods is most important to the City Mouse. What is most important to the Country Mouse?

A) visiting a good, old friend

B) living in a safe, secure home

C) eating simple, natural foods

D) exploring new, exciting places

4. How are the City Mouse and the Country Mouse alike?

A) Each has a cousin.

B) Each likes cheese.

C) Both are mice.

D) all of the above

5. From the text, you know that one difference between the two mice is

A) that the City Mouse is taller.

B) when each one was born.

C) where each one lives.

D) that the Country Mouse can’t read.

6. The City Mouse and the Country Mouse are alike because

A) each spends money on food.

B) each is a boy.

C) each likes dogs.

D) each is a girl.

7. The Country Mouse went back home because he thought

A) he could teach the farmer to make cheese.

B) he would be fired from his computer job.

C) he had forgotten to lock the farmhouse door.

D) he would be safer eating crumbs there than having treats in the city

8. This story is told from the point of view of

A) the City Mouse

B) the Country Mouse

C) a narrator who knows the thoughts of all characters

D) a narrator who knows the thoughts of only one character

9. Which emotion does the City Mouse most likely feel that prompts him to invite the Country Mouse to his home?

A) pity

B) gratitude

C) excitement

D) envy

9-10. The North Wind and the Sun

Wind and Sun were both important weather makers, but each thought he was more powerful than the other was. Wind argued that his great strength made him more powerful. Sun argued that the ability to persuade gave him greater power.

“Let’s have a contest to prove who’s more powerful!” suggested Wind

boastfully. Far below, he saw a man in a warm, winter coat walking along the road. “Whoever can make that man take off his coat will be more powerful,” said Wind with a smile. “I’ll go first.”

Now Wind knew that when he blew, leaves flew through the air and trees bent. It should be easy to blow a man’s coat off! So Wind blew, gently at first, then harder and harder. But the harder he blew, the more the shivering man pulled his coat around him!

“My turn,” said Sun, and he began to send warm rays toward the man below. Soon the man unbuttoned his coat. Sun glowed brighter and the man became uncomfortable in the heat. Before long, he took off the coat!

Wind sighed. “I guess you win. You’re more powerful.”

Sun just beamed. And all day he was as busy as a bee, lighting the sky until it was time for Moon to take over!

1. The phrase busy as a bee is an example of a

A) simile.

B) metaphor.

C) hyperbole.

D) idiom.

2. Describing Wind as arrogant means he was

A) full of self-importance.

B) full of thanks.

C) full of wonder.

D) full of humility.

3. Which human characteristics did the writer NOT give Wind or Sun?

A) the ability to smile

B) the ability to walk

C) the ability to talk

D) the ability to laugh

4. What is the main conflict in the story?

A) Sun wants Moon to light the sky.

B) Wind wants to make a big tree bend.

C) The man doesn’t know which way to go on the road.

D) The Wind and Sun need to get the man’s coat off.

5. In the fable, the North Wind tries to win the argument by

A) persuading the traveler to remove his cloak

B) frightening the traveler into removing his cloak

C) getting the cloak from the traveler by tricking him

D) getting the cloak from the traveler by overpowering him

6. This fable is told from the point of view of

A) the Sun

B) the North Wind

C) the narrator

D) the traveler

7. The clue that this is told from the third-person point of view is the use of

A) the pronoun I.

B) the noun coat.

C) the pronoun he.

D) the verb blew.

8. You can infer that when Sun just beamed at the end of the story,

A) he knew he was better than Moon.

B) he felt he didn’t have to say anything because he’d won.

C) he didn’t want to hurt the man’s feelings.

D) he wanted to keep the bees warm.

9. Why was the Sun more successful than the North Wind in winning the dispute?

A) The Sun was physically stronger.

B) The Sun was closer to the traveler.

C) The Sun used a more clever strategy.

D) The Sun used all his strength in one burst.

10. The theme of this fable is

A) “Everyone has some kind of strength.”

B) “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”

C) “Don’t cry over spilt milk.”

D) “Gentle persuasion is better than force.”

