Recently, I read a children's story book that I have been wanting to read for a long long time. In fact, I wanted read this book ever since my mom gave that book to me when I was a kid. At that time, I wasn't very comfortable with English. English was always chaotic and frightening to me. Later, I had almost forgotten about the book.
After almost 25 years, I found this book on the attic and decided read it as I have become comfortable with English now. I remembered only the pictures from the story book. It is these pictures that had created so much of fond memories of the stories that were narrated to me by mom in Kannada. Back then, I didn't notice that each of the story is not even a page long. I guess I had overestimated how long and difficult those stories were when I was a kid. Some of the stories are less than 5 sentences long.
Now, I understand that this is a children's book.So, it must be easy to understand and finish each story in a few minutes. Back then, I simply looked at the pictures and wondered about the stories. Now, having read the book, it is hard to believe that, the stories that were once felt foreign and difficult, have felt not only comfortable but also enjoyable to read.
This fables and stories in the book were originally by Aesop and later translated by Leo Tolstoy is available on Amazon. A free PDF of the book also available on archive.org.
If you want to just the read the stories online, there are two good sources:
- Wikipedia - List of Aesop's Fables
- The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress - The Æsop for Children
The book clearly says in the preface that Leo Tolstoy intentionally left out the moral of the story at the end of each story. This is because the Leo Tolstoy believed children could make out the moral of the story by themselves.
If there is any child or adult out there who is struggling to understand the story and derive the moral from the stories can refer this blog. Here, I have listed each story by its title and also their most concise moral lesson.
| # | Story Title | Moral |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Ant and The Pigeon | Kindness returns. |
| 2 | The Horse and the Mare | Don't preach courage or anything if you aren't prepared to practice. |
| 3 | The Fox and the Crane | Treat others as you wish to be treated, or expect the same in return. |
| 4 | The Monkey’s Children | Overprotection destroys what you cherish, while independence survives. |
| 5 | The Wolf and the Squirrel | Guilt breeds misery, while a clear conscience brings joy. |
| 6 | The Eagle, the Crow and the Shepherd | Know your limits. |
| 7 | The Two Roosters and the Eagle | Arrogance invites downfall. |
| 8 | The Wayfarers | True friends share risks. |
| 9 | The Mouse, the Rooster and the Cat | Appearances deceive. |
| 10 | The Fox and the Wood-Grouse | Flattery is a trap. |
| 11 | The Wolf and the Dog | Freedom over comfort. |
| 12 | The Shipwreck | God helps those who help themselves. |
| 13 | The Greedy Mouse | Greed traps you. |
| 14 | The Mouse and the Frog | Unfamiliar waters can prove dangerous. |
| 15 | The Frog, the Mouse and the Hawk | While enemies fight each other, a third party wins. |
| 16 | The Country Mouse and the Town Mouse | Safety beats luxury. |
| 17 | The Sea, the Rivers and the Streams | A technicality can turn a foolish bet into a clever victory. |
| 18 | The Eagle and the Fox | Arrogance makes the high and mighty vulnerable to the desperate. |
| 19 | The Cat and the Fox | One good skill suffices. |
| 20 | The Monkey and the Fox | Leadership needs wisdom. |
| 21 | The Cat and the Bell | Execution matters most. |
| 22 | The Lion and the Ass | Foolish praise breeds lifelong conceit. |
| 23 | The Wolf and the Fox | Circumstance dictates power. or Danger empowers the weak against you. |
| 24 | The Fox and the Wolf | Clever strategy beats brute force every time. |
| 25 | The Peasant and Luck | Effort creates fortune. |
| 26 | The Girl and the Dragonfly | Respect nature’s freedom. |
| 27 | The Grass-Snake and the Hedgehog | Trust unwisely, lose all. |
| 28 | The Jackdaw and the Pitcher | Persistence solves problems. or Brains over brawn |
| 29 | The Little Bird | The rules are rarely applied equally. |
| 30 | The Liar | Liars lose trust. |
| 31 | The Ant and the Pigeon | Help returned promptly. |
| 32 | The Jackdaw and the Pigeons | Be yourself. |
| 33 | The Eagle and the Tortoise | Listen to advice. |
