Morables-PD.json

{
  "aesop_section_1_5": {
    "title": "Androcles",
    "story": "A slave named Androcles once escaped from his master and fled to the forest. As he was wandering about there he came upon a Lion lying down moaning and groaning. At first he turned to flee, but finding that the Lion did not pursue him, he turned back and went up to him. As he came near, the Lion put out his paw, which was all swollen and bleeding, and Androcles found that a huge thorn had got into it, and was causing all the pain. He pulled out the thorn and bound up the paw of the Lion, who was soon able to rise and lick the hand of Androcles like a dog. Then the Lion took Androcles to his cave, and every day used to bring him meat from which to live. But shortly afterwards both Androcles and the Lion were captured, and the slave was sentenced to be thrown to the Lion, after the latter had been kept without food for several days. The Emperor and all his Court came to see the spectacle, and Androcles was led out into the middle of the arena. Soon the Lion was let loose from his den, and rushed bounding and roaring towards his victim. But as soon as he came near to Androcles he recognised his friend, and fawned upon him, and licked his hands like a friendly dog. The Emperor, surprised at this, summoned Androcles to him, who told him the whole story. Whereupon the slave was pardoned and freed, and the Lion let loose to his native forest.",
    "moral": "Gratitude is the sign of noble souls."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_6": {
    "title": "The Ant and the Chrysalis",
    "story": "An Ant nimbly running about in the sunshine in search of food came across a Chrysalis that was very near its time of change. The Chrysalis moved its tail, and thus attracted the attention of the Ant, who then saw for the first time that it was alive. Poor, pitiable animal! cried the Ant disdainfully. What a sad fate is yours! While I can run hither and thither, at my pleasure, and, if I wish, ascend the tallest tree, you lie imprisoned here in your shell, with power only to move a joint or two of your scaly tail. The Chrysalis heard all this, but did not try to make any reply. A few days after, when the Ant passed that way again, nothing but the shell remained. Wondering what had become of its contents, he felt himself suddenly shaded and fanned by the gorgeous wings of a beautiful Butterfly. Behold in me, said the Butterfly, your much-pitied friend! Boast now of your powers to run and climb as long as you can get me to listen. So saying, the Butterfly rose in the air, and, borne along and aloft on the summer breeze, was soon lost to the sight of the Ant forever.",
    "moral": "Appearances are deceptive."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_8": {
    "title": "The Ant and the Grasshopper",
    "story": "One summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing an ear of corn he was taking to the nest., 'Why not come and chat with me,' said the Grasshopper, 'instead of toiling in that way?' 'I am helping to lay up food for the winter,' said the Ant, 'and recommend you do the same' 'Why bother about winter?' said the Grasshopper; 'we have plenty of food now.' The Ant went on its way. When winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer.",
    "moral": "There's a time for work and a time for play."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_15": {
    "title": "The Ass and His Shadow",
    "story": "A Traveler hired an Ass to convey him to a distant place. The day being intensely hot, and the sun shining in its strength, the Traveler stopped to rest, and sought shelter from the heat under the Shadow of the Ass. As this afforded only protection for one, and as the Traveler and the owner of the Ass both claimed it, a violent dispute arose between them as to which of them had the right to the Shadow. The owner maintained that he had let the Ass only, and not his Shadow. The Traveler asserted that he had, with the hire of the Ass, hired his Shadow also. The quarrel proceeded from words to blows, and while the men fought, the Ass galloped off.",
    "moral": "In quarreling about the shadow we often lose the substance."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_18": {
    "title": "The Ass and the Frogs",
    "story": "An Ass, carrying a load of wood, passed through a pond. As he was crossing through the water he lost his footing, stumbled and fell, and not being able to rise on account of his load, groaned heavily. Some Frogs frequenting the pool heard his lamentation, and said, 'What would you do if you had to live here always as we do, when you make such a fuss about a mere fall into the water?'",
    "moral": "Men often bear little grievances with less courage than they do large misfortunes."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_21": {
    "title": "The Ass and the Lapdog",
    "story": "A Man had an Ass, and a Maltese Lapdog, a very great beauty. The Ass was left in a stable and had plenty of oats and hay to eat, just as any other Ass would. The Lapdog knew many tricks and was a great favorite with his master, who often fondled him and seldom went out to dine without bringing him home some tidbit to eat. The Ass, on the contrary, had much work to do in grinding the corn-mill and in carrying wood from the forest or burdens from the farm. He often lamented his own hard fate and contrasted it with the luxury and idleness of the Lapdog, till at last one day he broke his cords and halter, and galloped into his master's house, kicking up his heels without measure, and frisking and fawning as well as he could. He next tried to jump about his master as he had seen the Lapdog do, but he broke the table and smashed all the dishes upon it to atoms. He then attempted to lick his master, and jumped upon his back. The servants, hearing the strange hubbub and perceiving the danger of their master, quickly relieved him, and drove out the Ass to his stable with kicks and clubs and cuffs. The Ass, as he returned to his stall beaten nearly to death, thus lamented: I have brought it all on myself! Why could I not have been contented to labor with my companions, and not wish to be idle all the day like that useless little Lapdog!",
    "moral": "To be satisfied with one's lot is better than to desire something which one is not fitted to receive."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_22": {
    "title": "The Ass and the Lapdog",
    "story": "A farmer went to the stables to see to his beasts of burden; among them was his favorite Ass, that was always well fed and often carried his master. With the farmer came his Lapdog, who danced about and licked his hand and frisked about. The farmer gave the Lapdog some food, and sat down. The Lapdog jumped into his master's lap, and lay there while the farmer stroked his ears. The Ass, seeing this, broke loose from his halter and commenced prancing about in imitation of the Lapdog. The farmer could not hold his sides with laughter, so the Ass went up to him, and attempted to climb into his lap. The farmer's servants rushed up with sticks and pitchforks and drove the Ass back to the stables.",
    "moral": "Clumsy jesting is no joke."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_23": {
    "title": "The Ass and the Mule",
    "story": "A Muleteer set forth on a journey, driving before him an Ass and a Mule, both well laden. The Ass, as long as he traveled along the plain, carried his load with ease, but when he began to ascend the steep path of the mountain, felt his load to be more than he could bear. He entreated his companion to relieve him of a small portion, that he might carry home the rest; but the Mule paid no attention to the request. The Ass shortly afterwards fell down dead under his burden. Not knowing what else to do in so wild a region, the Muleteer placed upon the Mule the load carried by the Ass in addition to his own, and at the top of all placed the hide of the Ass, after he had skinned him. The Mule, groaning beneath his heavy burden, said to himself: I am treated according to my deserts. If I had only been willing to assist the Ass a little in his need, I should not now be bearing, together with his burden, himself as well.",
    "moral": "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_27": {
    "title": "The Ass in the Lion's Skin",
    "story": "An Ass once found a Lion's skin which the hunters had left out in the sun to dry. He put it on and went towards his native village. All fled at his approach, both men and animals, and he was a proud Ass that day. In his delight he lifted up his voice and brayed, but then every one knew him, and his owner came up and gave him a sound cudgelling for the fright he had caused. And shortly afterwards a Fox came up to him and said: Ah, I knew you by your voice.",
    "moral": "Fine clothes may disguise, but silly words will disclose a fool."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_30": {
    "title": "The Ass's Brains",
    "story": "The Lion and the Fox went hunting together. The Lion, on the advice of the Fox, sent a message to the Ass, proposing to make an alliance between their two families. The Ass came to the place of meeting, overjoyed at the prospect of a royal alliance. But when he came there the Lion simply pounced on the Ass, and said to the Fox: Here is our dinner for to-day. Watch you here while I go and have a nap. Woe betide you if you touch my prey. The Lion went away and the Fox waited; but finding that his master did not return, ventured to take out the brains of the Ass and ate them up. When the Lion came back he soon noticed the absence of the brains, and asked the Fox in a terrible voice: What have you done with the brains? Brains, your Majesty! it had none, or it would never have fallen into your trap.",
    "moral": "Wit has always an answer ready."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_32": {
    "title": "Avaricious and Envious",
    "story": "Two neighbours came before Jupiter and prayed him to grant their hearts' desire. Now the one was full of avarice, and the other eaten up with envy. So to punish them both, Jupiter granted that each might have whatever he wished for himself, but only on condition that his neighbour had twice as much. The Avaricious man prayed to have a room full of gold. No sooner said than done; but all his joy was turned to grief when he found that his neighbour had two rooms full of the precious metal. Then came the turn of the Envious man, who could not bear to think that his neighbour had any joy at all. So he prayed that he might have one of his own eyes put out, by which means his companion would become totally blind.",
    "moral": "Vices are their own punishment."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_33": {
    "title": "The Bald Knight",
    "story": "A Bald Knight, who wore a wig, went out to hunt. A sudden puff of wind blew off his hat and wig, at which a loud laugh rang forth from his companions. He pulled up his horse, and with great glee joined in the joke by saying, 'What a marvel it is that hairs which are not mine should fly from me, when they have forsaken even the man on whose head they grew.'",
    "moral": "It's good to be able to laugh at yourself."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_35": {
    "title": "The Bald Man and the Fly",
    "story": "There was once a Bald Man who sat down after work on a hot summer's day. A Fly came up and kept buzzing about his bald pate, and stinging him from time to time. The Man aimed a blow at his little enemy, but acks palm came on his head instead; again the Fly tormented him, but this time the Man was wiser rested his hand.",
    "moral": "You will only injure yourself if you take notice of despicable enemies."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_36": {
    "title": "The Bat, the Birds and the Beasts",
    "story": "A great conflict was about to come off between the Birds and the Beasts. When the two armies were collected together the Bat hesitated which to join. The Birds that passed his perch said: Come with us ; but he said: I am a Beast. Later on, some Beasts who were passing underneath him looked up and said: Come with us ; but he said: I am a Bird. Luckily at the last moment peace was made, and no battle took place, so the Bat came to the Birds and wished to join in the rejoicings, but they all turned against him and he had to fly away. He then went to the Beasts, but soon had to beat a retreat, or else they would have torn him to pieces.",
    "moral": "He that is neither one thing nor the other has no friends."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_39": {
    "title": "The Bear and the Two Travelers",
    "story": "Two Men were traveling together, when a Bear suddenly met them on their path. One of them climbed up quickly into a tree and concealed himself in the branches. The other, seeing that he must be attacked, fell flat on the ground, and when the Bear came up and felt him with his snout, and smelt him all over, he held his breath, and feigned the appearance of death as much as he could. The Bear soon left him, for it is said he will not touch a dead body. When he was quite gone, the other Traveler descended from the tree, and jocularly inquired of his friend what it was the Bear had whispered in his ear. 'He gave me this advice', his companion replied. 'Never travel with a friend who deserts you at the approach of danger.'",
    "moral": "Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_41": {
    "title": "Belling the Cat",
    "story": "Long ago, the mice had a general council to consider what measures they could take to outwit their common enemy, the Cat. Some said this, and some said that; but at last a young mouse got up and said he had a proposal to make, which he thought would meet the case. You will all agree, said he, that our chief danger consists in the sly and treacherous manner in which the enemy approaches us. Now, if we could receive some signal of her approach, we could easily escape from her. I venture, therefore, to propose that a small bell be procured, and attached by a ribbon round the neck of the Cat. By this means we should always know when she was about, and could easily retire while she was in the neighbourhood. This proposal met with general applause, until an old mouse got up and said: That is all very well, but who is to bell the Cat? The mice looked at one another and nobody spoke.",
    "moral": "It is easy to propose impossible remedies."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_42": {
    "title": "The Belly and the Members",
    "story": "The Members of the Body rebelled against the Belly, and said, 'Why should we be perpetually engaged in administering to your wants, while you do nothing but take your rest, and enjoy yourself in luxury and self-indulgence?' The Members carried out their resolve and refused their assistance to the Belly. The whole Body quickly became debilitated, and the hands, feet, mouth, and eyes, when too late, repented of their folly.",
    "moral": "Each member in his proper sphere must work for the common good"
  },
  "aesop_section_1_44": {
    "title": "The Birdcatcher, the Partridge, and the Cock",
    "story": "A Birdcatcher was about to sit down to a dinner of herbs when a friend unexpectedly came in. The bird-trap was quite empty, as he had caught nothing, and he had to kill a pied Partridge, which he had tamed for a decoy. The bird entreated earnestly for his life: What would you do without me when next you spread your nets? Who would chirp you to sleep, or call for you the covey of answering birds?' The Birdcatcher spared his life, and determined to pick out a fine young Cock just attaining to his comb. But the Cock expostulated in piteous tones from his perch: If you kill me, who will announce to you the appearance of the dawn? Who will wake you to your daily tasks or tell you when it is time to visit the bird-trap in the morning?' He replied, What you say is true. You are a capital bird at telling the time of day. But my friend and I must have our dinners.",
    "moral": "Necessity knows no law."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_49": {
    "title": "The Bowman and Lion",
    "story": "A Very Skillful Bowman went to the mountains in search of game, but all the beasts of the forest fled at his approach. The Lion alone challenged him to combat. The Bowman immediately shot out an arrow and said to the Lion: 'I send thee my messenger, that from him thou mayest learn what I myself shall be when I assail thee'. The wounded Lion rushed away in great fear, and when a Fox who had seen it all happen told him to be of good courage and not to back off at the first attack he replied: 'You counsel me in vain; for if he sends so fearful a messenger, how shall I abide the attack of the man himself?'",
    "moral": "Be on guard against men who can strike from a distance."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_51": {
    "title": "The Boy and the Filberts",
    "story": "A Boy put his hand into a pitcher full of filberts. He grasped as many as he could possibly hold, but when he tried to pull out his hand, he was prevented from doing so by the neck of the pitcher. Unwilling to lose his filberts, and yet unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears and bitterly lamented his disappointment. A bystander said to him, Be satisfied with half the quantity, and you will readily draw out your hand.",
    "moral": "Do not attempt too much at once."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_52": {
    "title": "The Boys and the Frogs",
    "story": "Some Boys, playing near a pond, saw a number of Frogs in the water and began to pelt them with stones. They killed several of them, when one of the Frogs, lifting his head out of the water, cried out: Pray stop, my boys: what is sport to you, is death to us.",
    "moral": "One man's pleasure may be another's pain."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_54": {
    "title": "The Boy and the Nettles",
    "story": "A Boy was stung by a Nettle. He ran home and told his Mother, saying, Although it hurts me very much, I only touched it gently. That was just why it stung you, said his Mother. The next time you touch a Nettle, grasp it boldly, and it will be soft as silk to your hand, and not in the least hurt you.",
    "moral": "Whatever you do, do with all your might."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_58": {
    "title": "The Buffoon and the Countryman",
    "story": "At a country fair there was a Buffoon who made all the people laugh by imitating the cries of various animals. He finished off by squeaking so like a pig that the spectators thought that he had a porker concealed about him. But a Countryman who stood by said: Call that a pig s squeak! Nothing like it. You give me till tomorrow and I will show you what it's like. The audience laughed, but next day, sure enough, the Countryman appeared on the stage, and putting his head down squealed so hideously that the spectators hissed and threw stones at him to make him stop. You fools! he cried, see what you have been hissing, and held up a little pig whose ear he had been pinching to make him utter the squeals.",
    "moral": "Men often applaud an imitation and hiss the real thing."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_66": {
    "title": "The Cat-Maiden",
    "story": "The gods were once disputing whether it was possible for a living being to change its nature. Jupiter said Yes, but Venus said No. So, to try the question, Jupiter turned a Cat into a Maiden, and gave her to a young man for a wife. The wedding was duly performed and the young couple sat down to the wedding-feast. See, said Jupiter, to Venus, how becomingly she behaves. Who could tell that yesterday she was but a Cat? Surely her nature is changed? 'Wait a minute', replied Venus, and let loose a mouse into the room. No sooner did the bride see this than she jumped up from her seat and tried to pounce upon the mouse.",
    "moral": "Nature reveals itself."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_67": {
    "title": "The Cat and Venus",
    "story": "A Cat fell in love with a handsome young man, and entreated Venus to change her into the form of a woman. Venus consented to her request and transformed her into a beautiful damsel, so that the youth saw her and loved her, and took her home as his bride. While the two were reclining in their chamber, Venus wishing to discover if the Cat in her change of shape had also altered her habits of life, let down a mouse in the middle of the room. The Cat, quite forgetting her present condition, started up from the couch and pursued the mouse, wishing to eat it. Venus was much disappointed and again caused her to return to her former shape.",
    "moral": "Nature reveals itself."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_70": {
    "title": "The Cat and the Mice",
    "story": "A Certain House was overrun with Mice. A Cat, discovering this, made her way into it and began to catch and eat them one by one. Fearing for their lives, the Mice kept themselves close in their holes. The Cat was no longer able to get at them and perceived that she must tempt them forth by some device. For this purpose she jumped upon a peg, and suspending herself from it, pretended to be dead. One of the Mice, peeping stealthily out, saw her and said, Ah, my good madam, even though you should turn into a meal-bag, we will not come near you.",
    "moral": "He who is once deceived is doubly cautious."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_75": {
    "title": "The Cock and the Pearl",
    "story": "A cock was once strutting up and down the farmyard among the hens when suddenly he espied something shinning amid the straw. Ho! ho! quoth he, that's for me, and soon rooted it out from beneath the straw. What did it turn out to be but a Pearl that by some chance had been lost in the yard? You may be a treasure, quoth Master Cock, to men that prize you, but for me I would rather have a single barley-corn than a peck of pearls.",
    "moral": "Precious things are for those that can prize them."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_80": {
    "title": "The Crow and the Pitcher",
    "story": "A Crow, half-dead with thirst, came upon a Pitcher which had once been full of water; but when the Crow put its beak into the mouth of the Pitcher he found that only very little water was left in it, and that he could not reach far enough down to get at it. He tried, and he tried, but at last had to give up in despair. Then a thought came to him, and he took a pebble and dropped it into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped it into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. At last, at last, he saw the water mount up near him, and after casting in a few more pebbles he was able to quench his thirst and save his life.",
    "moral": "Little by little does the trick."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_84": {
    "title": "The Dancing Monkeys",
    "story": "A Prince had some Monkeys trained to dance. Being naturally great mimics of men's actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers. The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage. The Monkeys at the sight of the nuts forgot their dancing and became (as indeed they were) Monkeys instead of actors. Pulling off their masks and tearing their robes, they fought with one another for the nuts. The dancing spectacle thus came to an end amidst the laughter and ridicule of the audience.",
    "moral": "Men often revert to their natural instincts."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_86": {
    "title": "The Dog and the Cook",
    "story": "A Rich Man gave a great feast, to which he invited many friends and acquaintances. His Dog availed himself of the occasion to invite a stranger Dog, a friend of his, saying, My master gives a feast, and there is always much food remaining; come and sup with me tonight. The Dog thus invited went at the hour appointed, and seeing the preparations for so grand an entertainment, said in the joy of his heart, How glad I am that I came! I do not often get such a chance as this. I will take care and eat enough to last me both today and tomorrow. While he was congratulating himself and wagging his tail to convey his pleasure to his friend, the Cook saw him moving about among his dishes and, seizing him by his fore and hind paws, bundled him without ceremony out of the window. He fell with force upon the ground and limped away, howling dreadfully. His yelling soon attracted other street dogs, who came up to him and inquired how he had enjoyed his supper. He replied, Why, to tell you the truth, I drank so much wine that I remember nothing. I do not know how I got out of the house.",
    "moral": "Those who enter by the back stairs may expect to be shown out at the window."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_90": {
    "title": "The Dog in the Manger",
    "story": "A Dog looking out for its afternoon nap jumped into the Manger of an Ox and lay there cosily upon the straw. But soon the Ox, returning from its afternoon work, came up to the Manger and wanted to eat some of the straw. The Dog in a rage, being awakened from its slumber, stood up and barked at the Ox, and whenever it came near attempted to bite it. At last the Ox had to give up the hope of getting at the straw, and went away.",
    "moral": "People often grudge others what they cannot enjoy themselves."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_92": {
    "title": "The Dog and the Shadow",
    "story": "It happened that a Dog had got a piece of meat and was carrying it home in his mouth to eat it in peace. Now on his way home he had to cross a plank lying across a running brook. As he crossed, he looked down and saw his own shadow reflected in the water beneath. Thinking it was another dog with another piece of meat, he made up his mind to have that also. So he made a snap at the shadow in the water, but as he opened his mouth the piece of meat fell out, dropped into the water and was never seen more.",
    "moral": "He who covets what belongs to another, deservedly loses his own."
  },
  "aesop_section_1_101": {
    "title": "The Eagle and the Arrow",
    "story": "An eagle sat on a lofty rock, watching the movements of a Hare whom he sought to make his prey. An archer, who saw the Eagle from a place of concealment, took an accurate aim and wounded him mortally. The Eagle gave one look at the arrow that had entered his heart and saw in that single glance that its feathers had been furnished by himself. 'It is a double grief to me,' he exclaimed, 'that I should perish by an arrow feathered from my own wings.'",
    "moral": "How often do we supply our enemies with the means of our own destruction."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_5": {
    "title": "The Farmer and the Cranes",
    "story": "Some Cranes made their feeding grounds on some plowlands newly sown with wheat. For a long time the Farmer, brandishing an empty sling, chased them away by the terror he inspired; but when the birds found that the sling was only swung in the air, they ceased to take any notice of it and would not move. The Farmer, on seeing this, charged his sling with stones, and killed a great number. The remaining birds at once forsook his fields, crying to each other, It is time for us to be off to Liliput: for this man is no longer content to scare us, but begins to show us in earnest what he can do.",
    "moral": "If words suffice not, blows must follow."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_7": {
    "title": "The Farmer and the Snake",
    "story": "One Winter a Farmer found a Snake stiff and frozen with cold. He had compassion on it, and taking it up, placed it in his bosom. The Snake was quickly revived by the warmth, and resuming its natural instincts, bit its benefactor, inflicting on him a mortal wound. 'Oh', cried the Farmer with his last breath, 'I am rightly served for pitying a scoundrel.'",
    "moral": "The greatest kindness will not bind the ungrateful."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_8": {
    "title": "The Farmer and the Stork",
    "story": "A Farmer placed nets on his newly-sown plowlands and caught a number of Cranes, which came to pick up his seed. With them he trapped a Stork that had fractured his leg in the net and was earnestly beseeching the Farmer to spare his life. Pray save me, Master, he said, and let me go free this once. My broken limb should excite your pity. Besides, I am no Crane, I am a Stork, a bird of excellent character; and see how I love and slave for my father and mother. Look too, at my feathers-- they are not the least like those of a Crane. The Farmer laughed aloud and said, It may be all as you say, I only know this: I have taken you with these robbers, the Cranes, and you must die in their company.",
    "moral": "Birds of a feather flock together."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_15": {
    "title": "The Fisher and the Little Fish",
    "story": "It happened that a Fisher, after fishing all day, caught only a little fish. Pray, let me go, master, said the Fish. I am much too small for your eating just now. If you put me back into the river I shall soon grow, then you can make a fine meal off me. Nay, nay, my little Fish, said the Fisher, I have you now. I may not catch you hereafter.",
    "moral": "A little thing in hand is worth more than a great thing in prospect."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_16": {
    "title": "The Fisherman Piping",
    "story": "A Fisherman skilled in music took his flute and his nets to the seashore. Standing on a projecting rock, he played several tunes in the hope that the fish, attracted by his melody, would of their own accord dance into his net, which he had placed below. At last, having long waited in vain, he laid aside his flute, and casting his net into the sea, made an excellent haul of fish. When he saw them leaping about in the net upon the rock he said: 'O you most perverse creatures, when I piped you would not dance, but now that I have ceased you do so merrily.'",
    "moral": "To do the right thing at the right season is a great art."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_25": {
    "title": "The Four Oxen and the Lion",
    "story": "A Lion used to prowl about a field in which Four Oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to one another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At last, however, they fell a-quarrelling among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in a separate corner of the field. Then the Lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four.",
    "moral": "Union is strength."
