Fables That Fix Lives: Ancient Code for Modern Problems

  A Fowler in the East once went to a wood, scattered some grain on the ground, spread a net over it with some lime in it, and was watching from a distance to see what luck would attend his efforts. A great many birds assembled on the trees around the net, and said, "What fine corn that is! We can seldom hope to get anything like it." An owl that was close by said, "How nice that white thing in the net is!" "What is it?" said the birds. "Why, it is our best friend in the world; it is lime. When it holds us in its embrace, we can never hope to get away." The birds left the place at once. Said the fowler, "A clever bird knows the lime!" #CorporateExploitation #Neocolonialism #GlobalEconomy #ForeignInvestment #EconomicTraps #ThirdWorldStruggles #BusinessEthics #SustainableDevelopment #BewareTheBait # ModernSlavery

  A man was deeply irritated by the egrets that kept coming to catch fish in his pond. To scare them away, he placed a scarecrow by the pond—dressed in a straw rain cape and a straw hat, with a bamboo pole in its hand. At first, the egrets were frightened by the scarecrow and only dared to hover nearby. But when they realized it was nothing more than a dummy, they swooped down to catch fish again. Some even perched on its straw hat, looking carefree and content. Seeing this, the man had a new idea. He removed the scarecrow and stood there himself, dressed in the same straw rain cape and hat. As usual, the egrets returned—some even landed on his hat. But this time, one unlucky egret couldn’t escape. When the other egrets saw their companion caught, they fled in fear. Flapping its wings desperately, the trapped egret cried, “Fake! Fake!” “Before, it was fake,” the man mocked. “Now how can you say it’s still fake?”

  A porcupine, searching for shelter, asked some snakes to let him into their cave. The snakes agreed and allowed him inside. However, they soon regretted their kindness, as his sharp, prickly quills made their home unbearable. Annoyed and uncomfortable, they begged him to leave and give them back their cave. But the porcupine refused. "If anyone dislikes it here," he said, "let them be the ones to leave. As for me, I’m quite comfortable where I am."  

  The frogs, living an easy and free life in the lakes and ponds, once prayed to Jupiter to send them a king. Jove (Jupiter), being in a merry mood at the time, threw them a log, saying as he did so: "There, then, is a king for you." Awed by the splash, the frogs watched their new king in fear and trembling. At last, encouraged by its stillness, one bold frog jumped onto the log's shoulder. Soon, many others followed, leaping upon their silent, unresisting king and making merry on his back. But they quickly grew tired of such a lifeless ruler. So they petitioned Jupiter again, begging for a more active king. This time, Jupiter sent them a stork—who immediately began tossing them about and gobbling them up without mercy. Horrified, the frogs wasted no time in begging the god to restore their peaceful past. "No, no," replied Jupiter. "A harmless king did not please you. Now you must live with the one you have—or you may end up with someone even wors...

  One day, a Wagoner was driving his heavy wain through a muddy lane when the wheels sank deep into the thick clay. No matter how hard the horses pulled, the wagon wouldn’t budge. Frustrated and helpless, the man dropped to his knees and began pleading loudly, "Oh, mighty Hercules! Please help me free my wagon!" Suddenly, a booming voice answered from above: "Lazy fellow! Get up and stop your begging. Use your own strength first—whip your horses firmly and push the wheel with your shoulder! Only then, if you still need me, shall I help."

      An Old Man had many sons, who were always falling out with one another. He had often exhorted them to live together in harmony, but without result.       One day he called them around him and, producing a bundle of sticks, bade them each in turn to break it across. Each put forth all his strength, but the bundle resisted their efforts.  Then, cutting the cord which bound the sticks together, he told his sons to break them separately. This was done with the greatest ease.      "See, my sons," exclaimed he, "the power of unity! Bound together by brotherly love, you may defy almost every mortal ill; divided, you will fall a prey to your enemies."          

  An old woman had several maids, and she'd call them to work every morning at the first crow of the cock. The maids , finding their sweet sleep constantly disturbed so early, decided to take matters into their own hands. They killed the cock, thinking that with him gone, they could enjoy their warm beds a little longer.   However, the old woman was furious at the loss of her cock. Suspecting the maids were involved in his death, she began waking them up even earlier—soon after midnight! Their plan for more sleep backfired, leaving them with less rest than before.    

A Fox, having been hunted hard and chased a long way, saw a Countryman working in a woods and begged for his help to find a hiding place. The man told him to go into his nearby cottage. No sooner had the Fox gone inside than the hunters arrived. "Have you seen a Fox pass this way?" they asked. The Countryman said, "No," but at the same time, he pointed toward where the Fox lay. The hunters, however, did not take the hint, and the Fox escaped at full speed. The Fox, who had seen everything through a chink in the wall, came out and began to walk away without a word. "Why, how now!" said the Countryman. "Haven’t you the manners to thank your host before you go?" "Nay, nay," said the Fox. "If you had been as honest with your finger as you were with your tongue, I wouldn’t have left without saying goodbye."   

