AesopsFables

Asop's fables, the wind and the sun.

It is a fine but very cold winter's day.

The sun is shining down on the Earth happily.

What a beautiful sight it thinks.

And look at all the little white sails of the ships on the blue sea.

I want to take my time traveling across the sky today.

Out of my way, sun roars the wind.

See those ships? I'm going to blow them right off course.

Not again wind, says the sun.

Why do you have to cause misery and chaos all the time?

Because I like showing how strong I am, replies the wind.

You sit in the sky and do nothing, but I'm full of force and energy.

Hmm, says the sun.

I have an idea.

Let's have a contest to see which of us is stronger.

I know I'm going to win, says the wind.

Let's see, replies the sun.

Do you see that man down there?

The wind looks down the Earth.

A young man is walking along a road, through the mountains.

It is cold, and he's wearing a heavy winter coat to keep warm.

Let's see which of us is strong enough to take his coat off him.

Suggest the sun.

Easy, I can do that in no time, boasts the wind.

Go on then, said the sun.

I'm watching you from behind a cloud.

The wind blows and blows.

The man shivers and puts his hands in his pocket.

The wind keeps on blowing.

But the more it does so, the tighter the man pulls his coat around him to keep warm.

I give up, says the wind at last.

I've got no more puff.

Then, the sun comes out from behind a cloud.

Sun warms the air in the frosty ground.

The man on the road unbuttons his coat.

The sun grows slowly brighter and brighter.

Soon the man feels hot.

He takes off his coat and sits down in a shady spot.

What a lovely day it's turning out to be.

The man thinks.

It's too warm for this heavy winter coat.

Everything is so bright and beautiful.

I just want to enjoy the sun and rest a while.

How can you do that?

Asks the wind.

It's easy, says the sun.

I light the day.

Through gentleness I get my way.

The milkmaid and her pale.

Patty the milkmaid is in the hen house feeding the hens.

Her mother approaches her.

She is carrying a large pail of milk.

I want you to go to the town and sell this pail of milk.

Her mother says, and please be very careful with this pail.

Don't worry mother, I'm always careful.

Answers Patty.

Listen to me Patty.

You work hard in the barn.

You can keep the money you get from selling the milk.

Oh mother, thank you so much.

Says Patty.

Patty hugs and kisses her mother.

She is very happy.

Can I do whatever I want with that money?

She asks.

Sure you can.

What do you have in mind?

Her mother asks.

I don't know Patty answers, but I can think about it on my way to town.

Go now and be careful Patty.

Straight to the market do you understand?

Yes mother.

Patty puts the pail of milk over her head and leaves the barn and heads to town.

She looks happy.

On her way she begins to think.

What shall I do with the money?

I think I can buy ten dozens of eggs, so I can have a hundred beautiful chicks in the barn.

When they grow up, I shall sell all the hens and roosters and then buy a pig.

It is going to be a very big pig.

I can sell it in the market and then I'm going to buy a cow.

I shall take good care of her and then I can have even more milk to sell.

I'm going to be rich.

Suddenly Patty trips with a rock.

She falls.

The pail breaks and the milk spills on the ground.

Oh no, Patty cries.

I have no milk to sell.

No eggs.

No chicks.

No pig.

No cow.

I have nothing.

She stands up and walks back to the barn.

The fox and the crow.

The fox is very hungry.

He is looking for something tasty to eat.

He walks through the woods and sniffs the air.

Cheese, he says.

I smell cheese in the middle of a wood like this.

He sees a crow sitting on a branch high up in a tree.

In the crow's beak there is a big piece of cheese.

I shall have that piece.

He says to himself.

Morning Miss Crow, he says.

Why don't you come down and have a little chat?

The crow doesn't reply.

She just sits on her branch and looks down at the fox.

That fox is after my cheese, she thinks.

That cheese looks a bit moldy to me.

Moldy cheese is very dangerous.

You can get ill from bad cheese.

Says the fox.

Oh no, thinks the crow.

There's nothing wrong with this cheese.

It smells wonderful and I'm going to eat it right now.

Right, thinks the fox.

This crow isn't stupid.

I'm going to try something else.

You know Miss Crow, says the fox.

You really do have lovely feathers.

The crow smiles.

She's rather proud of her sleek black feathers.

The fox is right.

They are rather lovely.

And your head says the fox.

Your head makes you look fierce, but wise at the same time.

Right again, thinks the crow.

And I bet you've got a beautiful singing voice too.

Says the fox.

I can just tell by looking at you.

The crow doesn't say a word.

But she likes listening to the fox.

Oh, well I see I'm not lucky today.

Says the fox.

But I don't want to go and listen to a boring old Skylark or Nightingale.

Says the fox.

The crow thinks to himself.

The fox is right.

I'm a wonderful singer.

I shall sing.

I shall sing for the fox right now.

Miss Crow opens her beak and starts to sing.

The piece of cheese falls to the ground.

The fox licks his lips.

Thank you Miss Crow.

He says, you can stop singing now.

That horrible sound is spoiling my breakfast.