  },
  "perry_18": {
    "title": "The Fox And The Bramble",
    "story": "A fox climbing up over a fence was about to slip and fall, so she reached out and grabbed hold of a bramble bush but the brambles scratched the soft padding of the fox's paws. Stung by the sharp pain, the fox asked the bramble bush why she had acted so cruelly, when the fox had simply grabbed onto her for help. The bramble replied, 'My dear, you must be out of your mind to grab hold of someone like me, since I am the one who always grabs everyone else!'",
    "moral": "It is foolish to expect help from someone who is naturally unkind."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_28": {
    "title": "The Fox and the Cat",
    "story": "A Fox was boasting to a Cat of its clever devices for escaping its enemies. I have a whole bag of tricks, he said, which contains a hundred ways of escaping my enemies. I have only one, said the Cat; but I can generally manage with that. Just at that moment they heard the cry of a pack of hounds coming towards them, and the Cat immediately scampered up a tree and hid herself in the boughs. This is my plan, said the Cat. What are you going to do? The Fox thought first of one way, then of another, and while he was debating the hounds came nearer and nearer, and at last the Fox in his confusion was caught up by the hounds and soon killed by the huntsmen.",
    "moral": "Better one safe way than a hundred on which you cannot reckon."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_29": {
    "title": "The Fox, the Cock and the Dog",
    "story": "One moonlight night a Fox was prowling about a farmer's hen-coop, and saw a Cock roosting high up beyond his reach. Good news, good news! he cried. Why, what is that? said the Cock. King Lion has declared a universal truce. No beast may hurt a bird henceforth, but all shall dwell together in brotherly friendship. Why, that is good news, said the Cock; and there I see some one coming, with whom we can share the good tidings. And so saying he craned his neck forward and looked afar off. What is it you see? said the Fox. It is only my master's Dog that is coming towards us. What, going so soon? he continued, as the Fox began to turn away as soon as he had heard the news. Will you not stop and congratulate the Dog on the reign of universal peace? I would gladly do so, said the Fox, but I fear he may not have heard of King Lion's decree.",
    "moral": "Cunning often outwits itself."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_30": {
    "title": "The Fox and the Crane",
    "story": "A Fox invited a Crane to supper and provided nothing for his entertainment but some soup made of pulse, which was poured out into a broad flat stone dish. The soup fell out of the long bill of the Crane at every mouthful, and his vexation at not being able to eat afforded the Fox much amusement. The Crane, in his turn, asked the Fox to sup with him, and set before her a flagon with a long narrow mouth, so that he could easily insert his neck and enjoy its contents at his leisure. The Fox, unable even to taste it, met with a fitting requital, after the fashion of her own hospitality.",
    "moral": "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you."
  },
  "perry_123": {
    "title": "The Fox And The Raven",
    "story": "The raven seized a piece of cheese and carried his spoils up to his perch high in a tree. A fox came up and walked in circles around the raven, planning a trick. 'What is this?' cried the fox. 'O raven, the elegant proportions of your body are remarkable, and you have a complexion that is worthy of the king of the birds! If only you had a voice to match, then you would be first among the fowl!' The fox said these things to trick the raven and the raven fell for it: he let out a great squawk and dropped his cheese. By thus showing off his voice, the raven let go of his spoils. The fox then grabbed the cheese and said, 'O raven, you do have a voice, but no brains to go with it!'",
    "moral": "Flatters are not to be trusted."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_32": {
    "title": "The Fox and the Crow",
    "story": "A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree. That's for me, as I am a Fox, said Master Reynard, and he walked up to the foot of the tree. Good-day, Mistress Crow, he cried. How well you are looking to-day: how glossy your feathers; how bright your eye. I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does; let me hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds. The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by Master Fox.",
    "moral": "Do not trust flatterers."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_34": {
    "title": "The Fox and the Goat",
    "story": "A Fox one day fell into a deep well and could find no means of escape. A Goat, overcome with thirst, came to the same well, and seeing the Fox, inquired if the water was good. Concealing his sad plight under a merry guise, the Fox indulged in a lavish praise of the water, saying it was excellent beyond measure, and encouraging him to descend. The Goat, mindful only of his thirst, thoughtlessly jumped down, but just as he drank, the Fox informed him of the difficulty they were both in and suggested a scheme for their common escape. If, said he, you will place your forefeet upon the wall and bend your head, I will run up your back and escape, and will help you out afterwards. The Goat readily assented and the Fox leaped upon his back. Steadying himself with the Goat's horns, he safely reached the mouth of the well and made off as fast as he could. When the Goat upbraided him for breaking his promise, he turned around and cried out, You foolish old fellow! If you had as many brains in your head as you have hairs in your beard, you would never have gone down before you had inspected the way up, nor have exposed yourself to dangers from which you had no means of escape.",
    "moral": "Look before you leap."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_38": {
    "title": "The Fox and the Hedgehog",
    "story": "A Fox swimming across a rapid river was carried by the force of the current into a very deep ravine, where he lay for a long time very much bruised, sick, and unable to move. A swarm of hungry blood-sucking flies settled upon him. A Hedgehog, passing by, saw his anguish and inquired if he should drive away the flies that were tormenting him. 'By no means', replied the Fox; 'pray do not molest them'. 'How is this?' said the Hedgehog; 'do you not want to be rid of them?' 'No', returned the Fox, 'for these flies which you see are full of blood, and sting me but little, and if you rid me of these which are already satiated, others more hungry will come in their place, and will drink up all the blood I have left.'",
    "moral": "Consider carefully before changing your situation."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_48": {
    "title": "The Fox and the Woodcutter",
    "story": "A Fox, running before the hounds, came across a Woodcutter felling an oak and begged him to show him a safe hiding-place. The Woodcutter advised him to take shelter in his own hut, so the Fox crept in and hid himself in a corner. The huntsman soon came up with his hounds and inquired of the Woodcutter if he had seen the Fox. He declared that he had not seen him, and yet pointed, all the time he was speaking, to the hut where the Fox lay hidden. The huntsman took no notice of the signs, but believing his word, hastened forward in the chase. As soon as they were well away, the Fox departed without taking any notice of the Woodcutter: whereon he called to him and reproached him, saying, 'You ungrateful fellow, you owe your life to me, and yet you leave me without a word of thanks'. The Fox replied, 'Indeed, I should have thanked you fervently if your deeds had been as good as your words, and if your hands had not been traitors to your speech.'",
    "moral": "There is as much malice in a wink as in a word."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_52": {
    "title": "The Frogs Asking for a King",
    "story": "The Frogs, grieved at having no established Ruler, sent ambassadors to Jupiter entreating for a King. Perceiving their simplicity, he cast down a huge log into the lake. The Frogs were terrified at the splash occasioned by its fall and hid themselves in the depths of the pool. But as soon as they realized that the huge log was motionless, they swam again to the top of the water, dismissed their fears, climbed up, and began squatting on it in contempt. After some time they began to think themselves ill-treated in the appointment of so inert a Ruler, and sent a second deputation to Jupiter to pray that he would set over them another sovereign. He then gave them an Eel to govern them. When the Frogs discovered his easy good nature, they sent yet a third time to Jupiter to beg him to choose for them still another King. Jupiter, displeased with all their complaints, sent a Heron, who preyed upon the Frogs day by day till there were none left to croak upon the lake.",
    "moral": "Better no rule than cruel rule."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_59": {
    "title": "The Goatherd and the Wild Goats",
    "story": "A Goatherd, driving his flock from their pasture at eventide, found some Wild Goats mingled among them, and shut them up together with his own for the night. The next day it snowed very hard, so that he could not take the herd to their usual feeding places, but was obliged to keep them in the fold. He gave his own goats just sufficient food to keep them alive, but fed the strangers more abundantly in the hope of enticing them to stay with him and of making them his own. When the thaw set in, he led them all out to feed, and the Wild Goats scampered away as fast as they could to the mountains. The Goatherd scolded them for their ingratitude in leaving him, when during the storm he had taken more care of them than of his own herd. One of them, turning about, said to him: That is the very reason why we are so cautious; for if you yesterday treated us better than the Goats you have had so long, it is plain also that if others came after us, you would in the same manner prefer them to ourselves.",
    "moral": "Old friends should not be sacrificed for new ones."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_62": {
    "title": "The Goose With the Golden Eggs",
    "story": "One day a countryman going to the nest of his Goose found there an egg all yellow and glittering. When he took it up it was as heavy as lead and he was going to throw it away, because he thought a trick had been played upon him. But he took it home on second thoughts, and soon found to his delight that it was an egg of pure gold. Every morning the same thing occurred, and he soon became rich by selling his eggs. As he grew rich he grew greedy; and thinking to get at once all the gold the Goose could give, he killed it and opened it only to find nothing.",
    "moral": "Greed often overreaches itself."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_64": {
    "title": "The Hare and the Hound",
    "story": "A Hound started a Hare from his lair, but after a long run, gave up the chase. A goat-herd seeing him stop, mocked him, saying The little one is the best runner of the two. The Hound replied, You do not see the difference between us: I was only running for a dinner, but he for his life.",
    "moral": "Necessity is our strongest weapon."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_67": {
    "title": "The Hares and the Frogs",
    "story": "The Hares, oppressed by their own exceeding timidity and weary of the perpetual alarm to which they were exposed, with one accord determined to put an end to themselves and their troubles by jumping from a lofty precipice into a deep lake below. As they scampered off in large numbers to carry out their resolve, the Frogs lying on the banks of the lake heard the noise of their feet and rushed helter-skelter to the deep water for safety. On seeing the rapid disappearance of the Frogs, one of the Hares cried out to his companions: 'Stay, my friends, do not do as you intended; for you now see that there are creatures who are still more timid than ourselves.'",
    "moral": "There is always someone worse off than yourself."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_71": {
    "title": "The Hare With Many Friends",
    "story": "A Hare was very popular with the other beasts who all claimed to be her friends. But one day she heard the hounds approaching and hoped to escape them by the aid of her many Friends. So, she went to the horse, and asked him to carry her away from the hounds on his back. But he declined, stating that he had important work to do for his master. He felt sure, he said, that all her other friends would come to her assistance. She then applied to the bull, and hoped that he would repel the hounds with his horns. The bull replied: I am very sorry, but I have an appointment with a lady; but I feel sure that our friend the goat will do what you want. The goat, however, feared that his back might do her some harm if he took her upon it. The ram, he felt sure, was the proper friend to apply to. So she went to the ram and told him the case. The ram replied: Another time, my dear friend. I do not like to interfere on the present occasion, as hounds have been known to eat sheep as well as hares. The Hare then applied, as a last hope, to the calf, who regretted that he was unable to help her, as he did not like to take the responsibility upon himself, as so many older persons than himself had declined the task. By this time the hounds were quite near, and the Hare took to her heels and luckily escaped.",
    "moral": "He that has many friends, has no friends."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_73": {
    "title": "The Hart and the Hunter",
    "story": "The Hart was once drinking from a pool and admiring the noble figure he made there. Ah, said he, where can you see such noble horns as these, with such antlers! I wish I had legs more worthy to bear such a noble crown; it is a pity they are so slim and slight. At that moment a Hunter approached and sent an arrow whistling after him. Away bounded the Hart, and soon, by the aid of his nimble legs, was nearly out of sight of the Hunter; but not noticing where he was going, he passed under some trees with branches growing low down in which his antlers were caught, so that the Hunter had time to come up.",
    "moral": "We often despise what is most useful to us."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_74": {
    "title": "The Hart in the Ox-Stall",
    "story": "A Hart hotly pursued by the hounds fled for refuge into an ox-stall, and buried itself in a truss of hay, leaving nothing to be seen but the tips of his horns. Soon after the Hunters came up and asked if any one had seen the Hart. The stable boys, who had been resting after their dinner, looked round, but could see nothing, and the Hunters went away. Shortly afterwards the master came in, and looking round, saw that something unusual had taken place. He pointed to the truss of hay and said: What are those two curious things sticking out of the hay? And when the stable boys came to look they discovered the Hart, and soon made an end of him.",
    "moral": "Nothing escapes the master's eye"
  },
  "aesop_section_2_76": {
    "title": "The Hawk, the Kite, and the Pigeons",
    "story": "The Pigeons, terrified by the appearance of a Kite, called upon the Hawk to defend them. He at once consented. When they had admitted him into the cote, they found that he made more havoc and slew a larger number of them in one day than the Kite could pounce upon in a whole year.",
    "moral": "Avoid a remedy that is worse than the disease."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_77": {
    "title": "The Heifer and the Ox",
    "story": "A Heifer saw an Ox hard at work harnessed to a plow, and tormented him with reflections on his unhappy fate in being compelled to labor. Shortly afterwards, at the harvest festival, the owner released the Ox from his yoke, but bound the Heifer with cords and led him away to the altar to be slain in honor of the occasion. The Ox saw what was being done, and said with a smile to the Heifer: For this you were allowed to live in idleness, because you were presently to be sacrificed.",
    "moral": "He laughs best that laughs last."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_80": {
    "title": "Hercules and Pallas",
    "story": "Hercules, once journeying along a narrow roadway, came across a strange-looking animal that reared its head and threatened him. Nothing daunted, the hero gave him a few lusty blows with his club, and thought to have gone on his way. The monster, however, much to the astonishment of Hercules, was now three times as big as it was before, and of a still more threatening aspect. He thereupon redoubled his blows and laid about him fast and furiously; but the harder and quicker the strokes of the club, the bigger and more frightful grew the monster, and now completely filled up the road. Pallas then appeared upon the scene. Stop, Hercules, said she. Cease your blows. The monster's name is Strife. Let it alone, and it will soon become as little as it was at first.",
    "moral": "Strife feeds on conflict."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_81": {
    "title": "Hercules and the Wagoner",
    "story": "A Carter was driving a wagon along a country lane, when the wheels sank down deep into a rut. The rustic driver, stupefied and aghast, stood looking at the wagon, and did nothing but utter loud cries to Hercules to come and help him. Hercules, it is said, appeared and thus addressed him: 'Put your shoulders to the wheels, my man. Goad on your bullocks, and never more pray to me for help, until you have done your best to help yourself, or depend upon it you will henceforth pray in vain.'",
    "moral": "Self-help is the best help."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_88": {
    "title": "The Horse, Hunter and Stag",
    "story": "A quarrel had arisen between the Horse and the Stag, so the Horse came to a Hunter to ask his help to take revenge on the Stag. The Hunter agreed, but said: 'If you desire to conquer the Stag, you must permit me to place this piece of iron between your jaws, so that I may guide you with these reins, and allow this saddle to be placed upon your back so that I may keep steady upon you as we follow after the enemy'. The Horse agreed to the conditions, and the Hunter soon saddled and bridled him. Then with the aid of the Hunter the Horse soon overcame the Stag, and said to the Hunter:' Now, get off, and remove those things from my mouth and back'. 'Not so fast, friend', said the Hunter. 'I have now got you under bit and spur, and prefer to keep you as you are at present.'",
    "moral": "If you allow men to use you for your own purposes, they will use you for theirs."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_91": {
    "title": "The Hunter and the Woodman",
    "story": "A Hunter, not very bold, was searching for the tracks of a Lion. He asked a man felling oaks in the forest if he had seen any marks of his footsteps or knew where his lair was. I will, said the man, at once show you the Lion himself. The Hunter, turning very pale and chattering with his teeth from fear, replied, No, thank you. I did not ask that; it is his track only I am in search of, not the Lion himself.",
    "moral": "The hero is brave in deeds as well as words."
  },
  "aesop_section_2_92": {
    "title": "The Huntsman and the Fisherman",
    "story": "A Huntsman, returning with his dogs from the field, fell in by chance with a Fisherman who was bringing home a basket well laden with fish. The Huntsman wished to have the fish, and their owner experienced an equal longing for the contents of the game-bag. They quickly agreed to exchange the produce of their day's sport. Each was so well pleased with his bargain that they made for some time the same exchange day after day. Finally a neighbor said to them, 'If you go on in this way, you will soon destroy by frequent use the pleasure of your exchange, and each will again wish to retain the fruits of his own sport.'",
    "moral": "Abstain and enjoy."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_3": {
    "title": "The Kites and the Swans",
    "story": "The Kites of olden times, as well as the Swans, had the privilege of song. But having heard the neigh of the horse, they were so enchanted with the sound, that they tried to imitate it; and, in trying to neigh, they forgot how to sing.",
    "moral": "The desire for imaginary benefits often involves the loss of present blessings."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_4": {
    "title": "The Labourer and the Nightingale",
    "story": "A Labourer lay listening to a Nightingale's song throughout the summer night. So pleased was he with it that the next night he set a trap for it and captured it. 'Now that I have caught thee', he cried, 'thou shalt always sing to me'. 'We Nightingales never sing in a cage.' said the bird. 'Then I'll eat thee.' said the Labourer. 'I have always heard say that a nightingale on toast is dainty morsel.' 'Nay, kill me not', said the Nightingale; 'but let me free, and I'll tell thee three things far better worth than my poor body.' The Labourer let him loose, and he flew up to a branch of a tree and said: 'Never believe a captive's promise; that's one thing. Then again: Keep what you have. And third piece of advice is:' ... Then the song-bird flew away.",
    "moral": "Sorrow not over what is lost forever"
  },
  "aesop_section_3_8": {
    "title": "The Lark Burying Her Father",
    "story": "The Lark (according to an ancient legend) was created before the earth itself, and when her father died, as there was no earth, she could find no place of burial for him. She let him lie uninterred for five days, and on the sixth day, not knowing what else to do, she buried him in her own head. Hence she obtained her crest, which is popularly said to be her father's grave-hillock.",
    "moral": "Youth's first duty is reverence to parents."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_9": {
    "title": "The Lark and Her Young Ones",
    "story": "A Lark had made her nest in the early spring on the young green wheat. The brood had almost grown to their full strength and attained the use of their wings and the full plumage of their feathers, when the owner of the field, looking over his ripe crop, said, The time has come when I must ask all my neighbors to help me with my harvest. One of the young Larks heard his speech and related it to his mother, inquiring of her to what place they should move for safety. There is no occasion to move yet, my son, she replied; the man who only sends to his friends to help him with his harvest is not really in earnest. The owner of the field came again a few days later and saw the wheat shedding the grain from excess of ripeness. He said, I will come myself tomorrow with my laborers, and with as many reapers as I can hire, and will get in the harvest. The Lark on hearing these words said to her brood, It is time now to be off, my little ones, for the man is in earnest this time; he no longer trusts his friends, but will reap the field himself.",
    "moral": "Self-help is the best help."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_13": {
    "title": "The Lion and the Eagle",
    "story": "An Eagle stayed his flight and entreated a Lion to make an alliance with him to their mutual advantage. The Lion replied, I have no objection, but you must excuse me for requiring you to find surety for your good faith, for how can I trust anyone as a friend who is able to fly away from his bargain whenever he pleases?'",
    "moral": "Try before you trust."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_24": {
    "title": "The Lion, the Fox, and the Ass",
    "story": "The Lion, the Fox and the Ass entered into an agreement to assist each other in the chase. Having secured a large booty, the Lion on their return from the forest asked the Ass to allot his due portion to each of the three partners in the treaty. The Ass carefully divided the spoil into three equal shares and modestly requested the two others to make the first choice. The Lion, bursting out into a great rage, devoured the Ass. Then he requested the Fox to do him the favor to make a division. The Fox accumulated all that they had killed into one large heap and left to himself the smallest possible morsel. The Lion said, Who has taught you, my very excellent fellow, the art of division? You are perfect to a fraction. He replied, I learned it from the Ass, by witnessing his fate.",
    "moral": "Happy is the man who learns from the misfortunes of others."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_26": {
    "title": "The Lion, the Mouse, and the Fox",
    "story": "While a lion was sleeping, a mouse ran over his shaggy mane. This angered the lion and he leaped up from his den, all the hairs of his mane standing on end. A fox made fun of the fact that a lion, king of all the animals, had been startled by a mouse. The lion answered the fox, 'You insolent creature! I was not afraid of the mouse scratching me and running away; I was just worried that he might make a mess on my mane.'",
    "moral": "Small liberties can be large offenses."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_28": {
    "title": "The Lion's Share",
    "story": "The Lion went once a-hunting along with the Fox, the Jackal, and the Wolf. They hunted and they hunted till at last they surprised a Stag, and soon took its life. Then came the question how the spoil should be divided. Quarter me this Stag, roared the Lion; so the other animals skinned it and cut it into four parts. Then the Lion took his stand in front of the carcass and pronounced judgment: 'The first quarter is for me in my capacity as King of Beasts; the second is mine as arbiter; another share comes to me for my part in the chase; and as for the fourth quarter, well, as for that, I should like to see which of you will dare to lay a paw upon it.' 'Humph', grumbled the Fox as he walked away with his tail between his legs; but he spoke in a low growl.",
    "moral": "You may share the labours of the great, but you will not share the spoil."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_32": {
    "title": "The Lost Wig",
    "story": "A funny old lion, who had the misfortune to lose his mane, was wearing a wig as he was taking a stroll on a very windy day. Looking up, he spied one of the charming Tiger sisters across the street, and, wishing to make an impression, smiled blandly and made a beautiful low bow. At that moment a very smart gust of wind came up, and the consequence was that his wig flew off and left him there, feeling foolish and looking worse, with his bald head glistening like a billiard ball. Though somewhat embarrassed at first, he smiled at the Lady and said: Is it a wonder that another fellow's hair shouldn't keep on my head, when my own wouldn't stay there?",
    "moral": "Wit always has an answer ready."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_35": {
    "title": "The Man and His Wife",
    "story": "A Man had a Wife who made herself hated by all the members of his household. Wishing to find out if she had the same effect on the persons in her father's house, he made some excuse to send her home on a visit to her father. After a short time she returned, and when he inquired how she had got on and how the servants had treated her, she replied, 'The herdsmen and shepherds cast on me looks of aversion'. He said, 'O Wife, if you were disliked by those who go out early in the morning with their flocks and return late in the evening, what must have been felt towards you by those with whom you passed the whole day!'",
    "moral": "Straws show how the wind blows."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_36": {
    "title": "The Man and His Two Wives",
    "story": "In the old days, when men were allowed to have many wives, a middle-aged Man had one wife that was old and one that was young; each loved him very much, and desired to see him like herself. Now the Man's hair was turning grey, which the young Wife did not like, as it made him look too old for her husband. So every night she used to comb his hair and pick out the white ones. But the elder Wife saw her husband growing grey with great pleasure, for she did not like to be mistaken for his mother. So every morning she used to arrange his hair and pick out as many of the black ones as she could. The consequence was the Man soon found himself entirely bald.",
    "moral": "Yield to all and you will soon have nothing to yield."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_37": {
    "title": "The Man and the Satyr",
    "story": "A Man and a Satyr once drank together in token of a bond of alliance being formed between them. One very cold wintry day, as they talked, the Man put his fingers to his mouth and blew on them. When the Satyr asked the reason for this, he told him that he did it to warm his hands because they were so cold. Later on in the day they sat down to eat, and the food prepared was quite scalding. The Man raised one of the dishes a little towards his mouth and blew in it. When the Satyr again inquired the reason, he said that he did it to cool the meat, which was too hot. 'I can no longer consider you as a friend', said the Satyr, 'a fellow who with the same breath blows hot and cold.'",
    "moral": "The man who talks for both sides is not to be trusted by either."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_39": {
    "title": "The Man and the Lion",
    "story": "A Man and a Lion traveled together through the forest. They soon began to boast of their respective superiority to each other in strength and prowess. As they were disputing, they passed a statue carved in stone, which represented a Lion strangled by a Man. The traveler pointed to it and said: 'See there! How strong we are, and how we prevail over even the king of beasts'. The Lion replied: 'this statue was made by one of you men. If we Lions knew how to erect statues, you would see the Man placed under the paw of the Lion.'",
    "moral": "One story is good, till another is told."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_45": {
    "title": "The Mice and the Weasels",
    "story": "The Weasels and the Mice waged a perpetual war with each other, in which much blood was shed. The Weasels were always the victors. The Mice thought that the cause of their frequent defeats was that they had no leaders set apart from the general army to command them, and that they were exposed to dangers from lack of discipline. They therefore chose as leaders Mice that were most renowned for their family descent, strength, and counsel, as well as those most noted for their courage in the fight, so that they might be better marshaled in battle array and formed into troops, regiments, and battalions. When all this was done, and the army disciplined, and the herald Mouse had duly proclaimed war by challenging the Weasels, the newly chosen generals bound their heads with straws, that they might be more conspicuous to all their troops. Scarcely had the battle begun, when a great rout overwhelmed the Mice, who scampered off as fast as they could to their holes. The generals, not being able to get in on account of the ornaments on their heads, were all captured and eaten by the Weasels.",