11-12. The Father and His Sons

A father had a family of sons who were perpetually quarreling among themselves. When he failed to heal their disputes by his exhortations, he determined to give them a practical illustration of the evils of disunion; and for this purpose he one day told them to bring him a bundle of sticks.

When they had done so, he placed the bundle into the hands of each of them in succession, and ordered them to break it in pieces. They tried with all their strength, and were not able to do it.

He next opened the bundle, took the sticks separately, one by one, and again put them into his sons' hands, upon which they broke them easily. He then addressed them in these words: "My sons, if you are of one mind, and unite to assist each other, you will be as this faggot, uninjured by all the attempts of your enemies; but if you are divided among yourselves, you will be broken as easily as these sticks."

13-14. The Father and His Daughters

A Man had two Daughters, one of whom he gave in marriage to a gardener, and the other to a potter. After a time he thought he would go and see how they were getting on; and first he went to the gardener's wife.

He asked her how she was, and how things were going with herself and her husband. She replied that on the whole they were doing very well: "But," she continued, "I do wish we could have some good heavy rain: the garden wants it badly." Then he went on to the potter's wife and made the same inquiries of her.

She replied that she and her husband had nothing to complain of: "But," she went on, "I do wish we could have some nice dry weather, to dry the pottery." Her Father looked at her with a humorous expression on his face. "You want dry weather," he said, "and your sister wants rain. I was going to ask in my prayers that your wishes should be granted; but now it strikes me I had better not refer to the subject."

15-16. The Clown and the Countryman

A nobleman announced his intention of giving a public entertainment in the theatre, and offered splendid prizes to all who had any novelty to exhibit at the performance. The announcement attracted a crowd of conjurers, jugglers, and acrobats, and among the rest a clown, very popular with the crowd, who let it be known that he was going to give an entirely new turn.

When the day of the performance came, the theatre was filled from top to bottom some time before the entertainment began. Several performers exhibited their tricks, and then the popular favourite came on empty-handed and alone. At once there was a hush of expectation: and he, letting his head fall upon his breast, imitated the squeak of a pig to such perfection that the audience insisted on his producing the animal, which, they said, he must have somewhere concealed about his person. He, however, convinced them that there was no pig there, and then the applause was deafening.

Among the spectators was a countryman, who disparaged the clown's performance and announced that he would give a much superior exhibition of the same trick on the following day. Again the theatre was filled to overflowing, and again the clown gave his imitation amidst the cheers of the crowd. The countryman, meanwhile, before going on the stage, had secreted a young porker under his smock; and when the spectators derisively bade him do better if he could, he gave it a pinch in the ear and made it squeal loudly.

But they all with one voice shouted out that the clown's imitation was much more true to life. Thereupon he produced the pig from under his smock and said sarcastically, "There, that shows what sort of judges you are!"

17-18. The Mice in Council

Once upon a time all the mice met together in council, and discussed the best means of securing themselves against the attacks of the cat.

After several suggestions had been debated, a mouse of some standing and experience got up and said, "I think I have hit upon a plan which will ensure our safety in the future, provided you approve and carry it out. It is that we should fasten a bell round the neck of our enemy the cat, which will by its tinkling warn us of her approach."

This proposal was warmly applauded, and it had been already decided to adopt it, when an old mouse got upon his feet and said, "I agree with you all that the plan before us is an admirable one: but may I ask who is going to bell the cat?"

But when the mice further debated who among them should thus "bell the Cat," there was no one found to do it.

19-20. The Wolf and the Lamb

A Wolf came upon a mamb straying from the flock, and felt some compunction about taking the life of so helpless a creature without some plausible excuse.

So, he cast about for a grievance and said at last, "Last year, sirrah, you grossly insulted me."

"That is impossible, sir," bleated the Lamb, "for I wasn't born then."

"Well," retorted the Wolf, "you feed in my pastures."

"That cannot be," replied the Lamb, "for I have never yet tasted grass."

"You drink from my spring, then," continued the Wolf.

"Indeed, sir," said the poor Lamb, "I have never yet drunk anything but my mother's milk."

"Well, anyhow," said the Wolf, "I'm not going without my dinner" and he sprang upon the Lamb and devoured it without more ado.

Return to the bookshelf