Ancient Wisdom

The Lion, The Ass, and The Fox made a contract to hunt together. When they had caught a good supply of game, they came to eat it, and the Lion order the Ass to divide the spoils. So the Ass divided it into three equal parts, and called on each to choose his portion. At that the Lion fell into a rage, and made his supper off the Ass. Then the Lion told the Fox to divide it, and he put almost all the game into one great heap for the Lion, and saved only a small pit for himself. Then the Lion said: "My good fellow, who taught you to divide so well?"  And the Fox said: "That dead Ass there."

A Monkey once danced in the assembly of the Beasts and impressed them by his outstanding performance. Based on his performance Beasts decided to elect him as a King. A Fox was not happy with the decision as she was envious with the Monkey. She discovered a piece of meat lying in a trap and leading the Monkey to the place where it was said: "here is a store of treasure, but had not used it, but kept it for him as a treasure trove of his kingdom who will find it" Due to carless attitude of the Monkey, he decided to achieve the treasure therefore he was caught in the trap. He accused the Fox who purposely leading him into the snare and she replied: "O Monkey, and are you, with such a mind as yours, going to be King over the Beasts?"

Once in the meandering embrace of river, two pots journeyed down stream- one fashioned from humble earthenware, the other gleaming in brass. Their destiny was same. The Earthen Pot, its fragile form echoing vulnerability, addressed the Brass Pot with caution: " Keep at a distance, my friend,  and do not come near me; for if you touch me ever so slightly, I shall be broken into pieces; and besides, I by no means wish to come near you."  Thus, the river carried them onward, each pot clinging to its essence-the delicate and the unyielding-bound by the currents of fate. In their separation, they found purpose:one to cradle, the other to endure, both essential in their fragility and strength.

Once an old woman found an empty jar which had lately been full of prime old wine, and which still retained the fragment smell of its former contents. She greedily placed it several time to her nose, and drawing it backwards and forwards said, "O most delicious! How nice must the wine itself have been, when it leaves behind in the very vessel which contained it so sweet a perfume!"

Once a man had travelled in foreign lands, boasted very much about his heroic things after returning to his own country. He said that when he was at Rhodes he had leaped to such a distance that no man of his day could leap anywhere near him-and as to that, there were in Rhodes many persons who saw him do it, and whom he could call as witnesses. One of the bystanders interrupting him, said: "Now, my good man, we accept that this be all true there is no need of any witnesses. Suppose this is Rhodes; try to make your leap as you have done in Rhodes."

In the heart of the forest, Jupiter, the king of gods, made an announcement to all the creatures. He declared a grand reward for the one who could present the most attractive offspring. Among the many who responded was a monkey, cradling her baby with the utmost affection. Her child, a young monkey, was bald, flat-nosed, and not conventionally attractive. As she introduced her son to the crowd, a wave of laughter echoed through the gathering. Unfazed by the reaction, the monkey mother confidently stated, “I am uncertain if Jupiter will award my son the prize, but one thing I am sure of is that in my eyes, his mother’s, he is the most precious, handsome, and beautiful of all.

  A Crow having stolen a bit of flesh, perched in a tree, and held it in her beak. A Fox seeing her, longed to possess himself of the flesh: and by a wily stratagem succeeded.  "How handsome is the Crow," he exclaimed, "in the beauty of her shape and in the fairness of her complexion! Oh, if her voice were only equal to her beauty, she would be considered Queen of Birds!" This he said deceitfully; but the Crow, anxious to refute the reflection cast upon her voice, set up a loud caw, and dropped the Crow:  "My good Crow, your voice is right enough, but your wit is wanting."

' Chao ' was going to invade ' Yen .' 'Sui Tai' went to King 'Huei' of ' Chao ' on ' Yen's '' behalf. "This morning," said ' Su Tai, ' "when I was coming on my way, I was passing the ' Yi ' River. There I saw a clam sunning itself in the sun, and a crane came along to peck at its flesh, and the clam shut its shell on the crane's beak tightly. The crane said: "If it doesn't rain to-day and doesn't rain to-morrow there will be a dead clam." And the clam also said: "If you can't get out to-day and cant get out to-morrow, there will be a dead crane." Neither of the two was willing to let go, when a fisherman came up and caught both. Now if you go and attack 'Yen', the two countries will be locked in battle for a long time until the people of both countries are exhausted. I am afraid the strong 'Ch'in' will be the fisherman. You might think this over

Once a Fox got caught in a trap. She tore off her tail, and got away. She began to contrive how to cover up her shame. She invited all Foxes of the area.  She motivated them to cut off their tails as they are useless and destroy their beauty. A the end of her speech she said: "A tail is a useless thing. In vain do we drag along a dead weight." One of the Foxes replied: "You would not be speaking thus, if you were not tail-less!"  The tailless Fox grew silent and went away. 

Once upon a time, in the world of human anatomy, a rebellion was brewing. The various parts of the body, tired of their ceaseless toil, decided to confront the Belly. They questioned, "Why should we tirelessly labor to satisfy your needs, while you simply rest and indulge in luxury?" The body parts, united in their protest, refused to process any food consumed. Their aim was to starve the Belly, to make it understand their plight. However, their plan backfired. The entire body began to weaken rapidly, and the hands, feet, mouth, and eyes soon realised their mistake. But alas, it was too late, and they were filled with regret for their hasty actions. the body, as a whole, suffered the consequences of their folly. 