    "moral": "Greatness has its penalties."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_50": {
    "title": "The Milk-Woman and Her Pail",
    "story": "A Farmer's daughter was carrying her Pail of milk from the field to the farmhouse, when she fell a-musing. 'The money for which this milk will be sold, will buy at least three hundred eggs. The eggs, allowing for all mishaps, will produce two hundred and fifty chickens. The chickens will become ready for the market when poultry will fetch the highest price, so that by the end of the year I shall have money enough from my share to buy a new gown. In this dress I will go to the Christmas parties, where all the young fellows will propose to me, but I will toss my head and refuse them every one'. At this moment she tossed her head in unison with her thoughts, when down fell the milk pail to the ground, and all her imaginary schemes perished in a moment.",
    "moral": "Do not count your chickens before they are hatched."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_52": {
    "title": "The Miller, His Son, and Their Ass",
    "story": "A Miller and his son were driving their Ass to a neighboring fair to sell him. They had not gone far when they met with a troop of women collected round a well, talking and laughing. Look there, cried one of them, did you ever see such fellows, to be trudging along the road on foot when they might ride?' The old man hearing this, quickly made his son mount the Ass, and continued to walk along merrily by his side. Presently they came up to a group of old men in earnest debate. There, said one of them, it proves what I was a-saying. What respect is shown to old age in these days? Do you see that idle lad riding while his old father has to walk? Get down, you young scapegrace, and let the old man rest his weary limbs. Upon this the old man made his son dismount, and got up himself. In this manner they had not proceeded far when they met a company of women and children: Why, you lazy old fellow, cried several tongues at once, how can you ride upon the beast, while that poor little lad there can hardly keep pace by the side of you?' The good-natured Miller immediately took up his son behind him. They had now almost reached the town. Pray, honest friend, said a citizen, is that Ass your own?' Yes, replied the old man. O, one would not have thought so, said the other, by the way you load him. Why, you two fellows are better able to carry the poor beast than he you. Anything to please you, said the old man; we can but try. So, alighting with his son, they tied the legs of the Ass together and with the help of a pole endeavored to carry him on their shoulders over a bridge near the entrance to the town. This entertaining sight brought the people in crowds to laugh at it, till the Ass, not liking the noise nor the strange handling that he was subject to, broke the cords that bound him and, tumbling off the pole, fell into the river. Upon this, the old man, vexed and ashamed, made the best of his way home again, convinced that by endeavoring to please everybody he had pleased nobody, and lost his Ass in the bargain.",
    "moral": "Try to please all and you end by pleasing none."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_62": {
    "title": "The Mountains in Labour",
    "story": "One day the Countrymen noticed that the Mountains were in labour; smoke came out of their summits, the earth was quaking at their feet, trees were crashing, and huge rocks were tumbling. They felt sure that something horrible was going to happen. They all gathered together in one place to see what terrible thing this could be. They waited and they waited, but nothing came. At last there was a still more violent earthquake, and a huge gap appeared in the side of the Mountains. They all fell down upon their knees and waited. At last, and at last, a teeny, tiny mouse poked its little head and bristles out of the gap and came running down towards them.",
    "moral": "Don't make a big fuss over nothing."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_65": {
    "title": "The Mother and the Wolf",
    "story": "A Famished Wolf was prowling about in the morning in search of food. As he passed the door of a cottage built in the forest, he heard a Mother say to her child, Be quiet, or I will throw you out of the window, and the Wolf shall eat you. The Wolf sat all day waiting at the door. In the evening he heard the same woman fondling her child and saying: You are quiet now, and if the Wolf should come, we will kill him. The Wolf, hearing these words, went home, gasping with cold and hunger. When he reached his den, Mistress Wolf inquired of him why he returned wearied and supperless, so contrary to his wont. He replied: Why, forsooth! use I gave credence to the words of a woman!",
    "moral": "Enemies' promises are made to be broken."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_66": {
    "title": "The Mule",
    "story": "A Mule, frolicsome from lack of work and from too much corn, galloped about in a very extravagant manner, and said to himself: My father surely was a high-mettled racer, and I am his own child in speed and spirit. On the next day, being driven a long journey, and feeling very wearied, he exclaimed in a disconsolate tone: I must have made a mistake; my father, after all, could have been only an ass.",
    "moral": "Be sure of your pedigree before you boast of it."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_69": {
    "title": "The Nurse and the Wolf",
    "story": "Be quiet now, said an old Nurse to a child sitting on her lap. If you make that noise again I will throw you to the Wolf. Now it chanced that a Wolf was passing close under the window as this was said. So he crouched down by the side of the house and waited. I am in good luck to-day, thought he. It is sure to cry soon, and a daintier morsel I haven't had for many a long day. So he waited, and he waited, and he waited, till at last the child began to cry, and the Wolf came forward before the window, and looked up to the Nurse, wagging his tail. But all the Nurse did was to shut down the window and call for help, and the dogs of the house came rushing out.",
    "moral": "Enemies' promises were made to be broken."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_70": {
    "title": "The Oak and the Reeds",
    "story": "A Very Large Oak was uprooted by the wind and thrown across a stream. It fell among some Reeds, which it thus addressed: I wonder how you, who are so light and weak, are not entirely crushed by these strong winds. They replied, You fight and contend with the wind, and consequently you are destroyed; while we on the contrary bend before the least breath of air, and therefore remain unbroken, and escape.",
    "moral": "Stoop to conquer."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_81": {
    "title": "The One-Eyed Doe",
    "story": "A Doe blind in one eye was accustomed to graze as near to the edge of the cliff as she possibly could, in the hope of securing her greater safety. She turned her sound eye towards the land that she might get the earliest tidings of the approach of hunter or hound, and her injured eye towards the sea, from whence she entertained no anticipation of danger. Some boatmen sailing by saw her, and taking a successful aim, mortally wounded her. Yielding up her last breath, she gasped forth this lament: 'O wretched creature that I am! to take such precaution against the land, and after all to find this seashore, to which I had come for safety, so much more perilous.'",
    "moral": "Trouble comes from the direction we least expect it."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_89": {
    "title": "The Peacock and Juno",
    "story": "A Peacock once placed a petition before Juno desiring to have the voice of a nightingale in addition to his other attractions; but Juno refused his request. When he persisted, and pointed out that he was her favourite bird, she said:",
    "moral": "Be content with your lot; one cannot be first in everything."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_91": {
    "title": "The Peasant and the Apple-Tree",
    "story": "A Peasant had in his garden an Apple-Tree which bore no fruit but only served as a harbor for the sparrows and grasshoppers. He resolved to cut it down, and taking his axe in his hand, made a bold stroke at its roots. The grasshoppers and sparrows entreated him not to cut down the tree that sheltered them, but to spare it, and they would sing to him and lighten his labors. He paid no attention to their request, but gave the tree a second and a third blow with his axe. When he reached the hollow of the tree, he found a hive full of honey. Having tasted the honeycomb, he threw down his axe, and looking on the tree as sacred, took great care of it.",
    "moral": "Self-interest alone moves some men."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_97": {
    "title": "The Quack Frog",
    "story": "A Frog once upon a time came forth from his home in the marsh and proclaimed to all the beasts that he was a learned physician, skilled in the use of drugs and able to heal all diseases. A Fox asked him, 'How can you pretend to prescribe for others, when you are unable to heal your own lame gait and wrinkled skin?'",
    "moral": "Those who would mend others, should first mend themselves."
  },
  "aesop_section_3_98": {
    "title": "The Raven and the Swan",
    "story": "A Raven saw a Swan and desired to secure for himself the same beautiful plumage. Supposing that the Swan's splendid white color arose from his washing in the water in which he swam, the Raven left the altars in the neighborhood where he picked up his living, and took up residence in the lakes and pools. But cleansing his feathers as often as he would, he could not change their color, while through want of food he perished.",
    "moral": "Change of habit cannot alter nature."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_3": {
    "title": "The Scorpion and the Frog",
    "story": "A scorpion and a frog meet on the bank of a stream and the scorpion asks the frog to carry him across on its back. The frog asks, 'How do I know you won't sting me?' The scorpion says, 'Because if I do, I will die too.' The frog is satisfied, and they set out, but in midstream, the scorpion stings the frog. The frog feels the onset of paralysis and starts to sink, knowing they both will drown.",
    "moral": "Vicious people cannot resist hurting others even when it is not in their own interests"
  },
  "aesop_section_4_4": {
    "title": "The Scorpion and the Ladybug",
    "story": "A Scorpion befriended a Ladybug who became a loyal companion to him. A time came when she struggled to cross a challenging and dangerous river, and so the Scorpion offered to take her to the other side on his back. He had come to care for her and promised he would never harm her. But, safely across the river, he allowed his tail to dip upon her with its venomous sting.",
    "moral": "Regardless of our wishes, or even our intent, it is to our Nature alone that we will be faithful."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_9": {
    "title": "The Serpent and the Eagle",
    "story": "An Eagle swooped down upon a Serpent and seized it in his talons with the intention of carrying it off and devouring it. But the Serpent was too quick for him and had its coils round him in a moment; and then there ensued a life-and-death struggle between the two. A countryman, who was a witness of the encounter, came to the assistance of the eagle, and succeeded in freeing him from the Serpent and enabling him to escape. In revenge, the Serpent spat some of his poison into the man's drinking-horn. Heated with his exertions, the man was about to slake his thirst with a draught from the horn, when the Eagle knocked it out of his hand, and spilled its contents upon the ground.",
    "moral": "One good turn deserves another."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_10": {
    "title": "The Serpent and the File",
    "story": "A Serpent in the course of its wanderings came into an armourer's shop. As he glided over the floor he felt his skin pricked by a file lying there. In a rage he turned round upon it and tried to dart his fangs into it; but he could do no harm to heavy iron and had soon to give over his wrath.",
    "moral": "It is useless attacking the insensible."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_13": {
    "title": "The Shepherd and the Sea",
    "story": "A Shepherd, keeping watch over his sheep near the shore, saw the Sea very calm and smooth, and longed to make a voyage with a view to commerce. He sold all his flock, invested it in a cargo of dates, and set sail. But a very great tempest came on, and the ship being in danger of sinking, he threw all his merchandise overboard, and barely escaped with his life in the empty ship. Not long afterwards when someone passed by and observed the unruffled calm of the Sea, he interrupted him and said, 'It is again in want of dates, and therefore looks quiet.'",
    "moral": "Understand what you are doing before you do it."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_16": {
    "title": "The Shepherd's Boy and the Wolf",
    "story": "A Shepherd-Boy, who watched a flock of sheep near a village, brought out the villagers three or four times by crying out, 'Wolf! Wolf!' and when his neighbors came to help him, laughed at them for their pains. The Wolf, however, did truly come at last. The Shepherd-boy, now really alarmed, shouted in an agony of terror: 'Pray, do come and help me; the Wolf is killing the sheep'; but no one paid any heed to his cries, nor rendered any assistance. The Wolf, having no cause of fear, at his leisure lacerated or destroyed the whole flock.",
    "moral": "There is no believing a liar, even when he speaks the truth."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_18": {
    "title": "The Shipwrecked Impostor",
    "story": "The shipwrecked Chimpanzee had been clinging for a long time to a slender spar, when a Dolphin came up and offered to carry him ashore. This kind proposition was immediately accepted, and, as they moved along, the Chimp commenced to tell the Fish many marvelous tales, every one of them a bundle of falsehoods. Well, well, you are indeed an educated chap, said the Dolphin in admiration. My schooling has been sadly neglected, as I went to sea when but a week old. Just then they entered a large bay, and the Dolphin, referring to it, said, I suppose you know Herring Roads? The chimp, taking this for the name of a fellow, and not wishing to appear ignorant, replied: Do I know Rhodes? Well, I should almost think so! He's an old college chum of mine, and related to our family by- This was too much for the Dolphin, who immediately made a great leap, and then diving quickly, left the impostor in the air for an instant before he splashed back and disappeared.",
    "moral": "A liar deceives no one but himself."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_23": {
    "title": "The Silkworm and Spider",
    "story": "Having received an order for twenty yards of silk from Princess Lioness, the Silkworm sat down at her loom and worked away with zeal. A Spider soon came around and asked to hire a web-room near by. The Silkworm acceded, and the Spider commenced her task and worked so rapidly that in a short time the web was finished. 'Just look at it', she said, 'and see how grand and delicate it is. You cannot but acknowledge that I'm a much better worker than you. See how quickly I perform my labors.' 'Yes', answered the Silkworm, 'but hush up, for you bother me. Your labors are designed only as base traps, and are destroyed whenever they are seen, and brushed away as useless dirt; while mine are stored away, as ornaments of Royalty.'",
    "moral": "Fine work gets preserved and treasured."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_29": {
    "title": "The Stag, the Wolf, and the Sheep",
    "story": "A Stag asked a Sheep to lend him a measure of wheat, and said that the Wolf would be his surety. The Sheep, fearing some fraud was intended, excused herself, saying, 'The Wolf is accustomed to seize what he wants and to run off; and you, too, can quickly outstrip me in your rapid flight. How then shall I be able to find you, when the day of payment comes?'",
    "moral": "Two blacks do not make a white."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_31": {
    "title": "The Swallow and the Other Birds",
    "story": "It happened that a Countryman was sowing some hemp seeds in a field where a Swallow and some other birds were hopping about picking up their food. Beware of that man, quoth the Swallow. Why, what is he doing? said the others. That is hemp seed he is sowing; be careful to pick up every one of the seeds, or else you will repent it. The birds paid no heed to the Swallow's words, and by and by the hemp grew up and was made into cord, and of the cords nets were made, and many a bird that had despised the Swallow's advice was caught in nets made out of that very hemp. What did I tell you? said the Swallow.",
    "moral": "Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_36": {
    "title": "The Thief and the Housedog",
    "story": "A Thief came in the night to break into a house. He brought with him several slices of meat in order to pacify the Housedog, so that he would not alarm his master by barking. As the Thief threw him the pieces of meat, the Dog said, 'If you think to stop my mouth, you will be greatly mistaken. This sudden kindness at your hands will only make me more watchful, lest under these unexpected favors to myself, you have some private ends to accomplish for your own benefit, and for my master's injury.'",
    "moral": "A bribe in hand betrays mischief at heart."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_40": {
    "title": "The Three Tradesmen",
    "story": "A Great City was besieged, and its inhabitants were called together to consider the best means of protecting it from the enemy. A Bricklayer earnestly recommended bricks as affording the best material for an effective resistance. A Carpenter, with equal enthusiasm, proposed timber as a preferable method of defense. Upon which a Currier stood up and said, 'Sirs, I differ from you altogether: there is no material for resistance equal to a covering of hides; and nothing so good as leather.'",
    "moral": "Every man for himself."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_42": {
    "title": "The Tortoise and the Birds",
    "story": "A Tortoise desired to change its place of residence, so he asked an Eagle to carry him to his new home, promising her a rich reward for her trouble. The Eagle agreed and seizing the Tortoise by the shell with her talons soared aloft. On their way they met a Crow, who said to the Eagle: 'Tortoise is good eating'. 'The shell is too hard', said the Eagle in reply. 'The rocks will soon crack the shell', was the Crow's answer; and the Eagle, taking the hint, let fall the Tortoise on a sharp rock, and the two birds made a hearty meal of the Tortoise.",
    "moral": "Never put yourself in your enemy's clutches."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_43": {
    "title": "The Tortoise and the Eagle",
    "story": "A Tortoise, lazily basking in the sun, complained to the sea-birds of her hard fate, that no one would teach her to fly. An Eagle, hovering near, heard her lamentation and demanded what reward she would give him if he would take her aloft and float her in the air.'I will give you', she said, 'all the riches of the Red Sea.' 'I will teach you to fly then', said the Eagle; and taking her up in his talons he carried her almost to the clouds suddenly he let her go, and she fell on a lofty mountain, dashing her shell to pieces. The Tortoise exclaimed in the moment of death: 'I have deserved my present fate; for what had I to do with wings and clouds, who can with difficulty move about on the earth?'",
    "moral": "If men had all they wished, they would be often ruined."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_46": {
    "title": "The Traveler and Fortune",
    "story": "A Traveler wearied from a long journey lay down, overcome with fatigue, on the very brink of a deep well. Just as he was about to fall into the water, Dame Fortune, it is said, appeared to him and waking him from his slumber thus addressed him: Good Sir, pray wake up: for if you fall into the well, the blame will be thrown on me, and I shall get an ill name among mortals; for I find that men are sure to impute their calamities to me, however much by their own folly they have really brought them on themselves.",
    "moral": "Everyone is more or less master of his own fate."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_47": {
    "title": "The Traveler and His Dog",
    "story": "A Traveler about to set out on a journey saw his Dog stand at the door stretching himself. He asked him sharply: Why do you stand there gaping? Everything is ready but you, so come with me instantly. The Dog, wagging his tail, replied: O, master! I am quite ready; it is you for whom I am waiting.",
    "moral": "The loiterer often blames delay on his more active friend."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_49": {
    "title": "The Tree and the Reed",
    "story": "'Well, little one', said a Tree to a Reed that was growing at its foot, 'why do you not plant your feet deeply in the ground, and raise your head boldly in the air as I do?' 'I am contented with my lot', said the Reed. 'I may not be so grand, but I think I am safer.' 'Safe!' sneered the Tree. 'Who shall pluck me up by the roots or bow my head to the ground?' But it soon had to repent of its boasting, for a hurricane arose which tore it up from its roots, and cast it a useless log on the ground, while the little Reed, bending to the force of the wind, soon stood upright again when the storm had passed over.",
    "moral": "Obscurity often brings safety."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_52": {
    "title": "The Trumpeter Taken Prisoner",
    "story": "A Trumpeter, bravely leading on the soldiers, was captured by the enemy. He cried out to his captors, 'Pray spare me, and do not take my life without cause or without inquiry. I have not slain a single man of your troop. I have no arms, and carry nothing but this one brass trumpet.' 'That is the very reason for which you should be put to death', they said; 'for, while you do not fight yourself, your trumpet stirs all the others to battle.'",
    "moral": "He who incites to strife is worse than he who takes part in it."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_60": {
    "title": "The Two Pots",
    "story": "A River carried down in its stream two Pots, one made of earthenware and the other of brass. The Earthen Pot said to the Brass Pot, 'Pray keep at a distance and do not come near me, for if you touch me ever so slightly, I shall be broken in pieces, and besides, I by no means wish to come near you.'",
    "moral": "Equals make the best friends."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_61": {
    "title": "The Two Pots",
    "story": "Two Pots had been left on the bank of a river, one of brass, and one of earthenware. When the tide rose they both floated off down the stream. Now the earthenware pot tried its best to keep aloof from the brass one, which cried out: 'Fear nothing, friend, I will not strike you'. 'But I may come in contact with you', said the other, 'if I come too close; and whether I hit you, or you hit me, I shall suffer for it.'",
    "moral": "The strong and the weak cannot keep company."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_63": {
    "title": "The Two Travelers and the Axe",
    "story": "Two Men were journeying together. One of them picked up an axe that lay upon the path, and said, 'I have found an axe'. 'Nay, my friend', replied the other, 'do not say 'I,' but 'We' have found an axe'. They had not gone far before they saw the owner of the axe pursuing them, and he who had picked up the axe said, 'We are undone'. 'Nay', replied the other, 'keep to your first mode of speech, my friend; what you thought right then, think right now. Say 'I,' not 'We' are undone.'",
    "moral": "He who shares the danger ought to share the prize."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_65": {
    "title": "The Vain Jackdaw",
    "story": "Jupiter announced that he intended to appoint a king over the birds, and named a day on which they were to appear before his throne, when he would select the most beautiful of them all to be their ruler. Wishing to look their best on the occasion they repaired to the banks of a stream, where they busied themselves in washing and preening their feathers. The Jackdaw was there along with the rest, and realized that, with his ugly plumage, he would have no chance of being chosen as he was: so he waited till they were all gone, and then picked up the most gaudy of the feathers they had dropped, and fastened them about his own body, with the result that he looked gayer than any of them. When the appointed day came, the birds assembled before Jupiter's throne. After passing them in review, he was about to make the Jackdaw king, when all the rest set upon the king-select, stripped him of his borrowed plumes, and exposed him for the Jackdaw that he was.",
    "moral": "It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_67": {
    "title": "The Vixen and the Lioness",
    "story": "A Vixen who was taking her babies out for an airing one balmy morning, came across a Lioness, with her cub in arms. 'Why such airs, haughty dame, over one solitary cub?' sneered the Vixen. 'Look at my healthy and numerous litter here, and imagine, if you are able, how a proud mother should feel.' The Lioness gave her a squelching look, and lifting up her nose, walked away, saying calmly, 'Yes, just look at that beautiful collection. What are they? Foxes! I've only one, but remember, that one is a Lion.'",
    "moral": "Quality is better than quantity."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_72": {
    "title": "The Widow and the Sheep",
    "story": "A Certain poor widow had one solitary Sheep. At shearing time, wishing to take his fleece and to avoid expense, she sheared him herself, but used the shears so unskillfully that with the fleece she sheared the flesh. The Sheep, writhing with pain, said, 'Why do you hurt me so, Mistress? What weight can my blood add to the wool? If you want my flesh, there is the butcher, who will kill me in an instant; but if you want my fleece and wool, there is the shearer, who will shear and not hurt me.'",
    "moral": "The least outlay is not always the greatest gain."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_79": {
    "title": "The Wolf and the Goat",
    "story": "A Wolf saw a Goat feeding at the summit of a steep precipice, where he had no chance of reaching her. He called to her and earnestly begged her to come lower down, lest she fall by some mishap; and he added that the meadows lay where he was standing, and that the herbage was most tender. She replied, 'No, my friend, it is not for the pasture that you invite me, but for yourself, who are in want of food.'",
    "moral": "An invitation prompted by selfishness is not to be accepted."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_80": {
    "title": "The Wolf and the Kid",
    "story": "A frisky young Kid had been left by the herdsman on the thatched roof of a sheep shelter to keep him out of harm's way. The Kid was browsing near the edge of the roof, when he spied a Wolf and began to jeer at him, making faces and abusing him to his heart's content. 'I hear you,' said the Wolf, 'and I haven't the least grudge against you for what you say or do. When you are up there it is the roof that's talking, not you.'",
    "moral": "Do not say anything at any time that you would not say at all times."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_87": {
    "title": "The Wolf and the Shepherds",
    "story": "A Wolf, passing by, saw some Shepherds in a hut eating a haunch of mutton for their dinner. Approaching them, he said,' What a clamor you would raise if I were to do as you are doing!'",
    "moral": "Men often condemn others for what they see no wrong in doing themselves."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_88": {
    "title": "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing",
    "story": "Once Upon A Time a Wolf resolved to disguise his appearance in order to secure food more easily. Encased in the skin of a sheep, he pastured with the flock deceiving the shepherd by his costume. In the evening he was shut up by the shepherd in the fold; the gate was closed, and the entrance made thoroughly secure. But the shepherd, returning to the fold during the night to obtain meat for the next day, mistakenly caught up the Wolf instead of a sheep, and killed him instantly.",
    "moral": "Seek to harm and harm shall find you."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_89": {
    "title": "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing",
    "story": "A Wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing to the vigilance of the shepherd and his dogs. But one day it found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so it put it on over its own pelt and strolled down among the sheep. The Lamb that belonged to the sheep, whose skin the Wolf was wearing, began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep's clothing; so, leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal off her, and for some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoying hearty meals.",
    "moral": "Appearances are deceptive."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_94": {
    "title": "The Woodman and the Serpent",
    "story": "One wintry day a Woodman was tramping home from his work when he saw something black lying on the snow. When he came closer he saw it was a Serpent to all appearance dead. But he took it up and put it in his bosom to warm while he hurried home. As soon as he got indoors he put the Serpent down on the hearth before the fire. The children watched it and saw it slowly come to life again. Then one of them stooped down to stroke it, but the Serpent raised its head and put out its fangs and was about to sting the child to death. So the Woodman seized his axe, and with one stroke cut the Serpent in two.",
    "moral": "No gratitude from the wicked."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_96": {
    "title": "The Young Thief and His Mother",
    "story": "A young Man had been caught in a daring act of theft and had been condemned to be executed for it. He expressed his desire to see his Mother, and to speak with her before he was led to execution, and of course this was granted. When his Mother came to him he said: 'I want to whisper to you', and when she brought her ear near him, he nearly bit it off. All the bystanders were horrified, and asked him what he could mean by such brutal and inhuman conduct. 'It is to punish her', he said. 'When I was young I began with stealing little things, and brought them home to Mother. Instead of rebuking and punishing me, she laughed and said: It will not be noticed. It is because of her that I am here to-day'.",
    "moral": "We are made by our teachings in youth."