| 34 | The Ass and the Horse | Help neighbors early. |
| 35 | The Lion and the Mouse | Small friends matter. |
| 36 | The Woman and the Hen | Greed loses plenty. |
| 37 | The Hen and the Golden Eggs | Patience over greed. |
| 38 | The Dog, the Rooster and the Fox | Wit defeats enemies. |
| 39 | The Ferret | Ignorance turns self-harm into a foolish triumph. |
| 40 | The Lion, the Bear and the Fox | Rivals lose to bystanders. |
| 41 | The Wolf and the Old Woman | Trust actions, not idle threats. |
| 42 | The Dragonfly and the Ants | Idleness in summer brings suffering in winter. |
| 43 | The Frog and the Lion | Noise is no measure of power. |
| 44 | The Wolf and the Crane | Expect no villain's reward. |
| 45 | The Maids and the Rooster | Removing a symptom won't fix the underlying cause. |
| 46 | The Dog and Her Shadow | Greed loses all in pursuit of more. |
| 47 | The Stag and the Young Deer | Habitual fear overpowers natural strength. |
| 48 | The Fox and the Grapes | It is easy to dislike what you cannot have. |
| 49 | The Hen and the Swallow | Nurturing danger breeds your own destruction. |
| 50 | The Ass in the Lion’s Skin | Disguises fail eventually. |
| 51 | The Gardener and His Sons | Hard work is wealth. |
| 52 | The Fox and the Goat | Look before you leap. |
| 53 | The Cranes and the Stork | You are judged by the company you keep. |
| 54 | The Fisherman and the Little Fish | Present gains beat future promises. |
| 55 | Hares and Frogs | Someone always fares worse. |
| 56 | The Father and His Sons | Unity is strength. |
| 57 | The Fox | Deceit traps the deceiver. |
| 58 | The Mosquito and the Lion | Overconfidence blinds. |
| 59 | The Dog and the Wolf | Lean freedom beats fat chains. |
| 60 | The Wild Ass and the Tame Ass | Ease costs freedom. |
| 61 | The Horse and Her Masters | Unchecked discontent worsens things. |
| 62 | The Wolf and the Goat | Beware enemy advice. |
| 63 | The Stag | Vanity blinds utility. |
| 64 | The Stag and the Vineyard | Ingratitude brings ruin. |
| 65 | The Old Man and Death | Life remains sweet. |
| 66 | The Lion and the Fox | Learn from others' mistakes. |
| 67 | The Cat and the Mice | A known trickster gets no second chance. |
| 68 | The Raven and the Fox | Flattery deceives. |
| 69 | Two Friends | Adversity reveals truth. |
| 70 | The Peasant and the Water Sprite | Honesty yields reward. |
| 71 | The Wolf and the Lamb | Tyrants need no excuse. |
| 72 | The Lion, the Wolf and the Fox | Traps ensnare creators. |
| 73 | The Lion, the Ass and the Fox | Learn from others' fates. |
| 74 | The Reed and the Olive Tree | Yielding survives storms. |
| 75 | The Cat and the Ram | Blind imitation without considering your nature brings harm. |
| 76 | The Hare | Fear breeds defeat. |
| 77 | The Hare and the Tortoise | Slow and steady wins. |
| 78 | The Quail and Her Children | Self-reliance gets the job done. |
| 79 | The Peacock | Inner worth beats appearance. |
| 80 | The Bear and the Bees | Stolen gains bring painful strains. |
| 81 | The Bees and The Drones | Actions prove ownership. |
| 82 | The Peacock and the Crane | Utility surpasses beauty. |
| 83 | The Quail and the Hunter | Treachery deserves no mercy. |
| 84 | The Sparrow | Ignore early warnings at your own peril.. |
| 85 | The Hawk and the Pigeons | Worse tyrants exist. |
| 86 | The Master and the Workman | Watchful eyes ensure quality. |
| 87 | The Pot and the Pan | Fragile things avoid rough companions. |
| 88 | The Bat | Principle beats opportunism. |
| 89 | The Miser | Wealth unused is worthless. |
| 90 | The Man and the Dog | Do not reward wickedness. |
| 91 | The Dog and the Stick | Misinterpreting punishment as privilege is pure folly. |
| 92 | The Shepherd | False alarms ruin trust. |
| 93 | The Dog on the Hay | Don't deny others what you can't enjoy yourself. |
| 94 | The Wolf and the Bone | Expect no thanks from evil. |
| 95 | The Dog and the Thief | Bribes signal danger. |
| 96 | The Wolf and the Mare | Smart foes ask questions. |
| 97 | The Fox and the Wolf | Always stay prepared.. |
| 98 | The Stag and the Horse | Don't trade freedom for revenge. |
| 99 | The Two Frogs | Think long-term. |
| 100 | The Wolf and the Pig | Misplaced trust invites ruin. |
| 101 | The Bull and the Frog | Pride bursts arrogance. |
| 102 | The Frogs Who Asked for a Tsar | Be careful what you wish for. |
| 103 | The Merchant and the Thieves | Caution prevents disaster. |
| 104 | The Sun and the Wind | Persuasion beats force. |