A Young Fawn once said to his mother, "You are larger, swifter, and stronger than a dog, and more used to running, and you have too your horns as a defence; why, then, O Mother! are you always in such a terrible fright of the hounds?"  She smiled and said:" I know very well, my son, that all you say is true. I have the advantages you mention, but yet when I hear only the bark of.a single dog I feel ready to faint, and fly as away as fast as I can."

Once a Gnat started to live on a Bull's horn, and stayed there a long while. Then he decided to fly away. He asked the Bull if he would like to have him go now.  "Oh, I have never noticed you are living here" said the Bull, "I did not know you were there."

One cold night, as an Arab sat in his tent, a Camel thrust the flap of the tent aside, and looked in. 'I pray thee, master," he said, "let me put my head within the tent, for it is cold without." "By all means, and welcome," said the Arab; and the Camel stretched his head into the tent. "If I might but warm my neck, also," he said, presently. "Put your neck inside," said the Arab. Soon the Camel, who had been turning his head from side to side, said again:- "It will take but little room if I put my fore legs within the tent. It is difficult standing outside without." "You may also put your fore legs within" said the Arab, moving a little to make room, for the tent was very small. "May I not stand wholly within?" asked the Camel finally. "I keep the tent open by standing as I do." "Yes, yes," said the Arab. "I will have pity on you as well as on myself. Come wholly inside." So th

Once a heavy wagon was being dragged along a country lane by a team of oxen. The axle-trees groaned and creaked terrible. On hearing this voice, the oxen turned around and addressed to the wheels. "Hallo there! why do you make so much noise? We bear all the labour, and we, not you, ought to cry out."

Once A Miller and his son were driving their Ass to the fair to sell them. They had not gone far, when they met a troop of girls, returning from the town, talking and laughing. "Look there! cried one of them. "Did you ever see such fools, to be trudging along on foot, when they might be riding?" The Miller, when he heard this, bade his Son, get up on the Ass, and walked along merrily by his side. Soon they came to a group of old men talking gravely.  "There!" said one of them; "that proves what I was saying. What respect is shown to old age in these days? Do you see that idle young rogue riding, while his father has to walk? Get down, lazy boy, and let the old man get on!" The Son got down from the Ass, and the Miller took his place. They had not gone far when they met a company of women and children. "Why, you lazy old fellow!" cried several at once. "How can you ride upon the beast, when that poor little, lad can hardly keep up with y

  Once an Ox was drinking at a pool trod on a brood of a young frogs , and crushed one of them to death. The mother coming up, and missing one of her sons, inquired of his brothers what had happened to him. "He is dead, dear mother; for just now a very huge beast with four great feet came to the pool, and crushed him to death with his cloven heel." The Frog, puffing herself out, inquired, "if the beast was as big as that in size." "Cease, mother, to puff yourself out," said her son, "and do not be angry; for you would, I assure you, sooner burst than successfully imitate the hugeness of that monster."

Once Wolves met to the Sheep and said, "Why should there always be this enmity and implacable warfare between us? Have you observed that those evil-disposed Dogs have much to answer for. They always bark whenever we approach you, and attack us before we have done any harm. If you would dismiss them from your heels, there might soon be treaties of peace and of reconciliation between us."  The Sheep, poor silly creature! were easily beguiled, and dismissed the Dogs. The Wolves destroyed the unguarded flock at their own pleasure. 

In the days of R.Joshua ben Chananyah , the wicked ruler gave permission to rebuild the Temple. [But the Samaritans plotted against this and arranged that the condition should be that it should be rebuilt on a different site, which would destroy its sacro-sanctity. The Jews on receiving the message met in the Vale of Beth Rimon and midest tears and cries determined to disobey the Emperor's command. ' R. Joshua ben Chananya' was sent to quiet them.] He went to them and told them this fable: "A lion had devoured a beast and a bone thereof stuck in his throat. He issued the proclamation, "Whoever will come and take out this bone for me, shall receive his reward." An Egyptian partridge came by, which has a long beak: it put this into the lion's jaws and pulled out the bone. "Give me my reward," it thereupon said to the lion.  "Go," answered he, "thou caust laugh and say that thou has gone in and out of a lion's jaws in safety.&q

Once upon a time the Sun plan to get wife. As soon as this news spread, the Frogs in terror all raised their voiced to the skies, and Jupiter, disturbed by the noise, asked them what they were croaking about. They replied, "We have heart that the Sun going to married. He is so hot even when he is single, drying up our marshes with his heat as he does. But what will become of us if he marries and begets other Suns?" 

Once a young man said to his friend, "I have just seen a house fall down due to heave rain." Now, the friend to whom he told this news had received education in English Schools and he was well versed in English. He told him, "Just a minute. Let me look it up in the newspaper?" He read the paper but could not find the news of a house falling down with a heavy rain. Thereupon he said to his friend: "Well, I don't believe you. It isn't the paper; so it is all false."