  },
  "aesop_section_4_97": {
    "title": "The Aethiop",
    "story": "The master of a colored servant was persuaded that the color of his skin arose from dirt contracted through the neglect of his former masters. On bringing him home he resorted to every means of cleaning, and subjected the man to incessant scrubbings. The servant caught a severe cold, but he never changed his color or complexion.",
    "moral": "Some things you cannot change.",
    "note": "This fable contains racial remarks that represent historical attitudes."
  },
  "perry_33": {
    "title": "The Sick Man And His Wife",
    "story": "A poor man had taken ill and was in very bad shape. When the doctors had given up hope, since he didn't have anything he could pay with, the man called upon the gods and vowed 'O you great and radiant divinities, if you restore my health, I will bring a hundred oxen to you as a sacrifice.' His wife then asked him, 'Where are you going to get a hundred oxen from, if you get well?' The man said to her, 'And do you suppose I am going to ever get out of this bed so that the gods will be able to demand payment?'",
    "moral": "People are often quick to make promises, but they do not really expect to have to fulfill them."
  },
  "perry_69": {
    "title": "The Oak Tree And The Reed",
    "story": "A reed got into an argument with an oak tree. The oak tree marvelled at her own strength, boasting that she could stand her own in a battle against the winds. Meanwhile, she condemned the reed for being weak, since he was naturally inclined to yield to every breeze. The wind then began to blow very fiercely. The oak tree was torn up by her roots and toppled over, while the reed was left bent but unharmed.",
    "moral": "Those who adapt to the times will emerge unscathed."
  },
  "perry_84": {
    "title": "The Sheep, The Goat And The Sow",
    "story": "A man had rounded up a sow, a goat and a sheep from his farm. While the donkey carried them all to the city, the goat and the sheep settled down quietly, but the sow's screams bothered their chauffeur, so the donkey said to the sow, 'Why on earth can't you go along quietly like the others?' The sow replied, 'The goat is being brought here for her milk, the sheep for his wool, but for me this is a matter of life and death!'",
    "moral": "It is easy to be brave when there is no danger.",
    "alternative_moral": "It is easy to be brave when there is no danger."
  },
  "perry_139": {
    "title": "The Lion And The Farmer's Daughter",
    "story": "A lion who had fallen in love with a young woman went to the woman's father to ask for her hand in marriage. The father was afraid to refuse the lion's offer, but asked him first to have his teeth and claws taken out; otherwise the lion could only arouse his daughter's terror. The lion was so in love with the woman that he agreed to the bargain. When the lion came back and approached the farmer, now naked and defenceless, the farmer set upon him with his club, and drove him away into the forest.",
    "moral": "Love can blind even the wildest.",
    "alternative_moral": "If you follow your enemies' advice, you will run into danger."
  },
  "perry_193": {
    "title": "The Stork And The Cranes",
    "story": "The cranes were making trouble for the farmer by snatching the seed he had scattered on the ground. There was a stork who associated with the cranes and lived together with them although he never did any harm to the farmer. When the farmer was fed up with the damage being done to his crops, he prepared a snare and captured the stork together with the cranes. Thus the stork was actually held accountable for crimes he had never committed.",
    "moral": "You are judged by the company you keep.",
    "alternative_moral": "If you consort with wicked people, you will receive the same punishment they do."
  },
  "perry_279": {
    "title": "The Goatherd And The Goat",
    "story": "A goatherd tried to induce a goat who had strayed from the flock to join the other goats. He was not able to accomplish anything by shouting or whistling, so he threw a rock at the goat, and the rock broke one of her horns. The goatherd begged the goat not to tell the master what had happened, but the goat replied, 'You must be the stupidest goatherd in the world! The horn itself will proclaim the deed, even if I remain silent.'",
    "moral": "Do not attempt to hide things which cannot be hid."
  },
  "perry_321": {
    "title": "The Crab And His Mother",
    "story": "The crab's mother said to him, 'My son, why do you walk in a crooked line when you should be walking straight ahead?' The crab said to her, 'O mother, lead the way, and I will try to walk accordingly.' The crab's mother was unable to walk in a straight line, and her son accused her of being out of her mind.",
    "moral": "Example is more powerful than precept."
  },
  "perry_323": {
    "title": "The Kite And His Mother",
    "story": "The kite was sick and had spent many months in bed. When there was no longer any hope of his recovery, he tearfully asked his mother to make the rounds of all the shrines and to offer great vows for his recovery. 'I will do what you want, my son, but I am afraid that I will not succeed. It scares and worries me, my child: since you pillaged all the temples and polluted all the altars, showing no reverence for the holy sacrifices, what can I pray for now on your behalf?'",
    "moral": "We must make friends in prosperity if we would have their help in adversity."
  },
  "perry_350": {
    "title": "The Deer And His Mother",
    "story": "A young fawn once said to his Mother, 'You are larger than a dog, and swifter, and more used to running, and you have your horns as a defense; why, then, O Mother! do the hounds frighten you so?' She smiled, and said: 'I know full well, my son, that all you say is true. I have the advantages you mention, but when I hear even the bark of a single dog I feel ready to faint, and fly away as fast as I can.'",
    "moral": "A coward by nature will always be a coward.",
    "alternative_moral": "It is easy to advise action which cannot be carried out."
  },
  "perry_357": {
    "title": "The Farmers, The Donkey And The Lion Skin",
    "story": "A donkey wanted to appear to be a lion. Since he could not change his nature, he tried to realize his dreams by a change of costume, and like a lion he wreaked havoc on the fruits of the farmers' labour. But when a gust of wind blew up, it stripped the lion bare of his disguise. As soon as the farmers whose crops he had eaten saw that he was just a donkey, they came and clubbed him to death.",
    "moral": "Do not be what you are not, nor pretend to be what you are not",
    "alternative_moral": "Adornments that do not belong to you can be dangerous."
  },
  "perry_391": {
    "title": "The Wolf And The Donkey",
    "story": "The wolf paid a visit to the ailing donkey. He began to touch the donkey's body and to ask him in what part of his body he felt the greatest pain. The donkey answered, 'Wherever you touch me!'",
    "moral": "The word of a wicked man can never be trusted."
  },
  "perry_393": {
    "title": "The Fox And The Lion Hunting",
    "story": "The fox lived together with a lion and acted as his servant. She would point out their quarry, while the lion would carry out the actual attack. Whatever the lion was able to catch was then divided between the two of them accordingly. The fox, however, was jealous because the lion got more to eat than she did, so she decided to go hunting on her own instead of just pointing out their quarry to the lion. But when the fox went to seize something from the flock, she was captured and killed by some hunters.",
    "moral": "It is better to serve in safety than to rule in peril."
  },
  "perry_394": {
    "title": "The Snake, The Eagle And The Farmer",
    "story": "A snake and an eagle were grappling with one another as they fought. The snake had tightened his hold on the eagle when a farmer saw them and freed the eagle from the grip of the snake. The snake was angry about what had happened, so he went and poisoned the man's drinking water. But just as the unsuspecting farmer was about to take a drink, the eagle flew down and snatched the cup out of his hands.",
    "moral": "The man who treats others well is rewarded by gratitude."
  },
  "perry_396": {
    "title": "The Bird Catcher And The Cricket",
    "story": "A bird catcher heard a cricket and thought he was going to make a big catch, estimating its size by the volume of its song. But when he walked up and seized his prey, he discovered that it was worthless.",
    "moral": "Pay attention to deeds, not words."
  },
  "perry_398": {
    "title": "The Goose And The Swan",
    "story": "A wealthy man wanted to raise a goose and a swan together but for different purposes: the swan was for singing and the goose was for eating. The time came for the goose to meet his appointed fate and have his throat cut. Yet the darkness of nighttime prevented the man from knowing which bird was which. As a result, he grabbed the swan instead of the goose. The swan then declared his true nature by bursting into a swan-song, and thus narrowly escaped from death.",
    "moral": "A man cannot be too careful of what he does, where the life of any creature is in question.",
    "alternative_moral": "The fable shows that music is so powerful that it can even avert death."
  },
  "perry_399": {
    "title": "The Shepherd And The Honeybees",
    "story": "Some honeybees were making honey in the hollow of an oak tree. A shepherd discovered the bees' work and attempted to carry away some of the honey. The honeybees flew all around him, stinging the man with their stings. In the end the shepherd exclaimed, 'I give up! I don't need the honey if it means dealing with the bees.'",
    "moral": "Trouble awaits you if you pursue ill-gotten gains."
  },
  "perry_418": {
    "title": "The Thief And The Innkeeper",
    "story": "A Thief hired a room in a tavern and stayed a while in the hope of stealing something which should enable him to pay his reckoning. When he had waited some days in vain, he saw the Innkeeper dressed in a new and handsome coat and sitting before his door. The Thief sat down beside him and talked with him. As the conversation began to flag, the Thief yawned terribly and at the same time howled like a wolf. The Innkeeper said, 'Why do you howl so fearfully?' 'I will tell you,' said the Thief, 'but first let me ask you to hold my clothes, or I shall tear them to pieces. I know not, sir, when I got this habit of yawning, nor whether these attacks of howling were inflicted on me as a judgment for my crimes, or for any other cause; but this I do know, that when I yawn for the third time, I actually turn into a wolf and attack men.' With this speech he commenced a second fit of yawning and again howled like a wolf, as he had at first. The Innkeeper. hearing his tale and believing what he said, became greatly alarmed and, rising from his seat, attempted to run away. The Thief laid hold of his coat and entreated him to stop, saying, 'Pray wait, sir, and hold my clothes, or I shall tear them to pieces in my fury, when I turn into a wolf.' At the same moment he yawned the third time and set up a terrible howl. The Innkeeper, frightened lest he should be attacked, left his new coat in the Thief's hand and ran as fast as he could into the inn for safety. The Thief made off with the coat and did not return again to the inn.",
    "moral": "Every tale is not to be believed."
  },
  "perry_485": {
    "title": "The Doves And The Kite",
    "story": "The doves kept having to run away from the kite, eluding death on the swiftness of their wings. The rapacious kite then decided to try some deceptive advice, fooling the defenceless flock by means of a trick. 'Why do you prefer this anxious way of life,' he asked, 'when instead you could strike up an agreement with me and make me your king, so that I would keep you safe from all possible danger?' The doves were persuaded by the kite's advice and turned themselves over to his care. But as soon as he was made king, the kite began to feast on his subjects one by one, wielding supreme authority with the fierceness of his talons. Then one of the survivors said, 'This is the punishment we deserve, since we put our lives in the hands of this thieving villain!'",
    "moral": "The person who turns to a dishonest scoundrel for help in times of trouble will be ruined, not rescued."
  },
  "perry_500": {
    "title": "Augustus And The Murder",
    "story": "There was a certain married man who loved his wife very much and whose son was almost old enough to assume the white toga of manhood. However, one of the man's freedmen was hoping to be appointed as the man's immediate heir, so he called the man aside and lied at great length about the man's son and even more about the bad behaviour of his faithful wife. Finally, he added something that he realized would cause the greatest possible pain to a loving husband: the man's wife was being visited, said the freedman, by an adulterer, thus defiling the reputation of the house with acts of moral turpitude. The man was outraged at the thought of his wife's supposed crimes, so he pretended to make a trip to the countryside, while secretly hiding in town. Then all of a sudden he came home in the night and headed straight for his wife's bedroom. His wife, meanwhile, had ordered their son to sleep in her bed so that she could keep a close eye on him now that he had grown older. While the servants ran here and there looking for a light, the man was no longer able to hold back his explosive outburst of anger. He approached the bed and felt a head there in the dark. When he detected a man's haircut, he plunged his sword through the man's chest, thinking of nothing but avenging his grief. When the lantern was brought, he saw both his son and his noble wife sleeping there next to him. Deep in sleep, his wife was not even aware of what had happened. The man then punished himself in full for the crime he had committed by falling upon the sword he had drawn in his own readiness to believe the worst. Informers pressed charges against the woman and she was taken away to Rome to be tried in court. Although guilty of no crime, she was plagued by jealous suspicions about her taking possession of the family's property. Her advocates stood by her, stoutly defending the claims of this innocent woman. The judges then asked the divine Augustus to help them faithfully carry out their sworn duty, since the complexity of the crime had them baffled. Augustus first dispelled the darkness of the unfair charges laid against the woman and then revealed the true explanation of what had happened, as he pronounced the following sentence: 'Let the freedman who was the cause of this wickedness be punished! Meanwhile, I decree that the woman who has both lost her son and been deprived of her husband should receive our pity rather than our condemnation. If the father had fully investigated the alleged crimes and carefully sifted through the lies, he would not have brought utter ruin upon his house with this appalling crime.'",
    "moral": "It is dangerous to believe a story, and dangerous not to believe it."
  },
  "perry_511": {
    "title": "The Mother And Her Three Daughters",
    "story": "A certain man left three daughters at his death. One daughter was very beautiful and always chasing after men with her eyes. Another daughter was the frugal type with country virtues, always spinning wool. The third daughter was quite ugly and entirely given over to the bottle. The old man had named the mother of the girls as his heir under the condition that she distribute his entire fortune to the three girls equally, but in the following manner: first, 'Let them not possess nor enjoy what they have been given,' and second, 'As soon as they will have given up the property which they receive, let them bestow a hundred thousand sesterces on their mother.' Gossip filled the city of Athens, and the mother diligently consulted expert lawyers but none could explain to her how the daughters could not possess what was given to them or how they might not enjoy its benefits; likewise they could not say how girls who had nothing would be able to pay such a sum of money to their mother. A great deal of time had been lost in delaying, and still the meaning of the will could not be grasped, so the mother put the law aside and appealed to common sense. To the lascivious daughter, she gave the women's clothes and baubles, along with the silver ewers and beardless eunuchs; the spinster received the fields and the flocks, the country estate and farm hands, along with the cattle and draft animals and farming tools; and for the hard-drinking daughter there was a cellar filled with casks of vintage wine, an elegant house, and pleasant little gardens. The mother was about to give the designated goods to each daughter with the public's general approval (since they were all well acquainted with the daughters' proclivities), when Aesop suddenly appeared in the midst of the crowd and said, 'If only the father were aware of what is happening, he would be turning in his grave at the inability of the Athenians to understand his will!' When asked to explain himself, Aesop corrected the mistake that they had all made and told them, 'Assign the house with its furnishings and lovely gardens and the aged wine to the spinster who lives in the countryside; give the dress and the pearls and the attendants and so on to the ugly creature who boozes her days away; and then give the fields and the country estate with the sheep and the shepherds to the slut. None of them will be able to stand having things which are alien to their way of life. The ugly daughter will sell all the finery to supply herself with wine; the slut will get rid of the fields so that she can supply herself with fripperies; and the one who loves the flocks and is devoted to spinning will not hesitate to sell the opulent estate. In this way no daughter will possess what has been given to her, and each of them will bestow on their mother the specified sum from the proceeds of the sale.'",
    "moral": "Often there is more good to be found in one man than in a crowd of people."
  },
  "perry_574": {
    "title": "The Butcher And The Flock",
    "story": "Some castrated sheep had been gathered together in a flock with the rams. Although the sheep realized that the butcher had come into the flock, they pretended not to see him. Even when they saw one of their own seized by the butcher's deadly hands and taken away to be slaughtered, still the sheep were not afraid. Foolishly, they said to one another, 'He keeps his hands off me, he keeps his hands off you; let him take whom he takes.' In the end, there was only one sheep left. This is what he reportedly said to the butcher when he saw that he too was about to be taken away: 'We deserve to be slaughtered one after another since we didn't realize what was happening until it was too late. The fact is, as soon as we saw you here in our midst, back when we were all together, we should have killed you at once by smashing you between our horns.'",
    "moral": "If you don't speak out for others, there will be nobody left to speak out for you."
  },
  "perry_575": {
    "title": "The Birds, The Bird Catcher And His Tears",
    "story": "It was springtime and various species of birds were sitting happily in their nests, hidden among the branches. They happened to notice a bird catcher who was assembling his reeds, coating the long rod with birdlime. When they saw that the man had tears in his eyes, those ignorant and foolish birds began to say to one another, 'We can see that this man must be extremely kind, since his great sensitivity makes him burst into tears whenever he looks at us.' One of the birds who was wiser than the rest, being experienced in all the bird catcher's tricks, is supposed to have said, 'Oh no! Run away, you foolish and innocent birds! Save yourselves from this trap! I beg you to fly as fast as you can up high in the sky, making good use of your wings. If you want to know the truth, look carefully at what he is doing: you will see that he is planning to catch some of us in his snare, and once we are caught he will kill us or strangle us and carry us off in that basket.'",
    "moral": "Tears don't always signify pity.",
    "alternative_moral": "This fable informs us that one person's advice can easily save many others from danger."
  },
  "perry_577": {
    "title": "The Horse And The Goats",
    "story": "There were three goats who saw a terrified horse running away from a lion. The goats made fun of the horse, and the horse replied, 'O you hopeless fools, if only you knew who was chasing me! Then you would be just as terrified as I am.'",
    "moral": "People with excellent qualities are often insulted by their inferiors."
  },
  "perry_578": {
    "title": "The Man And The Sword",
    "story": "A traveller was walking along and found a sword lying in the road. He said to the sword, 'Who lost you?' The weapon replied, 'One man has lost me, but I have caused the loss of many a man!'",
    "moral": "A bad man can come to ruin, but he is able to harm many other people first."
  },
  "phaedrus_0": {
    "title": "The Wolf and the Lamb",
    "story": "Driven by thirst, a Wolf and a Lamb had come to the same stream; the Wolf stood above, and the Lamb at a distance below. Then, the spoiler, prompted by a ravenous maw, alleged a pretext for a quarrel. 'Why,' said he, 'have you made the water muddy for me while I am drinking?' The Fleece-bearer, trembling, answered: 'Prithee, Wolf, how can I do what you complain of? The water is flowing downwards from you to where I am drinking.' The other, disconcerted by the force of truth, exclaimed: 'Six months ago, you slandered me.' 'Indeed,' answered the Lamb, 'I was not born then.' 'By Hercules,' said the Wolf, 'then 'twas your father slandered me;' and so, snatching him up, he tore him to pieces, killing him unjustly.",
    "moral": "Any excuse will serve a tyrant."
  },
  "phaedrus_42": {
    "title": "The Butcher and the Ape",
    "story": "A man seeing an Ape hanging up at a Butcher's among the rest of his commodities and provisions, enquired how it might taste; on which the Butcher, joking, replied: 'Just as the head is, such, I warrant, is the taste.' This I deem to be said more facetiously than correctly; for on the one hand I have often found the good-looking to be very knaves, and on the other I have known many with ugly features to be most worthy men.",
    "moral": "Don't judge character by appearance."
  },
  "phaedrus_45": {
    "title": "The Dog and the Wolf",
    "story": "A Wolf, quite starved with hunger, chanced to meet a well-fed Dog, and as they stopped to salute each other, 'Pray,' said the Wolf, 'how is it that you are so sleek? or on what food have you made so much flesh? I, who am far stronger, am perishing with hunger.' The Dog frankly replied: 'You may enjoy the same condition, if you can render the like service to your master.' 'What is it?' said the other. 'To be the guardian of his threshold, and to protect the house from thieves at night.' 'I am quite ready for that,' said the Wolf; 'at present I have to endure snow and showers, dragging on a wretched existence in the woods. How much more pleasant for me to be living under a roof, and, at my ease, to be stuffed with plenty of victuals.' 'Come along, then, with me,' said the Dog. As they were going along, the Wolf observed the neck of the Dog, where it was worn with the chain. 'Whence comes this, my friend?' 'Oh, it is nothing.' 'Do tell me, though.' 'Because I appear to be fierce, they fasten me up in the day-time, that I may be quiet when it is light, and watch when night comes; unchained at midnight, I wander wherever I please. Bread is brought me without my asking; from his own table my master gives me bones; the servants throw me bits, and whatever dainties each person leaves; thus, without trouble on my part, is my belly filled.' 'Well, if you have a mind to go anywhere, are you at liberty?' 'Certainly not,' replied the Dog. 'Then, Dog, enjoy what you boast of; I would not be a king, to lose my liberty.'",
    "moral": "There is nothing more valuable than liberty."
  },
  "phaedrus_61": {
    "title": "The Horse and the Wild Boar",
    "story": "While a Wild Boar was wallowing, he muddied the shallow water, at which a Horse had been in the habit of quenching his thirst. Upon this, a disagreement arose. The Horse, enraged with the beast, sought the aid of man, and, raising him on his back, returned against the foe. After the Horseman, hurling his javelins, had slain the Boar, he is said to have spoken thus: 'I am glad that I gave assistance at your entreaties, for I have captured a prey, and have learned how useful you are;' and so compelled him, unwilling as he was, to submit to the rein. Then said the Horse, sorrowing: 'Fool that I am! while seeking to revenge a trifling matter, I have met with slavery.'",
    "moral": "It is better to be injured with impunity, than to put ourselves in the power of another."
  },
  "phaedrus_63": {
    "title": "The Battle of the Mice and the Weasels",
    "story": "When the Mice, overcome by the army of the Weasels, (whose History is painted in our taverns), took to flight, and crowded in trepidation about their narrow lurking-holes, with difficulty getting in, they managed, however, to escape death. Their Leaders, who had fastened horns to their heads, in order that they might have a conspicuous sign for their troops to follow in battle, stuck fast at the entrance, and were captured by the enemy. The victor, sacrificing them with greedy teeth, plunged them into the Tartarean recesses of his capacious paunch.",
    "moral": "Humble commonalty easily finds safety in obscurity."
  },
  "phaedrus_67": {
    "title": "Of the Vices of Men",
    "story": "Every man, according to an ancient legend, is born into the world with two bags suspended from his neck: all bags in front full of his neighbors' faults, and a large bag behind filled with his own faults. Hence it is that men are quick to see the faults of others, and yet are often blind to their own failings.",
    "moral": "We are not able to see our own faults: but as soon as others make a slip, we are ready to censure."
