Fables by moral
It is wise to turn circumstances to good account.
The Bat and the Weasels
Like will draw like.
The Charcoal-Burner and the Fuller
In serving the wicked, expect no reward, and be thankful if you escape injury for your pains.
The Wolf and the Crane
Self-help is the best help.
Hercules and the Wagoner
The loiterer often blames delay on his more active friend.
The Traveler and His Dog
Slow but steady wins the race.
The Hare and the Tortoise
Birds of a feather flock together.
The Farmer and the Stork
The greatest kindness will not bind the ungrateful.
The Farmer and the Snake
No arguments will give courage to the coward.
The Fawn and His Mother
Fair weather friends are not worth much.
The Swallow and the Crow
Don’t make much ado about nothing.
The Mountain in Labor
If men had all they wished, they would be often ruined.
The Tortoise and the Eagle
Pleasure bought with pains, hurts.
The Flies and the Honey-Pot
One story is good, till another is told.
The Man and the Lion
If words suffice not, blows must follow.
The Farmer and the Cranes
Look before you leap.
The Fox and the Goat
Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends.
The Bear and the Two Travelers
Those who suffer most cry out the least.
The Oxen and the Axle-Trees
Zeal should not outrun discretion.
The Thirsty Pigeon
Change of habit cannot alter Nature.
The Raven and the Swan
Do not attempt to hide things which cannot be hid.
The Goat and the Goatherd
He is wise who is warned by the misfortunes of others.
The Sick Lion
The value is in the worth, not in the number.
The Lioness
Do not attempt too much at once.
The Boy and the Filberts
No one truly forgets injuries in the presence of him who caused the injury.
The Laborer and the Snake
Harm seek, harm find.
The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Evil companions bring more hurt than profit.
The Sick Stag
Do not be in a hurry to change one evil for another.
The Oxen and the Butchers
Little liberties are great offenses.
The Lion, the Mouse, and the Fox
Old friends cannot with impunity be sacrificed for new ones.
The Goatherd and the Wild Goats
Notoriety is often mistaken for fame.
The Mischievous Dog
Whatever you do, do with all your might.
The Boy and the Nettles
Those who seek to please everybody please nobody.
The Man and His Two Sweethearts
Pride goes before destruction.
The Fighting Cocks and the Eagle
There is no believing a liar, even when he speaks the truth.
The Shepherd’s Boy and the Wolf
Time and place often give the advantage to the weak over the strong.
The Kid and the Wolf
Example is more powerful than precept.
The Crab and Its Mother
Better poverty without care, than riches with.
The Fir-Tree and the Bramble
Harm hatch, harm catch.
The Mouse, the Frog, and the Hawk
Benefits bestowed upon the evil-disposed increase their means of injuring you.
The Man Bitten by a Dog
Equals make the best friends.
The Two Pots
Hypocritical speeches are easily seen through.
The Wolf and the Sheep
What’s bred in the bone will stick to the flesh.
The Aethiop
Abstain and enjoy.
The Huntsman and the Fisherman
The memory of a good deed lives.
The Old Woman and the Wine-Jar
Children are not to be blamed for the faults of their parents.
The Two Dogs
Avoid a remedy that is worse than the disease.
The Hawk, the Kite, and the Pigeons
The least outlay is not always the greatest gain.
The Widow and the Sheep
Might makes right.
The Wild Ass and the Lion
We must make friends in prosperity if we would have their help in adversity.
The Sick Kite
False confidence often leads into danger.
The Ass, the Cock, and the Lion
The more honor the more danger.
The Mice and the Weasels
Every man for himself.
The Three Tradesmen
He is not to be trusted as a friend who mistreats his own family.
The Master and His Dogs
They are not wise who give to themselves the credit due to others.
The Ass Carrying the Image
He who shares the danger ought to share the prize.
The Two Travelers and the Axe
Evil wishes, like chickens, come home to roost.
The Bee and Jupiter
Our mere anticipations of life outrun its realities.
The Seaside Travelers
In quarreling about the shadow we often lose the substance.
The Ass and His Shadow
Stoop to conquer.
The Oak and the Reeds
The hero is brave in deeds as well as words.
The Hunter and the Woodman
Necessity knows no law.
The Birdcatcher, the Partridge, and the Cock
Do nothing without a regard to the consequences.
The Two Frogs
It sometimes happens that one man has all the toil, and another all the profit.
The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox
In avoiding one evil, care must be taken not to fall into another.
The Doe and the Lion
Every man should be content to mind his own business.
The Seagull and the Kite
It shows an evil disposition to take advantage of a friend in distress.
The Bull and the Goat
The best intentions will not always ensure success.
The Monkeys and Their Mother
Everyone is more or less master of his own fate.
The Traveler and Fortune
Happy is the man who learns from the misfortunes of others.
The Lion, the Fox, and the Ass
Misfortunes springing from ourselves are the hardest to bear.
The Oak and the Woodcutters
Men often bear little grievances with less courage than they do large misfortunes.
The Ass and the Frogs
Those who assume a character which does not belong to them, only make themselves ridiculous.
The Crow and the Raven
Contentment with our lot is an element of happiness.
The Crab and the Fox
In a change of government the poor change nothing beyond the name of their master.
The Ass and the Old Shepherd
The desire for imaginary benefits often involves the loss of present blessings.
The Kites and the Swans
Count the cost before you commit yourselves.
The Hares and the Foxes
Be on guard against men who can strike from a distance.
The Bowman and Lion
Use serves to overcome dread.
The Camel
No one can be a friend if you know not whether to trust or distrust him.
The Dog and the Hare
Two blacks do not make one white.
The Stag, the Wolf, and the Sheep
Fine feathers don’t make fine birds.
The Peacock and the Crane
Every tale is not to be believed.
The Thief and the Innkeeper
Necessity is the mother of invention.
The Crow and the Pitcher
A willful man will have his way to his own hurt.
The Two Frogs
A false tale often betrays itself.
The Fox and the Monkey
Self-help is the best help.
The Lark and Her Young Ones
Acquaintance softens prejudices.
The Fox and the Lion
Counsel without help is useless.
The Boy Bathing
Straws show how the wind blows.
The Man and His Wife
The dishonest, if they act honestly, get no credit.
The Wolf, the Fox, and the Ape
Union is strength.
The Lion and the Three Bulls
Evil tendencies are shown in early life.
The Blind Man and the Whelp
It is easy to kick a man that is down.
The Dogs and the Fox
Men of evil reputation, when they perform a good deed, fail to get credit for it.
The Wolf and the Horse
Persuasion is better than Force.
The North Wind and the Sun
A man is known by the company he keeps.
The Ass and His Purchaser
What is most truly valuable is often underrated.
The Stag at the Pool
Youth’s first duty is reverence to parents.
The Lark Burying Her Father
Some men are of more consequence in their own eyes than in the eyes of their neighbors.
The Gnat and the Bull
Attempt not impossibilities.
The Dogs and the Hides
It is absurd to ape our betters.
The Monkey and the Camel
Self-interest alone moves some men.
The Peasant and the Apple-Tree
Try before you trust.
The Lion and the Eagle
We had better bear our troubles bravely than try to escape them.
The King’s Son and the Painted Lion
Nature exceeds nurture.
The Cat and Venus
It matters little if those who are inferior to us in merit should be like us in outside appearances.
The She-Goats and Their Beards
They who act without sufficient thought, will often fall into unsuspected danger.
The Dog and the Oyster
The safeguards of virtue are hateful to those with evil intentions.
The Thieves and the Cock
Some men underrate their best blessings.
The Travelers and the Plane-Tree