One good turn deserves another.

The Dog and His Reflection

 A Dog, crossing a bridge over a stream with a piece of meat in his mouth, saw his own reflection in the water. Thinking it was another dog with a bigger piece of meat, he growled and frowned at it, wishing to have that morsel, too.

 He, then, opened his mouth to get the other piece of meat, but at that moment, his own fell into the water with a splash and the stream swept it away. He thus lost both.

Greed can make you lose everything you have.

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.”

Poverty with security is better than luxury in the midst of danger.

The Peacock and the Crane

There was once a very conceited Peacock who had a gorgeous tail like no other bird. So, when he met a Crane one day, the Peacock scoffed at the Crane’s colorless and dull feathers, and immediately spread his own colorful tail for the Crane to see and admire.

 “Look at my feathers,” he boasted, how they shine in all the colors of the rainbow, while yours are so pale! I am dressed like a king!”

 “That’s true,” the Crane answered, “but I can fly high above, among the clouds and the stars and I can see all the beauty of the earth in all its glory, while you live down here just like any other cock.”

Fine feathers don’t make fine birds.

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. We don’t need to die any more.”