  },
  "phaedrus_74": {
    "title": "The Embassy of the Dogs to Jupiter",
    "story": "The Dogs once sent Ambassadors to Jupiter, to entreat of him a happier lot in life, and that he would deliver them from the insulting treatment of man, who gave them bread mixed with bran, and satisfied their most urgent hunger with filthy offal. The ambassadors set out, but with no hasty steps, while snuffing with their nostrils for food in every filth. Being summoned, they fail to make their appearance. After some difficulty Mercury finds them at last, and brings them  up in confusion. As soon, however, as they saw the countenance of mighty Jove, in their fright they bewrayed the whole palace. Out they go, driven away with sticks; but great Jove forbade that they should be sent back. The Dogs, wondering that their Ambassadors did not return, and suspecting that they had committed something disgraceful, after a while ordered others to be appointed to aid them. Rumour soon betrayed the former Ambassadors. Dreading that something of a similar nature may happen a second time, they stuff the Dogs behind with perfumes, and plenty of them. They give their directions; the Ambassadors are dispatched; at once they take their departure. They beg for an audience, and forthwith obtain it. Then did the most mighty Father of the Gods take his seat on his throne, and brandish his thunders; all things began to shake. The Dogs in alarm, so sudden was the crash, in a moment let fall the perfumes with their dung. All cry out, that the affront must be avenged. But before proceeding to punishment, thus spoke Jupiter:- 'It is not for a King to send Ambassadors away, nor is it a difficult matter to inflict a proper punishment on the offence; but by way of judgment this is the reward you shall have. I don't forbid their return, but they shall be famished with hunger, lest they be not able to keep their stomachs in order. And as for those who sent such despicable Ambassadors as you, they shall never be free from the insults of man.' And so it is, that even now the Dogs of the present day are in expectation of their Ambassadors. When one of them sees a strange Dog appear, he snuffs at his tail.",
    "moral": "Choosing unworthy representatives can lead to humiliation and ongoing disrespect for the entire group."
  },
  "phaedrus_fixed_fixed_0": {
    "title": "The Frogs asking for a King",
    "story": "When Athens was flourishing under just laws, liberty grown wanton embroiled the city, and license relaxed the reins of ancient discipline. Upon this, the partisans of factions conspiring, Pisistratus the Tyrant seized the citadel. When the Athenians were lamenting their sad servitude (not that he was cruel, but because every burden is grievous to those who are unused to it), and began to complain, Aesop related a Fable to the following effect:- 'The Frogs, roaming at large in their marshy fens, with loud clamour demanded of Jupiter a king, who, by his authority, might check their dissolute manners. The Father of the Gods smiled, and gave them a little Log, which, on being thrown among them startled the timorous race by the noise and sudden commotion in the bog. When it had lain for some time immersed in the mud, one of them by chance silently lifted his head above the water, and having taken a peep at the king, called up all the rest. Having got the better of their fears, vying with each other, they swim towards him, and the insolent mob leap upon the Log. After defiling it with every kind of insult, they sent to Jupiter, requesting another king, because the one that had been given them was useless. Upon this, he sent them a Water Snake, who with  his sharp teeth began to gobble them up one after another. Helpless they strive in vain to escape death; terror deprives them of voice. By stealth, therefore, they send through Mercury a request to Jupiter, to succour them in their distress. Then said the God in reply: 'Since you would not be content with your good fortune, continue to endure your bad fortune.'",
    "moral": "Better to endure a small hardship than risk a greater one."
  },
  "phaedrus_fixed_fixed_19": {
    "title": "The Pilot and the Mariners",
    "story": "A ship which had been tossed by a fierce tempest (while the passengers were all in tears, and filled with apprehensions of death) on the day suddenly changing to a serene aspect, began to be borne along in safety upon the buoyant waves, and to inspire the mariners with an excess of gladness. On this, the Pilot, who had been rendered wise by experience, remarked: 'We ought to be moderate in our joy, and to complain with caution.'",
    "moral": "Life is a mixture of grief and joy."
  },
  "phaedrus_fixed_fixed_23": {
    "title": "The Man and the Ass",
    "story": "A Man having sacrificed a young boar to the god Hercules, to whom he owed performance of a vow made for the preservation of his health, ordered the remains of the barley to be set for the Ass. But he refused to touch it, and said: 'I would most willingly accept your food, if he who had been fed upon it had not had his throat cut.",
    "moral": "Avoid the gain that exposes to hazard."
  },
  "phaedrus_fixed_fixed_28": {
    "title": "The Author",
    "story": "If Nature had formed the human race according to my notions, it would have been far better endowed: for she would have given us every good quality that indulgent Fortune has bestowed on any animal: the strength of the Elephant, and the impetuous force of the Lion, the age of the Crow, the majestic port of the fierce Bull, the gentle tractableness of the fleet Horse; and Man should still have had the ingenuity that is peculiarly his own. Jupiter in heaven laughs to himself, no doubt, he who, in his mighty plan, denied these qualities to men, lest our audacity should wrest from him the sceptre of the world. Contented, therefore, with the gifts of unconquered Jove, let us pass the years of our time allotted by fate, nor attempt more than mortality permits.",
    "moral": "We must not require what is unreasonable."
  },
  "phaedrus_fixed_fixed_30": {
    "title": "Prometheus and Cunning",
    "story": "When once Prometheus, the framer of a new race, had formed Truth from fine earth, that she might be able to dispense justice among mankind, being suddenly summoned by the messenger of great Jove, he left his workshop in charge of treacherous Cunning, whom he had lately received in apprenticeship. The latter, inflamed by zeal, with clever hand formed an image of similar appearance, corresponding stature, and like in every limb, so far as the time permitted. When nearly the whole had now been wondrously set up, he found he had no clay to make the feet. His master came back, and Cunning, confused by fear at his quick return, sat down in his own place. Prometheus, admiring so strong a resemblance, wished the merit to appear to belong to his own skill, and therefore placed the two images together in the furnace. When they were thoroughly baked, and life had been breathed into them, hallowed Truth moved on with modest gait; but her imperfect copy remained fixed on the spot. Thence the spurious image, the result of the stealthy work, was called Mendacity, because they say, she has no feet,-an assertion with which I readily agree.",
    "moral": "The essence of authenticity cannot be replicated."
  },
  "phaedrus_fixed_fixed_32": {
    "title": "The signification of the Punishments of Tartarus",
    "story": "The story of Ixion, whirling round upon the wheel, teaches us what a rolling thing is fortune. Sisyphus, with immense labour, pushing the stone up the lofty hill, which ever, his labour lost, rolls back from the top, shows that men's miseries are endless. When Tantalus is athirst, standing in the midst of the river, the greedy are described, whom a sufficiency of blessings surrounds, but none can they enjoy. The wicked Danaids carry water in urns, and cannot fill their pierced vessels; just so, whatever you bestow on luxury, will flow out beneath. Wretched Tityus is stretched over nine acres, presenting for dire punishment a liver that ever grows again: by this it is shown that the greater the extent of land a man possesses, the heavier are his cares. Antiquity purposely wrapped up the truth, in order that the wise might understand while the ignorant remain in error.",
    "moral": "The meaning is to be considered, not the mere words."
  },
  "phaedrus_fixed_fixed_46": {
    "title": "The Chariot Horse sold for the Mill",
    "story": "A certain Man withdrew from his chariot a Horse, ennobled by many victories, and sold him for the mill. As he was being led out of doors from the mill-stones to water, he saw his fellows going towards the Circus, to celebrate the joyous contests at the games. With tears starting forth, he said, 'Go on and be happy; celebrate without me the festive day in the race; at the place to which the accursed hand of the thief has dragged me, will I lament my sad fate.'",
    "moral": "Whatever happens, we must bear it with equanimity."
  },
  "la_fontaine_1": {
    "title": "The Gardener and His Master",
    "story": "In the midst of a beautiful flower garden, there was a large pond filled with carp, tench, perch, and other fresh-water fish; it was also intended to water the garden. The foolish Gardener, being particularly careful in attending to the flowers, so emptied the pond of its water that there scarcely remained sufficient to preserve the fish in existence. His Master, coming down to walk in the garden, and seeing this mismanagement, reprimanded the Gardener, saying, 'Though I am very fond of flowers, I am also fond of regaling myself with fish.' The Gardener, being a coarse, ignorant peasant, obeyed his master so punctually that he gave no water to the flowers, in order that the fish might be abundantly supplied. Some time after the Master again visited his garden, and, to his great mortification, saw the flowers which so greatly ornamented it all dead or drooping. 'You blockhead!' he cried; 'in future remember not to devote so much of the water of the pond to the flowers as to leave me without fish, nor yet be so liberal to the fish as to kill my beauteous blossoms.'",
    "moral": "Don't go to extremes."
  },
  "perry_2": {
    "title": "The Eagle and The Beetle",
    "story": "A Beetle once begged the Eagle to spare a Hare which had run to her for protection. But the Eagle pounced upon her prey, the sweep of her great wings tumbling the Beetle a dozen feet away. Furious at the disrespect shown her, the Beetle flew to the Eagle's nest and rolled out the eggs. Not one did she spare. The Eagle's grief and anger knew no bounds, but who had done the cruel deed she did not know. Next year the Eagle built her nest far up on a mountain crag; but the Beetle found it and again destroyed the eggs. In despair the Eagle now implored great Jupiter to let her place her eggs in his lap. There none would dare harm them. But the Beetle buzzed about Jupiter's head, and made him rise to drive her away; and the eggs rolled from his lap. Now the Beetle told the reason for her action, and Jupiter had to acknowledge the justice of her cause. And they say that ever after, while the Eagle's eggs lie in the nest in spring, the Beetle still sleeps in the ground. For so Jupiter commanded.",
    "moral": "The weak may find a way to avenge a wrong."
  },
  "perry_7": {
    "title": "The Cat and The Birds",
    "story": "A Cat, hearing that the Birds in a certain aviary were ailing dressed himself up as a physician, and, taking his cane and a bag of instruments becoming his profession, went to call on them. He knocked at the door and inquired of the inmates how they all did, saying that if they were ill, he would be happy to prescribe for them and cure them. They replied, 'We are all very well, and shall continue so, if you will only be good enough to go away, and leave us as we are.'",
    "moral": "Know your enemies."
  },
  "perry_12": {
    "title": "The Fox and The Leopard",
    "story": "The fox and the Leopard disputed which was the more beautiful of the two. The Leopard exhibited one by one the various spots which decorated his skin. But the Fox, interrupting him, said, 'And how much more beautiful than you am I, who am decorated, not in body, but in mind.'",
    "moral": "A fine coat is not always an indication of an attractive mind."
  },
  "perry_18_2": {
    "title": "The Fisherman and The Little Fish",
    "story": "A Fisherman who had caught a very little Fish was about to throw him into his basket. The little fellow, gasping, pleaded thus for his life: What! you are never going to keep such a little chap as I am, not one quarter grown! Fifty such as I am wouldn't make a decent dish. Do throw me back, and come and catch me again when I am bigger.' 'It's all very well to say 'Catch me again,' my little fellow,' replied the Man, 'but you know you'll make yourself very scarce for the future. You're big enough to make one in a frying-pan, so in you go.'",
    "moral": "A little thing in hand is worth more than a great thing in prospect."
  },
  "perry_24": {
    "title": "The Swollen Fox",
    "story": "A very hungry fox, seeing some bread and meat left by shepherds in the hollow of an oak, crept into the hole and made a hearty meal. When he finished, he was so full that he was not able to get out, and began to groan and lament his fate. Another Fox passing by heard his cries, and coming up, inquired the cause of his complaining. On learning what had happened, he said to him, 'Ah, you will have to remain there, my friend, until you become such as you were when you crept in, and then you will easily get out.'",
    "moral": "Don't be greedy."
  },
  "perry_40": {
    "title": "The Astrologer",
    "story": "A man who lived a long time ago believed that he could read the future in the stars. He called himself an Astrologer, and spent his time at night gazing at the sky. One evening he was walking along the open road outside the village. His eyes were fixed on the stars. He thought he saw there that the end of the world was at hand, when all at once, down he went into a hole full of mud and water. There he stood up to his ears, in the muddy water, and madly clawing at the slippery sides of the hole in his effort to climb out. His cries for help soon brought the villagers running. As they pulled him out of the mud, one of them said: 'You pretend to read the future in the stars, and yet you fail to see what is at your feet! This may teach you to pay more attention to what is right in front of you, and let the future take care of itself.' 'What use is it,' said another, 'to read the stars, when you can't see what's right here on the earth?'",
    "moral": "Take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves."
  },
  "perry_47": {
    "title": "The boy and the tripe",
    "story": "A crowd of country folk had sacrificed a bull to the goddess Demeter, scattering leaves over the wide threshing-floor, while the tables were covered with platters of meat and jars brimming with wine. There was a boy who ate greedily and stuffed himself full with beef tripe. On the way home, he was seized by a stomach ache. Collapsing into his mother's tender embrace, he vomited, and said, 'Woe is me, I'm going to die! Mother, all my guts are falling out!' The mother replied, 'Be brave and throw it all up; don't hold anything back. Those are not your own guts you are vomiting: they are the bull's!'",
    "moral": "Avoid overindulgence"
  },
  "perry_61": {
    "title": "The Ploughman and Fortune",
    "story": "As a Countryman was one day turning up the ground with his plough, he came across a great store of treasure. Transported with joy, he fell upon the earth and thanked her for her kindness and liberality. Fortune appeared, and said to him, 'You thank the ground thus warmly, and never think of me. If, instead of finding this treasure, you had lost it, I should have been the first you would have blamed.'",
    "moral": "Everyone is more or less master of his own fate."
  },
  "perry_104": {
    "title": "Zeus and Apollo, A Contest in Archery",
    "story": "As he made a distant shot with his bow and arrow, Apollo said to the gods, 'No one can shoot farther than I, not even Zeus.' Zeus played along and agreed to a contest. Hermes shook the lots in the helmet of Ares. The lot fell to Apollo, who went first, flexing the golden bowstring and swiftly letting loose an arrow which landed inside the Garden of the Hesperides. Zeus then covered the same distance in a single stride and stood there asking, 'Where should I shoot my arrow, son? There's nowhere for me to stand.' So it was that Zeus won the archery contest without even taking a shot.",
    "moral": "Wit outshines skill."
  },
  "perry_105": {
    "title": "Man's Years",
    "story": "A horse, Ox, and Dog, driven to great straits by the cold, sought shelter and protection from Man. He received them kindly, lighted a fire, and warmed them. He let the Horse make free with his oats, gave the Ox an abundance of hay, and fed the Dog with meat from his own table. Grateful for these favors, the animals determined to repay him to the best of their ability. For this purpose, they divided the term of his life between them, and each endowed one portion of it with the qualities which chiefly characterized himself. The Horse chose his earliest years and gave them his own attributes: hence every man is in his youth impetuous, headstrong, and obstinate in maintaining his own opinion. The Ox took under his patronage the next term of life, and therefore man in his middle age is fond of work, devoted to labor, and resolute to amass wealth and to husband his resources. The end of life was reserved for the Dog, wherefore the old man is often snappish, irritable, hard to please, and selfish, tolerant only of his own household, but averse to strangers and to all who do not administer to his comfort or to his necessities.",
    "moral": "Each stage of life has its own gifts."
  },
  "perry_126": {
    "title": "The Jackdaw and The Fox",
    "story": "A half-famished jackdaw seated himself on a fig-tree, which had produced some fruit entirely out of season, and waited in the hope that the figs would ripen. A Fox seeing him sitting so long and learning the reason of his doing so, said to him, 'You are indeed, sir, sadly deceiving yourself; you are indulging a hope strong enough to cheat you, but which will never reward you with enjoyment.'",
    "moral": "Don't deceive yourself."
  },
  "perry_143": {
    "title": "The Lion and The Bull",
    "story": "A lion, greatly desiring to capture a Bull, and yet afraid to attack him on account of his great size, resorted to a trick to ensure his destruction. He approached the Bull and said, 'I have slain a fine sheep, my friend; and if you will come home and partake of him with me, I shall be delighted to have your company.' The Lion said this in the hope that, as the Bull was in the act of reclining to eat, he might attack him to advantage, and make his meal on him. The Bull, on approaching the Lion's den, saw the huge spits and giant caldrons, and no sign whatever of the sheep, and, without saying a word, quietly took his departure. The Lion inquired why he went off so abruptly without a word of salutation to his host, who had not given him any cause for offense. 'I have reasons enough,' said the Bull. 'I see no indication whatever of your having slaughtered a sheep, while I do see very plainly every preparation for your dining on a bull.'",
    "moral": "When a man has both an interest and an inclination to betray us, there's no trusting him."
  },
  "perry_159": {
    "title": "The wolf, the fox and three true things",
    "story": "A wretched fox had fallen into the clutches of a wolf. She begged the wolf to spare her life and not to kill her, old as she was. The wolf said, 'By Pan, I will let you live if you tell me three true things.' The fox said, 'First, I wish that we had never met! Second, I wish you had been blind when we did meet! Third, and last of all, I hope that you do not live out this year, so that we will never meet again!'",
    "moral": "In times of peril, the truth may be bitter, but it can also be a means of escape."
  },
  "perry_162": {
    "title": "The Baby and the Crow",
    "story": "The mother of a small baby consulted a soothsayer who told her that her child would be killed by a crow. Terrified, the mother ordered that a large chest be built and she shut her baby inside, protecting him so that no crow could harm him. She continued in this way, opening the chest at regular intervals in order to give the baby the food that he needed. Then one day, after she had opened the chest and was using an iron bar to prop up the lid, the child recklessly stuck his head out. At that moment, the iron bar -- it was a crow bar -- fell down on top of the boy's head and killed him.",
    "moral": "Fear of the future can lead to actions that bring about the very fate we seek to avoid."
  },
  "perry_181": {
    "title": "The Donkey and the Ox",
    "story": "A donkey and an ox had been yoked together to pull a single load. The ox was making a great effort, even though he had an injury to his horn, while the donkey was doing nothing to help. As the ox struggled to pull the load by himself, he soon died. The driver then loaded the ox's carcass upon the donkey and began beating him mercilessly. The donkey broke down and collapsed under the weight, dropping dead in the middle of the road. A flock of birds flew up and alighted on the donkey's carcass. 'If only you had been kind enough to help the ox pull the load,' they said, 'you would not have died this untimely death, with carrion birds feasting on your flesh.'",
    "moral": "We must help one another, for if a neighbor falls, their burden will fall on you."
  },
  "perry_183": {
    "title": "A Wild Ass and A Tame",
    "story": "As a tame ass was airing himself in a pleasant meadow, with a coat and carcass in very good plight, up comes a wild one to him from the next wood, with this short greeting. Brother (says he) I envy your happiness; and so he left him. It was his hap some short time after this encounter, to see his tame brother groaning under a unmerciful pack, and a fellow at his heels goading him forward. He rounds him in the ear upon't, and whispers him, My friend (says he) your condition is not, I perceive, what I took it to be, for a body may buy gold too dear: and I am not for purchasing good looks and provender at this rate.",
    "moral": "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence."
  },
  "perry_205": {
    "title": "The Hired Mourners",
    "story": "A woman who had two daughters buried one of them, and mourners were provided to attend the funeral. The surviving daughter wondered to see strangers so much concerned at the loss of her sister, and her nearest relations so little. 'Pray, mother,' says she, 'what's the reason for this?' 'Oh,' says the mother, 'we who are kin to her are never the better for crying, but the strangers have money for it.'",
    "moral": "Professional mourners serve those who pay the most."
  },
  "perry_227": {
    "title": "The Swallow, The Serpent, and The Court of Justice",
    "story": "A Swallow, returning from abroad and especially fond of dwelling with men, built herself a nest in the wall of a Court of Justice and there hatched seven young birds. A Serpent gliding past the nest from its hole in the wall ate up the young unfledged nestlings. The Swallow, finding her nest empty, lamented greatly and exclaimed: 'Woe to me a stranger! that in this place where all others' rights are protected, I alone should suffer wrong.'",
    "moral": "Justice is fickle."
  },
  "perry_244": {
    "title": "The Weasel and the Partridge",
    "story": "A man bought a partridge and let him run loose in the house since he liked the bird very much. The partridge immediately started squawking his usual song, sauntering through every room in the house until he finally perched himself on the steps. Meanwhile, the tricky weasel rushed upon the partridge, asking, 'Who are you? Where have you come from?' The partridge replied, 'The master bought me just today; I am a partridge.' The weasel said, 'Well, I have lived here a long time! My mother, the mouser-slayer, gave birth to me in this very house. Yet I keep quiet and sleep beside the hearth. What gives you the right to speak so freely and cackle so loudly if you have only just now become a member of the household?'",
    "moral": "Honor the customs of the household you enter."
  },
  "perry_255": {
    "title": "The Gnat and The Lion",
    "story": "A gnat came and said to a Lion, 'I do not in the least fear you, nor are you stronger than I am. For in what does your strength consist? You can scratch with your claws and bite with your teeth as a woman in her quarrels. I repeat that I am altogether more powerful than you; and if you doubt it, let us fight and see who will conquer.' The Gnat, having sounded his horn, fastened himself upon the Lion and stung him on the nostrils and the parts of the face devoid of hair. While trying to crush him, the Lion tore himself with his claws, until he punished himself severely. The Gnat thus prevailed over the Lion, and, buzzing about in a song of triumph, flew away. But shortly afterwards he became entangled in the meshes of a cobweb and was eaten by a spider. He greatly lamented his fate, saying, 'Woe is me! that I, who can wage war successfully with the hugest beasts, should perish myself from this spider, the most inconsiderable of insects!'",
    "moral": "No matter how you brag, you can be undone."
  },
  "perry_260": {
    "title": "The Wolf and his Shadow",
    "story": "Roaming by the mountainside at sundown, a Wolf saw his own shadow become greatly extended and magnified, and he said to himself, 'Why should I, being of such an immense size and extending nearly an acre in length, be afraid of the Lion? Ought I not to be acknowledged as King of all the collected beasts?' While he was indulging in these proud thoughts, a Lion fell upon him and killed him. He exclaimed with a too late repentance, 'Wretched me! this overestimation of myself is the cause of my destruction.'",
    "moral": "Do not let your fancy make you forget realities."
  },
  "perry_261": {
    "title": "The Wolf and the Sheep in the Sheepfold",
    "story": "A solitary sheep suddenly caught sight of a wolf and fled into the sheepfold, which by chance had been left open since there was a sacrifice was being readied for the holiday. The wolf did not come within the walls of the sheepfold but stood outside and tried to win the sheep's trust. 'Don't you see that altar there covered with blood?' said the wolf. 'Come out, or else they will seize you and sacrifice you too.' The sheep replied, 'Don't you worry about my place of refuge; I'm doing just fine. And even if things turn out as you say, I would rather become an offering for the god than a meal for a wolf!'",
    "moral": "Better to face a known danger than to trust a deceitful promise of safety."
  },
  "perry_270": {
    "title": "The Stake and the Wall",
    "story": "A wall who was being gouged by a stake exclaimed, 'Hey! Why are you making this gash in me, when I never did you any harm?' The stake answered, 'It's not my fault! Blame the man who is pounding me so hard from behind.'",
    "moral": "Look at the source when placing the blame."
  },
  "perry_271": {
    "title": "Winter and Spring",
    "story": "Winter made fun of Spring and mocked her for the fact that as soon as spring appears, nobody can keep still: some people go off to the meadows or into the woods, others like to gather flowers and lilies or perhaps to gaze upon a rose as they twirl it in the air or to twine it in their hair; while some board ships and even cross the sea to meet different kinds of people; no one worries any longer about the winds or the great downpours of rain from the sky. 'Whereas I resemble a dictator or a despot,' said Winter. 'I command everyone to look not at the sky but down toward the ground; I frighten them and make them tremble and sometimes I make them content themselves while having to stay indoors all day.' Spring replied, 'Indeed, that is exactly why mankind would be glad to get rid of you, whereas even the mere mention of my name is enough to bring them pleasure. By Zeus, there is no name more pleasant than mine! That is why they think fondly of me when I am gone and give thanks when I appear again.'",
    "moral": "It is better to be loved than feared."
  },
  "perry_287": {
    "title": "The Camel and The Arab",
    "story": "An Arab camel-driver, after completing the loading of his Camel, asked him which he would like best, to go up hill or down. The poor beast replied, not without a touch of reason: 'Why do you ask me? Is it that the level way through the desert is closed?'",
    "moral": "Foresake the hard when an easier way is available."
  },
  "perry_295": {
    "title": "The Husbandman That Lost His Mattock",
    "story": "A Husbandman, busily employed in trenching his Vineyard, laid down for awhile the Mattock he was using. When he went to take it up again, it was gone. He called together all his hired men, and asked them if they had seen the tool. They all denied any knowledge of it; and the Man, in a great rage, said he knew that one of them must have taken it, and, let it cost him what it might, he would find out the thief. With that view he insisted upon their going with him to the shrine of a famous oracle in a neighbouring city. Arrived within the city gates, they stopped at the fountain in the market-place, to bathe their feet. Just at that moment the town-crier came up, and in a loud voice announced that, the sacred shrine having been robbed last night, he was told to offer a large reward to any one who could discover the thief. Thereupon the Husbandman at once called upon his men to turn their faces homewards. 'If this god,' said he, 'cannot tell who has robbed his temple, the chances are that he knows as little who has taken my Mattock.'",
    "moral": "Even gods may not know everything."
  },
  "perry_306": {
    "title": "The Philosopher, The Ants, and Mercury",
    "story": "A philosopher witnessed from the shore the shipwreck of a vessel, of which the crew and passengers were all drowned. He inveighed against the injustice of Providence, which would for the sake of one criminal perchance sailing in the ship allow so many innocent persons to perish. As he was indulging in these reflections, he found himself surrounded by a whole army of Ants, near whose nest he was standing. One of them climbed up and stung him, and he immediately trampled them all to death with his foot. Mercury presented himself, and striking the Philosopher with his wand, said, 'And are you indeed to make yourself a judge of the dealings of Providence, who hast thyself in a similar manner treated these poor Ants?'",
    "moral": "Act as you profess to believe."
  },
  "perry_308": {
    "title": "Hermes and the Dog",
    "story": "There was a four-cornered statue of Hermes by the side of the road, with a heap of stones piled at its base. A dog approached the statue and said to it, 'To begin with, Hermes, I salute you! And now I am going to anoint you, since I cannot let a god go by without anointing him, much less a god of the athletes.' Hermes said to the dog, 'If you can just leave the oil alone and not pee on me, I shall be grateful enough; you do not need to honour me in any other way!'",
    "moral": "Respect is often better shown by refraining from disrespect."
  },
  "perry_313": {
    "title": "The Judgments of Zeus",
    "story": "Zeus ordered Hermes to write down people's sins and wicked deeds on potsherds and to pile them in a designated box, so that Zeus could then peruse them and exact a penalty from each person as appropriate. Given that the potsherds are all piled up one on top of the other until the moment that Zeus examines them, he gets to some of them quite soon while others have to wait.",
    "moral": "Sometimes, Wicked people commit crime in haste but are not punished until much later."
  },
  "perry_314": {
    "title": "The Sun and the Frogs",
    "story": "Once upon a time, the Sun wanted to get married but the frogs raised a cry of protest up to the heavens. Jupiter, disturbed by their shouting, asked the reason for their complaint, and one of the swamp's inhabitants explained, 'Already one Sun is enough to burn up all the ponds, condemning us to a miserable death in our parched abode. What is going to happen to us when he will have sons of his own?'",
    "moral": "Watch the actions of your enemy."
  },
  "perry_320": {
    "title": "The Soldier and His Horse",
    "story": "A Soldier cared for his Horse. So long as there was war, he fed him carefully and treated him as almost an equal. But, when the war ended, the Soldier only gave him chaff to eat and made him carry heavy loads; he treated the Horse badly. After awhile, war was again declared and both Soldier and Horse were called to duty. The Soldier put military trappings on the horse and mounted clad in a coat of mail. The Horse immediately fell down under the weight. He said to his master: 'You must now go to war on foot, for you have changed me from a Horse to an Ass and you cannot expect me to change back in a moment.'",
    "moral": "Care defines ability."
  },
  "perry_329": {
    "title": "The Circus Dogs and the Street Dogs",
    "story": "A dog who was being trained to fight in the public games snapped the collar around his neck and went dashing through the streets. The street dogs could tell that this fellow had been living the good life since he was as stout as a bull, so they asked him why he was running away. The runaway replied, 'It's true that I have been enjoying an abundance of food and living a comfortable life, but I am also forced to fight with lions and bears, risking my life in the arena.' The other dogs then said to one another, 'Our poor life must be very fine, because we don't have to fight with lions and bears!'",
    "moral": "A humble life free from danger is more valuable than a life of luxury filled with peril."
  },
  "perry_334": {
    "title": "The Kingdom of The Lion",
    "story": "The beasts of the field and forest had a Lion as their king. He was neither wrathful, cruel, nor tyrannical, but just and gentle as a king could be. During his reign he made a royal proclamation for a general assembly of all the birds and beasts, and drew up conditions for a universal league, in which the Wolf and the Lamb, the Panther and the Kid, the Tiger and the Stag, the Dog and the Hare, should live together in perfect peace and amity. The Hare said, 'Oh, how I have longed to see this day, in which the weak shall take their place with impunity by the side of the strong.' And after the Hare said this, he ran for his life.",
    "moral": "Nature reveals itself."
  },
  "perry_336": {
    "title": "The Lion, The Fox and the Deer",
    "story": "There was a lion who had fallen ill and was lying in a stony ravine, his sluggish limbs stretched out upon the ground. A friendly fox kept him company, and one day the lion said to her, 'I suppose you want me to survive, so listen: I've got a craving for the deer who lives in that dense thicket of pines there in the wilds of the forest. At the moment I no longer have the strength to go hunting after deer myself, but if you would agree to lay a trap with that honeyed speech of yours, the deer could be within my grasp.' The sly fox went off and found the deer in the wild woodlands, gambolling in a meadow of tender grass. The fox prostrated herself before the deer and greeted her, saying that she had come to relay some auspicious information. 'As you know,' the fox said, 'the lion is my neighbour, but he is very sick and about to die, so he has been thinking about who will be king of the beasts after he is gone. The boar is an idiot, the bear is lazy, the leopard is impulsive, the tiger is a loner who keeps to himself... but he thinks that the deer would make a most worthy ruler, since she has an impressive appearance and lives a long time. And the antlers of the deer can scare away all kinds of snakes, why, the antlers of the deer are like trees, not at all like the horns of a bull! Need I say more? You have been duly elected: you will rule over the beasts of the hills. When that finally happens, O Mistress, remember that it was the fox who was the first to inform you. That is why I came here, and now good-bye, my dear. I need to hurry back to the lion so that he won't be looking for me again; he relies on my advice in absolutely everything. And I think it would be good if you also obeyed that venerable old head. You need to come to his bedside and comfort him in his trouble. Even little things can sway the thoughts of those who are in the last hours of life; the souls of the dying can be seen in their eyes.' This is what the sly fox said to the deer, and the deer's heart swelled at the sound of those deceitful words. She came to the hollow cave of the beast, with no idea of what lay in store for her. The lion recklessly sprang up from his bed and launched a hasty attack, but he only managed to slash the deer's ears with his pointed claws as the wretched creature ran straight out the door and disappeared into the depths of the woods. The fox wrung her hands in frustration, since her efforts had proved utterly futile. As for the lion, he groaned and chewed at thin air, equally beset by both hunger and despair. Once again he summoned the fox and asked her to find yet another trick to use to catch the deer. The fox plumbed the very depths of her cunning and then said, 'This is a difficult task indeed. But nevertheless I will carry out your command!' The fox then set off after the deer, keen as a hound on the trail, devising elaborate traps and all kinds of mischief. Whenever she ran into a shepherd, the fox would ask if he had happened to see a bleeding deer on the run. And when the shepherd had indeed caught a glimpse of the deer, he would point the fox in the right direction. She finally found the deer concealed in the shade, where she had stopped to catch her breath. The fox stood and stared at the deer, eyebrows raised, the very incarnation of shamelessness. A shiver ran down the deer's spine and her legs quivered as she angrily said to the fox, 'Oh you abominable creature! If you dare to come near me or utter so much as a single word, you will live to regret it! Go find some other simpletons that you can outfox; pick someone else to be king and put him on the throne!' But the fox was undaunted and said to the deer, 'Can you really be so mean spirited? So overcome by fear? So suspicious of your friends? The lion only wanted what was good for you! In an attempt to rouse you from your former idleness, he tugged at your ear, as a father might do on his deathbed. He wanted to bestow on you every precept you would need in order to take charge of such a kingdom, but you could not even withstand the touch of his feeble hand! Instead, you violently turned aside, inflicting a serious wound on yourself. As for the lion, at this moment he is even more upset than you are. Now that he has found you to be so untrustworthy and scatter-brained, he says that the wolf will be appointed king. Alas alack, what a wicked master he will be! What shall I do then? You are the one who has brought these evils upon all of us. But come, you must be more brave in the future and not let yourself be as easily frightened as some sheep from the flock. I swear these things to you by all the leaves on the trees and by every spring of water: I want to serve you and only you! There is nothing hostile about the lion's behaviour; his heartfelt wish is to make you queen of all the animals!' With these coaxing words, the fox persuaded the tawny deer to enter once again into that very abode of death. As soon as the lion had the deer trapped in the depths of his den, he enjoyed a full course meal, greedily devouring the flesh of the deer, drinking the marrow from her bones and feasting on her entrails. The fox, meanwhile, stood there waiting; after having delivered the deer, she was craving a share in the spoils. She stealthily grabbed the brains of the deer which had fallen to the ground and gobbled them up: this, then, was the booty which that sly boots got for her work. The lion, meanwhile, had made an inventory of all the deer's parts, and the brains were nowhere to be found. He searched around his couch and all over the house. Then the fox confounded the truth of the matter and said, 'That deer had no brains, so don't waste your time looking for them. What kind of brains do you expect from a creature who would come not once but twice into the den of a lion?'",
    "moral": "Never trust a known deceiver."
  },
  "perry_337": {
    "title": "The Lion, The Fox and the Monkey serving dinner",
    "story": "There was a lion who strove to emulate the best sort of life lived in human society. He made his home inside a spacious den and tried to show genuine kindness to all those whom he recognized as the elite beasts of the mountain. His den often hosted a large crowd of such animals, who gathered together in a company and treated one another with civility. The lion would befriend and entertain them according to the rules of hospitality, placing before each of his guests their favourite dish, made with ingredients that the lion knew would give them pleasure. There was a fox who lived with the lion as his friend and companion, and the two of them were very happy together. Meanwhile, an elderly monkey served as the carver at the feasts, distributing the portions of meat to the lion's guests at dinner. Whenever there was a guest who was not one of the regular party, the monkey would set before him the same portion which he offered his master, namely, the quarry that the lion had seized in his latest hunting expedition. On these occasions, the fox received leftovers from the day before, and less than her usual portion. One day the lion happened to notice that the fox was pointedly refusing to speak and that she refrained from the meat served at dinner. The lion asked her what was the matter. 'My wise fox,' said the lion, 'speak to me as you used to do! Cheer up and take part in the banquet, my dear.' But the fox said, 'O lion, best among all the species of beasts, I am sick at heart and deeply worried. It is not only the present situation that distresses me; I am also saddened by things which I see are yet to come. If some new guest arrives with every passing day, one after the other, this will become a matter of custom and soon I will not even have leftover meat for my dinner.'",
    "moral": "Do not neglect the loyalty of old friends to please new acquaintances."
  },
  "perry_344": {
    "title": "The Wolf and The Fox",
    "story": "At one time a very large and strong Wolf was born among the wolves, who exceeded all his fellow-wolves in strength, size, and swiftness, so that they unanimously decided to call him 'Lion.' The Wolf, with a lack of sense proportioned to his enormous size, thought that they gave him this name in earnest, and, leaving his own race, consorted exclusively with the lions. An old sly Fox, seeing this, said, 'May I never make myself so ridiculous as you do in your pride and self-conceit; for even though you have the size of a lion among wolves, in a herd of lions you are definitely a wolf.'",
    "moral": "Know yourself and your limits."
  },
  "perry_345": {
    "title": "The Wolf, the Fox and the Gift",
    "story": "A fox was standing not far from a trap, pondering every possible approach. A nearby wolf noticed the fox and approached her. He then asked the fox if he might be allowed to take the meat, and the fox replied, 'Go ahead and help yourself! You're welcome to it, seeing as you are one of my very dearest friends.' The wolf rushed up without a moment's hesitation and as he learned forward over the trap he released the trigger so that the rod sprang free, striking his snout and forehead. 'If this is the sort of gift you give you to your friends,' said the wolf, 'why would anyone ever want to be your friend?'",
    "moral": "Flatterers and deceivers are not to be trusted."
  },
  "perry_349": {
    "title": "The Lamp",
    "story": "A lamp, soaked with too much oil and flaring brightly, boasted that it gave more light than the sun. Then a sudden puff of wind arose, and the Lamp was immediately extinguished. Its owner lit it again, and said: 'Boast no more, but henceforth be content to give thy light in silence. Know that not even the stars need to be relit'",
    "moral": "Do not boast lest you be taken down."
  },
  "perry_348": {
    "title": "The Wolf and The Ass",
    "story": "The Wolves once selected one of their number to be their ruler. The Wolf that was chosen was a plausible, smooth-spoken rascal, and on a very early day he addressed an assembly of the Wolves as follows: 'One thing,' he said, 'is of such vital importance, and will tend so much to our general welfare, that I cannot impress it too strongly upon your attention. Nothing cherishes true brotherly feeling and promotes the general good so much as the suppression of all selfishness. Let each one of you, then, share with any hungry brother who may be near whatever in hunting may fall to your lot.' 'Hear, hear!' cried an Ass, who listened to the speech; 'and of course you yourself will begin with the fat Sheep that you hid yesterday in a corner of your lair.'",
    "moral": "Trust but verify."
  },
  "perry_353": {
    "title": "The Mouse and The Bull",
    "story": "A bull was bitten by a Mouse and, angered by the wound, tried to capture him. But the Mouse reached his hole in safety. Though the Bull dug into the walls with his horns, he tired before he could rout out the Mouse, and crouching down, went to sleep outside the hole. The Mouse peeped out, crept furtively up his flank, and again biting him, retreated to his hole. The Bull rising up, and not knowing what to do, was sadly perplexed. At which the Mouse said, 'The great do not always prevail. There are times when the small and lowly are the strongest to do mischief.'",
    "moral": "The great do not always prevail."
  },
  "perry_355": {
    "title": "Truth and The Traveler",
    "story": "A wayfaring man, traveling in the desert, met a woman standing alone and terribly dejected. He inquired of her, 'Who art thou?' 'My name is Truth,' she replied. 'And for what cause,' he asked, 'have you left the city to dwell alone here in the wilderness?' She made answer, 'Among the people of old, lies were found among only a few, but now they have spread throughout all of human society!'",
    "moral": "Falsehood is with all men."
  },
  "perry_356": {
    "title": "The Sheep and The Dog",
    "story": "The Sheep one day complained to the Shepherd that while they were shorn of their fleece, and their young ones often taken and killed for food, they received nothing in return but the green herbage of the earth, which grew of itself, and cost him no pains to procure. 'On the other hand, your Dog,' said they, 'which gives no wool, and is of no use for food, is petted and fed with as good meat as his master.' 'Peace, bleating simpletons!' replied the Dog, who overheard them; 'were it not that I look after and watch you, and keep off Wolves and thieves, small good would be to you your herbage or anything else.'",
    "moral": "Consider all before you judge."
  },
  "perry_359": {
    "title": "The Playful Ass",
    "story": "An ass climbed up to the roof of a building, and frisking about there, broke in the tiling. The owner went up after him and quickly drove him down, beating him severely with a thick wooden cudgel. The Ass said, 'Why, I saw the Monkey do this very thing yesterday, and you all laughed heartily, as if it afforded you very great amusement.'",
    "moral": "People that live by example need to look closely at the example they are following."
  },
  "perry_362": {
    "title": "The Tail of the Serpent",
    "story": "The Tail of a Serpent once rebelled against the Head, and said that it was a great shame that one end of any animal should always have its way, and drag the other after it, whether it was willing or no. It was in vain that the Head urged that the Tail had neither brains nor eyes, and that it was in no way made to lead. Wearied by the Tail's importunity, the Head one day let him have his will. The Serpent now went backwards for a long time, quite gaily, until he came to the edge of a high cliff, over which both Head and Tail went flying, and came with a heavy thump on the shore beneath. The Head was never again troubled by the Tail with a word about leading.",
    "moral": "Know your place."
  },
  "perry_365": {
    "title": "The Shepherd and The Dog",
    "story": "A shepherd penning his sheep in the fold for the night was about to shut up a wolf with them, when his Dog perceiving the wolf said, 'Master, how can you expect the sheep to be safe if you admit a wolf into the fold?'",
    "moral": "Be watchful or all will be lost."
  },
  "perry_383": {
    "title": "Prometheus and the two roads",
    "story": "Zeus once ordered Prometheus to show mankind the two ways: one the way of freedom and the other the way of slavery. Prometheus made the way of freedom rough at the beginning, impassable and steep, with no water anywhere to drink, full of brambles, and beset with dangers on all sides at first. Eventually, however, it became a smooth plain, lined with paths and filled with groves of fruit trees and waterways. Thus the distressing experience ended in repose for those who breath the air of freedom. The way of slavery, however, started out as a smooth plain at the beginning, full of flowers, pleasant to look at and quite luxurious, but in the end it became impassable, steep and insurmountable on all sides.",
    "moral": "It is better to endure short-term struggles for long-term benefits than the other way around."
  },
  "perry_384_2": {
    "title": "The Mouse and The Frog",
    "story": "A Frog and a Mouse, who had long been rivals for the sovereignty of a certain marsh, and had many a skirmish and running fight together, agreed one day to settle the matter, once for all, by a fair and open combat. They met, and each, armed with the point of a bulrush for a spear, was ready, if need be, to fight to the death. The fight began in earnest, and there is no knowing how it might have ended, had not a Kite, seeing them from afar, pounced down and carried off both heroes in her talons.",
    "moral": "When fools fight others run away with the prize."
  },
  "perry_425": {
    "title": "The fisherman and the octopus",
    "story": "When a fisherman happened to see an octopus during the winter, he said, 'If I take off my clothes and jump in after him, I will freeze! But if I do not catch that octopus, I condemn my children to die of starvation!' ",
    "moral": "There is no easy choice during desperate times."
  },
  "perry_429": {
    "title": "The Fox and the Man counting waves",
    "story": "A certain man was sitting on the beach counting the waves as they broke against the shore. When he lost count of the waves he got angry and frustrated. A sly fox then approached the man and said, 'Good sir, what is the point of getting angry about the waves that have already gone by? You need to just put them out of your mind and pick up counting again where you left off!' ",
    "moral": "Do not dwell on what has passed."
  },
  "perry_430": {
    "title": "Prometheus and the tears",
    "story": "The clay which Prometheus used when he fashioned man was not mixed with water but with tears. Therefore, one should not try to dispense entirely with tears, since they are inevitable.",
    "moral": "Sadness is a part of life."
  },
  "perry_437": {
    "title": "The Owl and The Birds",
    "story": "An owl, in her wisdom, counseled the Birds that when the acorn first began to sprout, to pull it all up out of the ground and not allow it to grow. She said acorns would produce mistletoe, from which an irremediable poison, the bird-lime, would be extracted and by which they would be captured. The Owl next advised them to pluck up the seed of the flax, which men had sown, as it was a plant which boded no good to them. And, lastly, the Owl, seeing an archer approach, predicted that this man, being on foot, would contrive darts armed with feathers which would fly faster than the wings of the Birds themselves. The Birds gave no credence to these warning words, but considered the Owl to be beside herself and said that she was mad. But afterwards, finding her words were true, they wondered at her knowledge and deemed her to be the wisest of birds. Hence it is that when she appears they look to her as knowing all things, while she no longer gives them advice, but in solitude laments their past folly.",
    "moral": "Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin."
  },
  "perry_438": {
    "title": "The Jar goes to Court",
    "story": "There was a woman of Sybaris who broke a jar. The jar then got someone to testify as a witness, but the woman of Sybaris said, 'I swear by the Maiden, you would have been far wiser if you'd gone right away to get a bandage, instead of making a court-case out of it.' ",
    "moral": "Action is more valuable than arguments."
  },
  "perry_448": {
    "title": "Orpheus and the Dogs",
    "story": "The animals were Orpheus' companions, and while they enjoyed and admired his music, they never attempted to imitate it. But a few of the dogs, those shameless and meddlesome creatures, set out to make some music of their own. They straightaway went off by themselves to practice, changing themselves into human form as they continued their musical pursuits. This is where lyre players come from, and even today they cannot completely overcome their inborn nature. As a result, they preserve the teachings of Orpheus, but only to a small degree; for the most part it is the canine music that endures.",
    "moral": "Nature reveals itself."
  },
  "perry_449": {
    "title": "The Dog's House",
    "story": "In the wintertime, a Dog curled up in as small a space as possible on account of the cold, determined to make himself a house. However when the summer returned again, he lay asleep stretched at his full length and appeared to himself to be of a great size. Now he considered that it would be neither an easy nor a necessary work to make himself such a house as would accommodate him.",
    "moral": "It's easy to put off today what can be done tomorrow."
  },
  "perry_450": {
    "title": "The Assembly of Beasts",
    "story": "At one time, it seemed to all the beasts that they should hold a meeting and assembly, as there were frequent complaints among them about one another. When opinions were exchanged back and forth, the hares are said to have addressed the assembly: they believed it fair that all beasts should have the same dignity and equal power, and that it should not be the case that some are much stronger while others are weaker; for in this way, the inferior would be subject to the superior for plunder and prey. The Lions made this reply: 'Your words, O Hares! are good; but they lack both claws and teeth such as we have.'",
    "moral": "Be prepared to defend your position."
  },
  "perry_454": {
    "title": "The Mouse and the Oyster",
    "story": "An omnivorous, gluttonous mouse was creeping through the house when he noticed an oyster with its mouth wide open, so he bit into the false flesh of the oyster's wet beard. Suddenly the door to the oyster's house slammed shut in a painful clasp. The mouse was enclosed in a prison with no hope of escape: he himself had closed the door to the tomb of his own death.",
    "moral": "Greed often overreaches itself."
  },
  "perry_461": {
    "title": "The Eyes and the Honey",
    "story": "Aesop said that the eyes were distressed because they considered themselves the most worthy part of the body, yet they saw the mouth enjoying every possible pleasure, especially honey, the sweetest substance of all. Filled with resentment, the eyes complained to the man. But when the man put honey in his eyes, they felt a stinging pain and burst into tears, since they thought that the honey was harsh and unpleasant.",
    "moral": "Be careful what you wish for."
  },
  "perry_541": {
    "title": "Aesop and the Athlete",
    "story": "Aesop, that wise man from Phrygia, once saw a winning athlete who was making extravagant boasts, so he asked whether the man's opponent had been more powerfully built. The athlete replied, 'Watch what you're saying! I was much stronger than he was.' 'You fool!' said Aesop. 'What kind of prize do you deserve if you were the stronger athlete and simply triumphed over an inferior opponent? You might have earned my grudging admiration if your opponent had in fact been superior to you in strength, so that you had to defeat him by means of your exceptional athletic prowess.'",
    "moral": "Degrading your opponents only diminishes your own victory."
  },
  "perry_553": {
    "title": "The Crow and The Sheep",
    "story": "A troublesome crow seated herself on the back of a Sheep. The Sheep, much against his will, carried her backward and forward for a long time, and at last said, 'If you had treated a dog in this way, you would have had your deserts from his sharp teeth.' To this the Crow replied, 'I despise the weak and yield to the strong. I know whom I may bully and whom I must flatter; and I thus prolong my life to a good old age.'",
    "moral": "Pick your enemies."
  },
  "perry_557": {
    "title": "The Fox and the Ground-Bird",
    "story": "There is a bird that country folk call 'ground-bird,' which makes sense, because this bird makes her nest on the ground. A ground-bird happened to run into a conniving vixen, and as soon as she noticed her, the ground-bird flew even higher on her wings. 'Greetings!' said the vixen, 'May I ask why you are running away? It's not as if there were not plenty of food for me here in the field -- grasshoppers, beetles, locusts in abundance -- so there's nothing for you to be afraid of. I am actually very fond of you because of your retiring manner and honest ways.' The singing bird replied, 'Your words are certainly pleasant to hear, but I am no equal to you on the ground. Here in the air, though, I can hold my own. Why don't you come on up with me? This is the place where I would trust you with my life!' ",
    "moral": "Flatters are not to be trusted."
  },
  "perry_581": {
    "title": "The Thief and The Boy",
    "story": "A Boy sat weeping upon the side of a well. A Thief happening to come by just at the same time, asked him why he wept. The Boy, sighing and sobbing, showed a bit of cord, and said that a silver tankard had come off from it, and was now at the bottom of the well. The Thief pulled off his clothes and went down into the well, meaning to keep the tankard for himself. Having groped about for some time without finding it, he came up again, and found not only the Boy gone, but his 0wn clothes also, the dissembling rogue having made off with them.",
    "moral": "Every tale is not to be believed."
  },
  "perry_584": {
    "title": "The River Fish and The Sea Fish",
    "story": "Carried from his fresh-water pond by a rushing stream, a fresh-water fish rushed headlong into the waters of the sea. The shameless creature scorned the scaly schools in the sea and boasted endlessly of his own illustrious origins. A salt-water fish could not suffer this refugee in his own ancestral waters and he spoke these pungent words, naturally salted with wit: 'Enough of your empty lies and pretentious talk; you yourself are the best evidence of their absurdity. If the two of us are captured and hauled in by the same dripping net, I will be able to prove to you just who is more highly regarded by the crowd of onlookers: you will see that I am bought by the connoisseur at a very high price indeed, while you will be sold to an undiscriminating commoner for a mere penny or two!'",
    "moral": "Value is what others think of you, not what you think of yourself."
  },
  "perry_723": {
    "title": "The Rustic seeking to Cross a River",
    "story": "A countryman who needed to cross a river tested it by sounding it up and down to find the best place to ford. In his testing, he made this observation: where the water flowed smoothly, he found it to be the deepest; conversely, where it was shallow, it was where the water made the most noise.",
    "moral": "There is danger in the silent enemy."
  },
  "abstemius_00": {
    "title": "A Mouse in a Chest",
    "story": "A Mouse that was raised in a Chest, living all her days on what the Mistress of the House stored within, happened one day to tumble out over the edge and stumbled upon a very tasty morsel while searching for a way back inside. No sooner had she tasted it than she exclaimed how foolish she had been to believe that true happiness could only be found within that box.",
    "moral": "We should not love our homeland so much that we ignore the possibility of finding greater happiness elsewhere."
  },
  "abstemius_0": {
    "title": "A Husband-man and Ceres",
    "story": "A certain farmer complained that the beards of his corn sometimes cut the reapers' and threshers' fingers, and so he asked Ceres to make his corn grow without beards. His request was granted, and the little birds ate up all his grain. 'Fool that I was,' he said, 'to lose the support of my life rather than risk the pricking of my fingers.'",
    "moral": "A small inconvenience is compensated for by a greater usefulness."
  },
  "abstemius_1": {
    "title": "A Country-man and a Hawk",
    "story": "A Country Fellow had the luck to catch a Hawk chasing a Pigeon. The Hawk begged for her life, saying she never harmed the Country-man, so she hoped he wouldn't harm her. The Country-man replied, 'And what harm did the Pigeon ever do to you?' By your own reasoning, you should expect to be treated the same way you would have treated this Pigeon.",
    "moral": "It's wise to think before we speak."
  },
  "abstemius_2": {
    "title": "A Swallow and a Spider",
    "story": "A Spider saw a Swallow catching Flies and quickly started making a Web to catch Swallows, thinking it was an invasion of her territory. But the Birds easily broke through the Web and flew away with it. Well, said the Spider, I see that catching Birds is not my skill; and so she went back to her usual work of catching Flies.",
    "moral": "A wise person will not attempt anything without having the right means to achieve it."
  },
  "abstemius_4": {
    "title": "A Pigeon and a Pye",
    "story": "A Magpie asked a Pigeon why she kept nesting in the same place when her chicks were always taken before they could fly. 'That's my simplicity,' said the Pigeon. 'I mean no harm, and I suspect none.'",
    "moral": "Trusting as you wish to be trusted doesn't work between a rogue and an honest person. "
  },
  "abstemius_5": {
    "title": "A Cuckow and a Hawk",
    "story": "By the beak and claws of a Cuckoo, one might mistake her for a kind of Hawk, except one eats worms and the other eats meat. One day, a Hawk mocked a Cuckoo for her simple diet. 'If you want to look like a Hawk, why don't you live like one?' The Cuckoo felt a bit offended, but later, as she passed a pigeon house, she saw the skin of that very Hawk on a pole atop the dove house. 'Well!' said the Cuckoo, 'Wouldn't it have been better to eat worms than pigeons?'",
    "moral": "Pride and vanity leads to our downfall."
  },
  "abstemius_7": {
    "title": "A Fox and a Knot of Gossips",
    "story": "A fox was walking by a certain farm and saw a crowd of women who, in total silence, were eating many sumptuously roasted chickens. The fox turned to the women and said, 'What shouts there would be against me, and what howling of dogs, if I were to do what you are doing!' A certain old woman said, 'Most wretched creature! We are eating those things which are ours; you take your pleasure in things that belong to others.'",
    "moral": "We should not to conclude that we are allowed to do to other people's things what is permitted to them in their own houses."
  },
  "abstemius_8": {
    "title": "Capons Fat and Lean",
    "story": "There were many plump chickens together in a coop, some very fair and fat, while others did not grow well despite feeding. The fat ones would often make fun of the lean ones, calling them starvelings, until one day the cook was ordered to prepare some chickens for supper and to be sure to take the best from the pen. When that time came, those with the most flesh wished they had less, and it would have been better for them.",
    "moral": "The life of the poor is often safer than the life of the rich."
  },
  "abstemius_9": {
    "title": "Oxen and a Piece of Timber",
    "story": "The Tree was complaining about the Oxen's lack of gratitude. 'How often,' said the Tree, 'have I fed you with my leaves and sheltered you with my shade? And now you drag me over dirt and stones like this!' 'Alas!' cried the Oxen. 'Can't you see how we pant and groan, and how we are forced to do this?' The Tree realized they were doing it unwillingly and forgave them.",
    "moral": "What we are forced to do by a greater power and necessity is not truly our own action."
  },
  "abstemius_10": {
    "title": "Trees Straight and Crooked",
    "story": "There was a fine grove of trees, all tall, fair, and smooth, except for one small tree that was twisted and bent, and the others mocked it. The owner of the woods needed to build a house and told his workers to take timber from the grove, cutting down every tree that was suitable. They did as they were told, and this ugly little tree was left standing.",
    "moral": "Famous beauties are rarely lucky."
  },
  "abstemius_11": {
    "title": "A Swan and a Stork",
    "story": "A Stork, who was there when a Swan was singing her final song, told her it was unusual to sing so much at this time. He asked her why she was doing it. The Swan replied, 'I am about to enter a place where I will no longer face traps, guns, or hunger. Who wouldn't be happy about such freedom?'",
    "moral": "Do not fear death, as it is the final goodbye to all the troubles, pains, and dangers of life.",
    "note": "This moral may be considered unusual."
  },
  "abstemius_13": {
    "title": "A Wench parting with her Sweetheart",
    "story": "A simple girl was wringing her hands and almost crying herself to death. And what was the matter? She had just parted ways with her sweetheart. 'Oh, you fool,' said one of her neighbors, 'to torment yourself over such a fellow!' 'No,' said the girl, 'I'm not so troubled about losing the man, but he took his coat with him. Honestly, when he gave me everything else he had in the world, I thought I might have that too, along with the rest.'",
    "moral": "Beware those who value their gain more than their love."
  },
  "abstemius_14": {
    "title": "A Fly upon a Wheel",
    "story": "What a dust I raise! said the Fly on the Coach Wheel. And what a speed I drive at, said the same Fly again on the Horse's Back.",
    "moral": "Arrogant fools have no true influence."
  },
  "abstemius_15": {
    "title": "An Eele and a Snake",
    "story": "You and I are so alike, says the Eel to the Snake, that I think we should be somewhat related; and yet those who hunt me are afraid of you. What could be the reason for this? Oh, says the Snake, because nobody harms me without paying for it.",
    "moral": "In all disputes, those who keep their opponents afraid of revenge come out best."
  },
  "abstemius_extra_18": {
    "title": "The monkey, donkey and mole",
    "story": "A donkey was complaining that he lacked horns, while a monkey was complaining that she lacked a tail. The mole said to them, 'Silence your complaining, since you can see that I am deprived of eyes.'",
    "moral": "Men would bear their misfortunes more patiently if they considered the ones of others."
  },
  "abstemius_16": {
    "title": "Seamen Praying to Saints",
    "story": "Once, a terrible storm blew at sea, and one sailor noticed that the rest of his companions were each praying to different saints. 'Be careful, my friends,' he said, 'what if we all drown before the messenger can deliver our message? Wouldn't it be better to pray directly to the one who can save us without any help?' With that, they turned their prayers to God himself, and the wind soon calmed.",
    "moral": "The shortest and surest way of doing things is best."
  },
  "abstemius_17": {
    "title": "The Fishes and the Frying-Pan",
    "story": "A Cook was frying a Dish of Live Fish, and as soon as they felt the Heat of the Pan, one cried out, 'We can't stand this!' and they all jumped into the Fire. Instead of making things better, they were worse off than before.",
    "moral": "When we are avoiding present dangers, we should not fall into even worse peril."
  },
  "abstemius_18": {
    "title": "A League of Beasts and Fishes",
    "story": "The Beasts formed an alliance with the Fishes against the Birds. War was declared; but the Fishes, instead of sending their share, sent their excuse, saying they could not travel by land.",
    "moral": "An alliance with the powerless is futile."
  },
  "abstemius_19": {
    "title": "A Covetous Ambassador",
    "story": "An Ambassador, constantly bothered by drums and trumpets during his journey, wanted to save money. So, he kept telling them that he was in deep mourning for his mother and not in the mood for music. The drums and trumpets were as upset by this news as the Ambassador himself. A nobleman heard about this and paid a visit to express his condolences. 'My Lord,' asked the nobleman, 'how long has your mother been dead?' 'Oh,' replied the Ambassador, 'it's been about forty years now.' This explained the situation and ended the matter.",
    "moral": "There is a clever way of joking between seriousness and jest that brings both enjoyment and benefit."
  },
  "abstemius_20": {
    "title": "An Old Friend and a Cardinal",
    "story": "A clever gentleman, upon hearing that an old friend of his had been promoted to Cardinal, went to congratulate him on his new honor. 'Please, sir,' said the Cardinal, looking at him oddly, 'may I have your name and know your business?' 'I have come,' said the gentleman, 'to express my sympathy and to tell you how much I pity those burdened with high rank and position; for it affects their minds so much that they can no longer see, hear, or understand like other men, and makes them completely forget their old friends, as if they had never met them before.'",
    "moral": "Honors change behavior."
  },
  "abstemius_21": {
    "title": "A Young Droll and a Crooked Old Man",
    "story": "A mocking young rascal happened to meet an old man, whose age and weakness had bent his body like a bow. 'Please, Father,' he said, 'will you sell your bow?' 'Save your money, you fool,' replied the old man, 'for when you reach my age, you'll have such a bow for free.'",
    "moral": "Do not mock the feelings of old age, as no one can escape them if they go on living."
  },
  "abstemius_22": {
    "title": "An Old Fellow and a Young Wench",
    "story": "There was a serious old man who lived to about seventy years without ever knowing the difference between a woman and a weather vane. The devil owed him a trick and repaid him by making the old fool marry a young girl. He often complained afterward about how poorly he had spent his time. 'When I was a young man,' he said, 'I wanted a wife, and now that I'm an old man, my wife wants a husband.'",
    "moral": "All things are to be done in their own time."
  },
  "abstemius_23": {
    "title": "An Eagle and a Pye",
    "story": "There was a lively and confident Magpie who thought the birds would never be well led until he himself was in charge. With this idea, he asked the Eagle to make him part of his council. 'I have the right look for it,' he said. 'I can talk and move quickly, and I can make as much noise and fuss as anyone with wings.' He was about to continue listing his skills when the Eagle kindly interrupted him. 'I know how well you can talk and how lively you are,' said the Eagle, 'but you chatter so much that people might think I've chosen a clown for a Prime Minister.'",
    "moral": "Big talkers are not suited for trust, business, or conversation."
  },
  "abstemius_28": {
    "title": "Town-Dogs and Country-Dogs",
    "story": "It's common when a strange Dog passes through a Town for a hundred Curs to bark at his tail, and every little Dog tries to bite him. There was one Dog who, seeing he couldn't save himself by running, turned on his Chasers, and found that one set of Teeth was better than two fast Legs; for when he did that, they all backed off and slunk away. A Captain used this example for his Soldiers. Fellow-Soldiers, he said, remember this: Those who run away are in more danger than those who stand and face the fight.",
    "moral": "Putting up with one insult invites another."
  },
  "abstemius_29": {
    "title": "An Old Woman and the Devil",
    "story": "Whenever through their own fault something bad happens to them, people in general put the blame either on luck or on the devil; in fact, everybody acts this way on their own behalf in order to shed the blame. The devil doesn't like this! It happened that he noticed an old woman climbing a tree, he could anticipate that she was going to fall out of the tree and that she would put the blame on him. So he summoned witnesses and said: 'Look at that old woman climbing the tree, not at my recommendation; I can tell she is going to fall out of that tree. So you be my witnesses that I did not persuade her to climb up there in her shoes.' Soon encough the old woman fell down and when she was asked why she had climbed a tree wearing her shoes she said, 'The devil made me do it.' Then the devil called forward his witnesses and provided that this thing had been done by the old woman not at his recommendation.",
    "moral": "Only untrustworthy people blame the consequences of their own actions on others."
  },
  "abstemius_30": {
    "title": "The Frogs and Tortoises",
    "story": "As a group of Frogs were playing and jumping around in a Meadow, some Tortoises watching them felt upset that they couldn't do the same. But after a while, they noticed how these Frogs were caught and eaten by Birds and Fishes. One of the Tortoises said, 'It's better to live slow and steady than to die quick and lively.'",
    "moral": "Embrace your own strengths."
  },
  "abstemius_31": {
    "title": "The Mice and the Oak",
    "story": "The Mice found it so troublesome to keep climbing the Oak for every bite they ate, that they decided to use their teeth to bring the Acorns down to them. But some were wiser than others, and an experienced old Mouse warned them to be careful. 'If we destroy our provider now, who will feed us later?' he said.",
    "moral": "Consider the consequences of your actions."
  },
  "abstemius_32": {
    "title": "A Run-away Dog and his Master",
    "story": "There was a bob-tailed dog advertised in a newspaper, and someone who recognized him by his markings brought him back to his owner. The owner began to question the dog, asking how he could be so ungrateful and insensitive to run away from someone who was so kind to him. 'Did I ever hit you,' he asked, 'or even speak a harsh word to you in all the time you served me?' 'No,' replied the dog, 'not with your own hands or words, but you have had others do it for you many times. When I am beaten by your order, I consider it as if you yourself are beating me.'",
    "moral": "What a person does through another is truly their own action."
  },
  "abstemius_33": {
    "title": "The Birds and Beetles",
    "story": "The Birds were once in a terrible fright, fearing gunshots from the Beetles. The reason was that the little balls of dirt the Beetles had gathered were mistaken by the Birds for bullets. But a Sparrow in the group, who was wiser than the others, told them to take heart. 'How can they reach us in the air,' he said, 'with those pellets they can barely roll on the ground?'",
    "moral": "Many people fear danger where there is none, and feel safe where there is danger: put things in perspective."
  },
  "abstemius_34": {
    "title": "A Bear and Bees",
    "story": "A Bear was once so angry at being stung by a Bee that he rushed into the Bee-Garden and knocked over all the Hives in revenge. This act brought out swarms of Bees against him, and he later realized it would have been wiser to ignore one sting than to provoke a thousand with his pointless anger.",
    "moral": "It's better to ignore an insult from one troublemaker than to bring a whole crowd of trouble upon yourself."
  },
  "abstemius_35": {
    "title": "A Fowler and a Chaffinch",
    "story": "A bird catcher who had set up his net and bait, sat in his spot to watch for a catch. Many birds came one after another, landing and pecking for a while before flying away again. They kept coming and going all day long, but so few at a time that the man didn't think it was worth catching them. Finally, after missing all his chances hoping for a bigger catch, evening came and the birds went to sleep. He had to either pull the net then or not at all, and in the end, he had to be satisfied with just one chaffinch that was unlucky enough to be out later than the others.",
    "moral": "Do not trade what might come, which is uncertain, for present opportunities, which can never be regained."
  },
  "abstemius_36": {
    "title": "A Soldier and two Horses",
    "story": "A Soldier who already had one excellent horse bought another that was not nearly as good, yet he took more care of the new one than the first. Everyone wondered at this, since the new horse was neither as beautiful nor as useful as the other. 'Ah,' said someone, 'it's natural to be fond of the newest arrival.'",
    "moral": "Everything pleases at first, but nothing pleases for long."
  },
  "abstemius_37": {
    "title": "A Spaniel and a Sow",
    "story": "I wonder, said a Sow to a Spaniel, how you can be so loyal to a Master who gives you so many blows and pulls your ears. Well, said the Dog, but then consider the good food and kind words he gives me, and I'm better off for it.",
    "moral": "We should not be upset by the words of our teachers, since those words are usually the cause of many good things."
  },
  "abstemius_38": {
    "title": "Oxen and Timber",
    "story": "Why don't you hurry up? cried the Timber in the Cart to the Oxen pulling it. The load isn't that heavy, surely. Well! said the Oxen, if you knew your own fate, you wouldn't be so cheerful about ours. We will be free of our load as soon as we reach our journey's end, but you, destined to be beams and supports, will have to bear weight until you break. This made the Timber understand the situation better.",
    "moral": "It's wise and kind to be considerate of one another, for no one knows their own end."
  },
  "abstemius_39": {
    "title": "A Goldfinch and a Boy",
    "story": "A Goldfinch escaped from his Master's Cage, and the Master tried to get him back, but the bird refused to return. 'Well!' said the Boy, 'you'll regret it, because you'll never be as well cared for anywhere else.' 'That may be true,' said the Bird, 'but I would rather take care of myself than be under your care.'",
    "moral": "There is no wealth greater than liberty."
  },
  "abstemius_41": {
    "title": "A Lapwing Preferr'd",
    "story": "Practically all the birds were invited to the Eagle's wedding. They resented the fact that the Hoopoe had been given a higher seat of honor than the other birds because the Hoopoe was notable for its crown and for being adorned with multicolored feathers, although it was accustomed to spend all its time rolling around in dung and filth.",
    "moral": "True worth should be measured by character and deeds, not by outward appearances."
  },
  "abstemius_42": {
    "title": "A Priest and Pears",
    "story": "There was a certain gluttonous priest who had set out on a journey far from home to a wedding to which he had been invited. On the way he found a heap of pears, but he didn't touch so much as a single one of them, although he was feeling very hungry; rather, he made a mockery of them and sprinkled them with piss, for he resented that food of this sort was offered to him on his journey when he was on his way to a splendid wedding feast. But when along the way he ran into a certain river, it was so swollen with rain that he could not cross it without losing his life, and so he decided to go back home. On the way home, starving, he was oppressed by such great hunger that if he had not eaten those very pears, on which he had pissed, he would have died.",
    "moral": "Nothing should be condemned, since there is nothing so worthless and humble that it cannot at some time or another prove to be useful."
  },
  "abstemius_43": {
    "title": "A Horse and a Hog",
    "story": "A Hog noticed a Horse in the peak of his bravery, just about to charge at an Enemy. 'Why, what a fool you are,' said the Hog to him, 'to rush so quickly to your own destruction?' 'That thought,' said the Horse, 'might suit a wicked creature like you, who is only fattened up to be killed by a knife. But when I'm gone, I'll leave behind the memory of a good name.'",
    "moral": "It is more honorable to die having achieved noble deeds than to live a life of vice."
  },
  "abstemius_44": {
    "title": "A Hunts-man and a Currier",
    "story": "A Tanner bought a Bear-Skin from a Hunter and paid him cash for it. The Hunter told him he would kill a Bear the next day and the Tanner could have the Skin. Out of curiosity, the Tanner went with the Hunter to the Hunt and climbed a tree to watch. The Hunter bravely approached the Bear's Den and sent his Dogs in after it. The Bear rushed out immediately, and the Hunter missed his shot, so the Bear knocked him over. The Hunter held his breath and lay perfectly still, pretending to be dead. The Bear sniffed him, thought he was a corpse, and left him alone. Once the Bear was gone and the danger had passed, the Tanner came down from the tree and told the Hunter to get up. 'Listen, my Friend,' said the Tanner, 'the Bear whispered something in your ear. What was it, I ask?' 'Oh,' said the Hunter, 'he told me to be careful in the future and make sure to catch the Bear before selling its Skin.'",
    "moral": "Don't promise more than you can deliver."
  },
  "abstemius_45": {
    "title": "A Hermit and a Soldier",
    "story": "There was a Holy Man who spoke to a Soldier about his line of work, pointing out the dangers, sins, and troubles that come with it. 'For the sake of your soul, sir, please give it up,' he said. 'Well, Father,' replied the Soldier, 'I'll do as you say; because we are paid so poorly, and there's so little to gain from plundering, I think I might as well turn to a godly life.'",
    "moral": "Many people renounce wicked activities only because they are prevented from conducting them any longer."
  },
  "abstemius_46": {
    "title": "A Husband and Wife twice Married",
    "story": "A certain man, after the death of his wife whom he had greatly loved, married another woman who was herself a widow. She continuously prattled to him about the virtues and great deeds of her late husband. The man, in order to give tit for tat, also talked all the time about the excellent character and remarkable good wisdom of his late wife. One day, however, the woman grew angry and gave to a poor man who was begging alms part of the chicken she had roasted for their dinner, telling the beggar: I give this to you on behalf of the soul of my previous husband. When her spouse heard this, he summoned the beggar and gave him the other half of the chicken, saying: I also give this to you, for the soul of my late wife. In this way, the two of them, as they wanted to injure one another, ended up not having anything to eat for dinner.",
    "moral": "Do not fight with those who are perfectly capable of fighting back."
  },
  "abstemius_47": {
    "title": "A Lion and a Mouse",
    "story": "A Lion found himself trapped in a Net and called to a Mouse passing by to help him out, promising never to forget the kindness. The Mouse gnawed the threads apart, and after freeing the Lion, asked in return for his Daughter's hand in marriage. The Lion, being generous, could not refuse. But unfortunately, as the new Bride was about to step into the Marriage Bed, she accidentally stepped on her Husband and crushed him to death.",
    "moral": "Unequal matches bring misery."
  },
  "abstemius_48": {
    "title": "Wax and Brick",
    "story": "There was once a debate about Wax and Brick, questioning why Wax was so fragile and easily broken, while Brick could withstand all damage and weather, remaining strong and firm. The Wax thought about this and concluded that it was the burning that made the Brick hard. So, it threw itself into the fire, believing that heat would harden the Wax too. But what made the Brick solid, melted the Wax.",
    "moral": "It's foolish to make decisions without understanding the nature of the matter at hand."
  },
  "abstemius_49": {
    "title": "A Husbandman turn'd Soldier and Merchant",
    "story": "'Oh, the endless misery of the life I lead!' cries the hard-working farmer, 'spending all my days plowing, sowing, digging, and fertilizing, and in the end, gaining nothing from it! Now, in a soldier's life, there's honor to be earned, and one lucky strike can set a man up forever. Indeed, I'll sell my stock, get a horse and arms, and try my luck in war'. Off he goes, makes his attempt, faces the battle, and ends up leaving a leg or an arm behind to return home. By this time, he's had enough of being a knight-errant, and a new idea strikes him. He thinks he might do better as a merchant. No sooner does this thought excite him than he gets a ship, loads it, and sets off to sea on an adventure: building castles in the air and imagining both the Indies in his coffers before he's even left the port. Well! And what's the end of all this? He encounters bad weather, among shoals and rocks, where merchant, vessel, goods, and all are lost in one common wreck.",
    "moral": "Everyone should be satisfied with their own lot in life, given that disaster awaits us on every side."
  },
  "abstemius_50": {
    "title": "An Ass puts in for an Office",
    "story": "A donkey was frustrated that a certain buffoon was given a public office and was wrapped in elegant clothes because he was able to make loud noises come out of his gut. So the donkey went to the city officials, asking that they would honor him no less than they had done the buffoon. When the city officials, surprised at the donkey's request, asked him why he considered himself worthy of such honor, the donkey said: 'Because I emit even louder farts than the buffoon does, and what's more they don't stink.'",
    "moral": "When public officials encourage foolishness, it's no surprise if fools try to become public officials."
  },
  "abstemius_51": {
    "title": "A River and a Fountain",
    "story": "There was a dispute between a River and a Fountain about which of the two should be preferred. The River boasted about the abundance and variety of fish it produced, the benefits of navigation, and the many grand towns and palaces built along its banks for the pleasure of the location. It claimed to provide great satisfaction to mankind in terms of both convenience and delight. Meanwhile, the Fountain (said the River) passed obscurely through the earth's caverns, lay buried in moss, and crept into the world as if ashamed to show its head. The Fountain was so offended by this arrogance and vanity that it stopped its spring and ceased the flow of its waters. As a result, the River's channel dried up, leaving the fish dead and rotting in the mud.",
    "moral": "He who claims any good for himself takes away from the source of all the good he enjoys."
  },
  "abstemius_52": {
    "title": "A Wicked Man and the Devil",
    "story": "A notorious criminal, who had committed countless crimes and been through many jails, made a friend of the Devil to help him out of all his troubles. This friend helped him many times, but each time he was caught again, he turned to the Devil for help once more. But on his last call, the Devil came to him with a big bag of old shoes on his back and said plainly, 'Friend, I'm at the end of my line and can help you no longer. I have worn out all these shoes in your service and have not a penny left to buy more. So you must excuse me if I leave you here.'",
    "moral": "We should not expect that our crimes will always go unpunished."
  },
  "abstemius_53": {
    "title": "A Council of Birds for Chusing more Kings",
    "story": "he birds were deliberating about whether they should elect additional kings, since the eagle alone was not able to rule so many flocks of birds. They would have voted in favor, except that at the warning of the crow they stopped short of adopting the plan: for when the crow was asked for what reason she did not think that more kings ought to be elected, she said, 'Because it is more effort for many sacks to be filled than just one.'",
    "moral": "It is better by far to be governed by one chief, than by many."
  },
  "abstemius_54": {
    "title": "A Woman that would needs Die for her Husband",
    "story": "A Poor Woman was nearly out of her mind with fear of losing her Husband. The Good Man was Sick and given up on, and nothing would do but that Death must take her instead of him. She called and prayed, and prayed and called, until at last Death appeared in a terrible form at her side. She politely dropped him a curtsy: 'And please, Sir,' she said, 'do not mistake yourself; for the person you came for is lying in the bed there.'",
    "moral": "No one is so loving of a friend that they would not prefer their own good to that of another."
  },
  "abstemius_55": {
    "title": "A Son Singing at his Mother's Funeral",
    "story": "There was a good man who followed his wife's body to the grave, weeping and wailing all the way, while his son followed the coffin singing. 'Why, you rascal,' said the father, 'you should howl and wring your hands and do as I do, not go singing like a madman.' 'But father,' said the son, 'you pay the priests to sing, so why be angry with me for giving you a song for free?' 'Well,' said the father, 'what suits the priests doesn't always suit you. It's their job to sing, but it's your part to cry.'",
    "moral": "Not all things are suitable for all people."
  },
  "abstemius_57": {
    "title": "A Man that would not take a Clyster",
    "story": " A certain man, German by birth, and exceedingly rich, was ailing. A large number of doctors had come to cure him (flies do indeed come swarming in crowds to honey), and one of them said among other things that the man needed an enema if he wanted to get well. When the man, who was unfamiliar with this medical procedure, heard what the doctor said, he flew into a rage and ordered that the doctors be thrown out of his house, saying that they must be insane since they wanted to cure his butt when it was his head that hurt.",
    "moral": "Even beneficial things all appear to be drastic and sure to hurt for those those who are unfamiliar with them and inexperienced."
  },
  "abstemius_58": {
    "title": "A Wolf and a Sick Ass",
    "story": "There was a donkey who was ill, and the story went out that he was soon going to die, so when the wolves and the dogs came to visit him and asked his son how his father was feeling, the son replied through a crack in the door: 'Better than you wish.'",
    "moral": "Many pretend to be concerned about some people's demise, when however what they want is for it to come quickly."
  },
  "abstemius_61": {
    "title": "The Ass's Wish",
    "story": "A donkey was suffering terribly during the winter time because he was affected by the extreme cold and he had tough chaff fodder. Therefore, he was hoping for the moderation of spring and its tender grasses. But when spring came, he was compelled by his master (who was a potter) to carry the clay into the work area, to carry wood for the oven, and from there to carry the bricks, tiles and roof-tiles to various places. Completely tired of spring, in which season he had to endure so much hard work, he was asking in all his prayers for summer to come, so that his master would be busy with the harvest and they would allow him to rest. But then too, when he was compelled to carry the harvest to the threshing-floor and from there to carry the wheat into the house, and there was not place of rest for him, the donkey was hoping that at least autumn would be an end of his labors. But not even at that time did the donkey see an end of his troubles, since every day there was wood, apples and wine to be carried, so again he begged for the snow and ice of winter, so that at least there would be some rest allotted to him from so much hard work.",
    "moral": "Every Season has its own work."
  },
  "abstemius_62": {
    "title": "A Cat and Mice",
    "story": "As a group of mice were peeking out of their holes to see what was around, they spotted a cat on a shelf. The cat looked so calm and harmless, as if she had no life or spirit in her. 'Well,' said one of the mice, 'that's a kind creature, I'm sure of it. You can see it in her face, and I really want to get to know her.' No sooner said than done; but as soon as the cat had the mouse within reach, she torn her to pieces.",
    "moral": "People are to be judged by their actions, not by their appearance."
  },
  "abstemius_64": {
    "title": "A Wolf and a Porcupine",
    "story": "The Porcupine and the Hedgehog are quite similar, but the Porcupine has longer and sharper quills, which he can shoot at an enemy. A Wolf wanted to deal with him, but first needed to disarm him. So, the Wolf told the Porcupine in a friendly manner that it didn't look good to be armed during peaceful times, as if they were at war. He advised the Porcupine to put his quills aside, saying he could pick them up whenever he wanted. The Porcupine replied, 'You talk of peace? Well, my situation is one of war, and that's why I keep my quills ready as long as a Wolf is around.'",
    "moral": "No one can be safe in peace unless they are always ready to face an enemy in case of war."
  },
  "abstemius_65": {
    "title": "A Mouse and a Kite",
    "story": "A Simple Mouse happened to be nearby when a Kite got caught in a Net. The Kite begged the Mouse to help her get free. The Mouse gnawed a Hole in the Net and set the Kite free; and the Kite ate the Mouse for her trouble.",
    "moral": "Save a Thief from the Gallows, and he'll cut your Throat."
  },
  "abstemius_66": {
    "title": "A Cockle and Jupiter",
    "story": "In old times, when Jupiter was in the mood to grant requests, a Cockle asked that his house and body be all one piece. Jupiter replied that it would be a burden rather than a favor. 'Yes', said the Cockle, 'but it is a burden I would rather bear than live exposed to bad neighbors.'",
    "moral": "Unwanted visits are a nuisance to a peaceful person's life."
  },
  "abstemius_68": {
    "title": "A Hedge-Hog and a Snake",
    "story": "A Snake was convinced during a Cold Winter to let a Hedgehog into his Den. But once inside, the Hedgehog's spines were very uncomfortable for the Snake. So the Snake told him he must find another place, as the Den was too small for both of them. The Hedgehog replied, 'If you can't stay, you should leave. As for me, I'm quite happy here, and if you're not, you're free to go.'",
    "moral": "Possession is nine-tenths of the law."
  },
  "abstemius_69": {
    "title": "A Fox and a Hare",
    "story": "A Fox and a Hare were once in a heated contest about which of them could manage best in the world. 'When I am chased,' said the Hare, 'I can show the dogs a clean pair of heels and run away from them easily.' 'And yet,' said the Fox, 'I have outsmarted more of them with my tricks and cunning than you ever did with your speed.'",
    "moral": "Wisdom is far superior to strength."
  },
  "abstemius_70": {
    "title": "An Old Man resolv'd to give over Whoring",
    "story": "There was an old man, who, even in his frailty, still had thoughts of women. His spiritual advisor noticed this and gave him earnest advice about the desires of the flesh. The old man thanked him sincerely for his kind and Christian counsel, saying, 'With Heaven's help, I'll follow it. To be honest, I'm told it's not good for me, and truly, my body is no longer fit for such activities.'",
    "moral": "Many people give up their vices not out of a love for virtue, but because they can no longer continue indulging in them."
  },
  "abstemius_71": {
    "title": "An Impertinent and a Philosopher",
    "story": "A certain impertinent, thoughtless fellow decided to visit a philosopher. He found him alone in his study and wondered how he could bear to live such a solitary life. The learned man told him, 'Sir, you are very mistaken; I was in very good company until you came in.'",
    "moral": "Better to be alone than in bad company."
  },
  "abstemius_72": {
    "title": "A Wolfe in a Sheeps-Skin",
    "story": "There is a story of a Wolf that wrapped himself in a sheep's skin and attacked lambs for a while under that disguise. But the shepherd eventually caught him and hung him up, sheep's skin and all, on a high gallows as a warning and example. The neighbors were amazed and asked why he hung up his sheep. 'Oh,' he said, 'that's just the skin of a sheep that was used to cover the heart, malice, and body of a wolf that hid under it.'",
    "moral": "People should not be judged by their appearances, but by their actions."
  },
  "abstemius_73": {
    "title": "A Widow and a Green Ass",
    "story": "There was a Widow who had a desire for a Second Husband, and she asked a gossiping Friend of hers for help on how to handle it. 'The truth is,' she said, 'I really want another partner, but people would laugh and point at me, and it would make me miserable.' 'You're a fine Widow,' said the Friend, 'to worry about what people say. Listen to me now. You have a Donkey in your fields; go and have that Donkey painted Green, and then let him be shown around the Country. Do this without any more talk, because talk just wastes time.' So it was done, and for the first four or five days, the Green Donkey had the whole Country following him, men, women, and children, all staring and shouting. In four or five more days, the excitement was over, and the Donkey could travel all day without anyone noticing him. 'Now,' said the helpful Friend, 'a newly married Widow is like a Green Donkey: everyone talks about it for the first few days, and then the story fades away.'",
    "moral": "There is no thing so worthy of wonderment which does not cease to be a miracle with the passage of time."
  },
  "abstemius_74": {
    "title": "A Sheep-Biter Hang'd",
    "story": "A Shepherd had one favorite dog that he trusted more than all the others. He fed him by hand and cared for him more than any of the other dogs. This kindness continued for a long time until, when some sheep went missing, he suspected this dog of being unfaithful. After this suspicion, he watched him closely and eventually discovered that this trusted servant was the thief. Once he found out, he had the dog caught and told him to prepare for punishment. 'Oh, Master,' said the dog, 'I am part of your family, and it would be harsh to punish a household member. Turn your anger on the wolves instead, who regularly attack your sheep.' 'No, no,' said the Shepherd, 'I would rather spare forty wolves who make it their business to kill sheep than one sheep-stealing dog trusted with their care. There is some honesty and boldness in the wolves, but the dog's betrayal is the worst kind of treachery.'",
    "moral": "An enemy in disguise is much more unforgivable than an open enemy."
  },
  "abstemius_75": {
    "title": "A Bull and a Ram",
    "story": "There was once a Ram who defeated all his fellow rams and became so proud of his victories that he decided to challenge a Bull to a fight. They met, and at the first clash, the Ram was knocked out and lay as if dead. When he came to, he said, 'This is the result of my arrogance and foolishness in challenging an enemy that nature made stronger than me.'",
    "moral": "We should not pick fights with people stronger than we are."
  },
  "abstemius_76": {
    "title": "An Incorrigible Son",
    "story": "A certain father, whose son had succumbed to vicious tendencies, was urging the boy at great length that he should quit the way of vices and keep his eye instead on the virtues, which would engender praise and honor for him. The son replied: 'You are wasting your time, Father, in urging me to do these things, for I have heard many a preacher, so to speak, and they urged me to the path of virtue with far more talent than you, but I have still never taken any of their advice!'",
    "moral": "Men who are wickedly inclined will not stop their vicious behavior, no matter who urges them to do so."
  },
  "abstemius_77": {
    "title": "An Eagle and Rabbets",
    "story": "There was an Eagle that took a nest of Rabbits and carried them away to her young. The Mother Rabbit followed her with tears in her eyes, pleading in the name of all the powers that protect the innocent and oppressed, to have mercy on her poor children. But the Eagle, in a fit of pride and anger, tore them to pieces. The Rabbit then gathered all the rabbits together, told her story, and sought advice on revenge. 'Divine justice,' she said, 'will not let such cruel acts go unpunished.' They discussed the matter and all agreed that the only way to repay the Eagle was to undermine the tree where she nested. So they all worked at the roots of the tree, leaving it with so little support that the first strong wind brought it crashing down, nest, Eagles, and all. Some of them were killed by the fall; others were eaten by birds and beasts of prey, and the Rabbit finally had the satisfaction of destroying the Eagle's children in revenge for her own.",
    "moral": "It is very unwise, even for the greatest of men, to provoke the least, as they may find a way to enact revenge."
  },
  "abstemius_78": {
    "title": "A Pike sets up for Sovereignty",
    "story": "There was a Master-Pike, who for his size, beauty, and strength, was seen as the Prince of the River. But being the ruler of the freshwater wasn't enough for him; he wanted to rule the sea too. With this ambitious plan, he ventured into the ocean and claimed it as his own. However, a mighty Dolphin took offense at this intrusion and chased the Pike back to the edge of his own stream, barely allowing him to escape. From then on, the Pike wisely stayed within his own territory.",
    "moral": "Be content with your lot."
  },
  "abstemius_79": {
    "title": "A Sheep picks a Quarrel with a Shepherd",
    "story": "A Sheep that was about to be sheared was upset with the Shepherd for not being content with the Milk she provided, but also taking her Wool. The Shepherd, without further words, angrily took one of the Lambs and killed it. 'Well,' said the Sheep, 'I hope you've done your worst now.' 'No,' said the Shepherd, 'when that's done, I can cut your throat too if I want, and throw you to the Dogs or Wolves as I please.' The Sheep said nothing more, fearing something worse might happen.",
    "moral": "When people won't listen to reason through kind means, they must be made to understand through harsh ones."
  },
  "abstemius_80": {
    "title": "A Creaking Wheel",
    "story": "The coachman, hearing one of the wheels of his coach creak, was surprised; but more especially when he perceived that it was the worst wheel of the whole set, and which he thought had but little pretense to take such a liberty.",
    "moral": "Complaining is the privilege of the weak."
  },
  "abstemius_81": {
    "title": "A Man had a mind to try his Friends",
    "story": "There was a generous Rich Man who always had a grand and open table, so he never lacked guests. This man noticed that all sorts of people came to him, and he became curious to see who were true friends and who were just freeloaders. So one day, at a full table, he mentioned a quarrel he had and said he was about to seek satisfaction. He needed a certain number of people to join him, and he was sure they would stand by him with swords in hand. Everyone made excuses except for two, whom he counted as his friends, while the rest were just hangers-on.",
    "moral": "True friends are hard to come by."
  },
  "abstemius_82": {
    "title": "A Fox Praising Hare's Flesh",
    "story": "As a Dog was chasing closely behind a Fox, a Hare suddenly appeared. 'Hold on a moment,' said the Fox, 'and catch that Hare while you can. You've never tasted such a treat in your life. But I'm all spoiled and rotten, and a bite of my flesh would poison you.' The Dog immediately left the Fox and chased after the Hare, but she was too quick for him. When he realized he couldn't catch her, he wisely let her go. The Hare had overheard what happened, and when she met the Fox a few days later, she told him how badly he had treated her. 'Well,' said the Fox, 'if you are upset that I spoke well of you, what would you have done if I had spoken badly?'",
    "moral": "A false friend is the worst kind of enemy."
  },
  "abstemius_87_extra": {
    "title": "About the hare seeking cunning and the fox seeking swiftness from Jupiter",
    "story": "The rabbit and the fox made their petitions to Jupiter: the fox asked that swiftness of foot be added to her slyness, and the rabbit asked that slyness be added to his swiftness. Jupiter responded to them as follows: 'From the beginning of the world, from my breast I have poured forth gifts to each and every animal very generously; if I were to give one animal all the fits, that would be an injury to the others.'",
    "moral": "Be content with your lot."
  },
  "abstemius_83": {
    "title": "A Plain Horse wins the Prize",
    "story": "Quite a few horses had been brought to the race track, all adorned with elaborate accoutrements, all except for one, so the other horses made fun of him for being so shabby and unsuited to this type of competition, and they concluded that he would not ever be a winner. But when the time for the running of the race arrived and the trumpet blew the signal to start, all the horses leaped from their starting cages, and only then did it become clear how much the horse who had just been made fun of actually outdistanced the rest of the horses with his speed. When all the others had been left far behind, that horse won the palm of victory.",
    "moral": "Appearances can be deceiving."
  },
  "abstemius_84": {
    "title": "A Country-man and a Kid",
    "story": "A Countryman who was caught up in a lawsuit had a close friend and relative who was a lawyer. He went to him again and again for advice, but the lawyer was always too busy and told him to come back another time. The poor man took a nice, fat kid goat with him on his next visit, and when the lawyer's clerk heard the goat at the door, he let the man in and took him to his master. There, the man explained his case, got the lawyer's opinion, thanked the lawyer for seeing him, and thanked the goat for getting him in, and then went on his way.",
    "moral": "Money opens all doors."
  },
  "abstemius_85": {
    "title": "A Weak Young Man and a Wolfe",
    "story": "A certain young man had married a woman who was also quite young, very beautiful and lusty. Wanting to satisfy her boundless appetite, his loins had gotten so worn out that after just a few days he had gotten thin and looked more dead than alive: he could not walk, he could not stand up, he could do any kind of work, and so like some kind of old man he took his pleasure in the sun. So when he was enjoying some sunny place, warming himself by the sun's heat, it happened that some hunters, who had been chasing a wolf, came that way. When the young man asked them why they hadn't caught the wolf, they replied, 'We were not able to pursue him because of his incredible swiftness.' 'Well,' he said, 'if my wife were in charge of him, she'd put an end to his running.'",
    "moral": "Even the strongest can be brought low by unchecked desires."
  },
  "abstemius_86": {
    "title": "A Lad Robbing an Orchard",
    "story": "An Old Man caught a Boy stealing apples from his orchard. 'Hey,' he said, 'come down from that tree and stop taking my apples.' The Boy ignored him and kept picking. 'Well,' said the Old Man, 'they say herbs have magic just like words do,' and he threw a handful of grass at the Boy. This was so silly that the Young Thief thought the Old Man was joking. But finally, the Old Man said, 'If words and herbs won't work, I'll try stones, because they say stones have power too,' and with that, he got the job done.",
    "moral": "Those who won't learn from advice must be taught by experience."
  },
  "abstemius_87": {
    "title": "A Nightingale and a Hawk",
    "story": "As a Nightingale was singing in a bush, down swoops a sneaky Sparrow-Hawk and snatches her from the branch. The poor Nightingale pleaded for her life, saying that her small body wasn't worth it and that there were bigger birds to catch. The Hawk replied, 'Do you think I'm so foolish as to give up a little bird I have for a bigger one I don't have?' Then she offered, 'I'll sing you a lovely song for my life.' 'No, no,' said the Hawk, 'I need food for my belly, not music for my ears.'",
    "moral": "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
  },
  "abstemius_88": {
    "title": "A Lion and a Hog",
    "story": "A Lion, who found it very bothersome to live alone, let the Beasts of the Forest know that he had decided to choose one of them as a Friend and Companion. There was a great commotion about who would be the Favorite and the envy of all the others. The Lion chose a Hog, saying, 'He is true and faithful to his friend and will stand by him in all times and dangers.'",
    "moral": "Seek the friendship of those who do not withdraw from offering help even in a time of adversity."
  },
  "abstemius_89": {
    "title": "A Gnat and a Bee",
    "story": "A Gnat, nearly frozen and hungry, went to a Bee-Hive on a cold morning to ask for help. The Gnat offered to teach music to the Bee's family in exchange for food and shelter. The Bee politely declined, saying, 'I teach all my children my own trade so they can earn a living through hard work.'",
    "moral": "Educate your children in those arts which are capable of preserving them from want."
  },
  "abstemius_90": {
    "title": "A Lion, Ass, and Hare",
    "story": "When a war broke out between the Birds and the Beasts, the Lion called all his subjects from ages sixteen to sixty to gather with weapons at a specific time and place, or face his great displeasure. Among those who showed up were many Asses and Hares. Some of the leaders wanted to dismiss them, thinking they were not fit for service. 'Do not be mistaken,' said the Lion, 'the Asses will do well as trumpeters, and the Hares will make excellent letter-carriers.'",
    "moral": "No one is so contemptible that he cannot be of use to us in some way."
  },
  "abstemius_91": {
    "title": "Pigeons Reconcile the Hawks",
    "story": "Once there was a fierce civil war among the Hawks. The gentle and innocent Pigeons, out of pure kindness, sent their representatives to try and make peace between them. While the Hawks were busy fighting each other, they paid no attention to anything else. But as soon as they made peace, they returned to their old habit of attacking the Pigeons. This made the Pigeons realize their mistake and understand the danger of helping a common enemy, which led to their own downfall.",
    "moral": "The conflicts of the wicked are the protection of the good."
  },
  "abstemius_94": {
    "title": "An Old Man that was willing to put off Death",
    "story": "There is a story that Death visited an Old Man and told him to come along. The Man tried to excuse himself, saying that the journey to the Other World was too long to take on such short notice, and he asked for a little more time to make his Will before he died. Death replied, 'You have had enough warning, one would think, to have been ready by now.' 'In truth,' said the Old Man, 'this is the first time I have ever seen you in my whole life.' 'That's not true,' said Death, 'for you have seen daily examples of mortality before your eyes, in people of all kinds, ages, and ranks. Isn't the frequent sight of others' deaths a reminder enough to make you think of your own? Your dim and hollow eyes, the loss of your hearing, and the faltering of your other senses should remind you, without much ado, that Death has already taken hold of you. And do you think this is the time to keep putting it off? Your final hour, I tell you, has now come, and there's no thought of a reprieve in the case of Fate.'",
    "moral": "We should live as if we always saw Death standing by."
  },
  "abstemius_95": {
    "title": "A Miser and his Bags",
    "story": "There was a certain miserly man who was dying and about to part with his enormous heap of money, ill-gotten as it was. He ordered that the bag of coins be brought to him as he was dying and then asked the bag to whom it would bring pleasure. The bag answered him: 'I'm going to bring pleasure to your heirs, who will squander these coins, over which you sweated, on women and drinks, and I'll also bring pleasure to the demons who are going to turn your soul over to eternal torments.'",
    "moral": "A life of greed and hoarding wealth leads to misery."
  },
  "abstemius_extra_53": {
    "title": "The Elm and the Willow",
    "story": "An elm tree sprang up on the bank of a river, and the elm tree mocked the willow tree who was her neighbor for being weak and feeble, as it bent with every surge of the water, no matter how light, while the elm tree praised her own stoutness and strength with extravagant words, because for many years the elm tree had remained unshaken by even the most persistent movement of the stream. On one occasion, however, the elm tree snapped from the tremendous violence of the waves and as she was being dragged along by the waters the willow tree laughed and said: Why are you abandoning me, neighbor? Where is your stoutness now?'",
    "moral": "Those who adapt to the times will emerge unscathed."
  }
}