  A man one day saw a limbless fox and wondered how it could keep itself alive, so he decided to watch it. Presently a lion came along with some meat, ate some of it and abandoned the rest. From this the fox made his meal. The watching man concluded on the basis of this incident that he should do the same, since Providence would surely accord him similar treatment. He waited a long time, but all that happened was that he got weaker and weaker. But eventually a voice said to him: 'Do not behave like a crippled fox! Be like a lion, so that you can obtain something and leave some for others!’

A farmer, having just stepped into his field to mend a gap in his fence, returned to find his child’s cradle overturned, the blankets torn and bloodstained, and his dog lying nearby—its muzzle also smeared with blood. Convinced the animal had killed his only child, the farmer, in a blind rage, struck the dog dead with his hatchet. But when he lifted the cradle, he discovered his infant unharmed beneath it, alongside the corpse of a massive serpent. The faithful dog had slain the snake to protect the child, a act of loyalty that deserved gratitude, not punishment. This tragic turn of events taught the farmer a bitter lesson: how perilous it is to surrender to the fury of sudden passion without first seeking the truth.  #HastyDecisions #RashJudgments #ImpulseRegret #BlindRage #MoralLesson

  One morning, a young corporate employee sat nervously in their manager's glass-walled office. "Your presentation skills need work," the manager chided, scrolling through their phone. "You should speak with confidence, structure your arguments clearly, and engage your audience." The employee hesitated, then replied: "Sir, would you mind demonstrating first? I'd love to learn from your example." The manager froze—aware he routinely read speeches from slides, avoided tough questions, and spent meetings checking emails. Modern Moral : Those who demand excellence must first embody it. Leadership isn't taught—it's shown.

  A fox once escaped a trap—but at a cost. His tail remained snared, leaving him tailless and ashamed. Knowing his fellow foxes would mock his condition, he devised a plan: If he couldn’t regain his tail, he’d convince the others to lose theirs. At the next gathering, he addressed the assembly with practiced conviction: "Friends, tails are useless burdens! They catch in brambles, slow our sprint, and attract hunters’ arrows. I’ve never felt freer than since losing mine!" The foxes murmured, some swayed by his passion. Then a sly elder rose, his own lush tail sweeping the ground. "How persuasive," he smirked. "But tell me—had you not lost your tail, would this ‘wisdom’ ever occur to you? Until misfortune befalls me, I’ll keep my tail—and my skepticism." The tailless fox slunk away, exposed.

  One day, a hungry wolf spotted a lamb drinking peacefully from a stream. Determined to devour the lamb, the wolf sought to justify his cruelty with false accusations. Wolf (fiercely): "How dare you muddy the water I’m about to drink?" Lamb (meekly): "Forgive me, sir, but that’s impossible. The water flows from you to me—how could I disturb it upstream?" Wolf (growling): "Enough excuses! A year ago, you slandered me behind my back!" Lamb (gently): "But sir, I wasn’t even born then." Wolf (snarling): "Then it was your brother!" Lamb (innocently): "I have no brothers." Wolf (with finality): "It was one of your kind—no more lies!" With that, the wolf pounced, dragged the lamb into the woods, and devoured him. Moral of the Story: When a tyrant seeks a pretext for cruelty, no logic or innocence can stop him. Might often overrules right. #MightVsRight #PowerAndOppression #FalsePretexts #Injustice #Tyranny...

  The renowned Greek orator 'Demades ' once addressed an assembly in Athens on a matter of great importance yet struggled to hold his audience’s attention. The crowd whispered among themselves, distracted by children playing nearby, and showed no interest in his speech. Pausing briefly, ' Demades ' began anew: "One day, the goddess Ceres journeyed with a Swallow and an Eel." The crowd fell silent, every ear now keen to hear his words. "When they reached a river," he continued, "the Eel swam across, and the Swallow flew over." Having captured their attention, Demades returned to his original speech. But the people erupted: "What of Ceres? Tell us—what did the goddess do?" Demades replied, "She was furious—just as she is now—that people open their ears to fables but close them to truth and wisdom."

Once upon a time, a Lion was rudely awakened from his slumber by a little Mouse scampering over his face. In a flash of anger, the Lion caught him and was ready to end his life. However, the Mouse, trembling with fear, pleaded, "Please spare my life, and I promise to repay your kindness someday." Amused by the idea, the Lion chuckled and released him. Not long after, the Lion found himself ensnared by some hunters, bound tightly to the ground with strong ropes. Hearing the Lion's mighty roar, the Mouse hurried to his side and gnawed through the ropes with his sharp teeth, setting the Lion free. "You once laughed at the thought of me ever helping you or repaying your favor," said the Mouse. "But now you see, even a tiny Mouse can bring great benefits to a mighty Lion."

  Once upon a time, two mules were making their way along a dusty path, each burdened with heavy packs. One mule carried panniers brimming with money, while the other bore sacks filled with grain. The mule with the treasure walked proudly, head held high, the bells on his neck jingling melodiously. His companion, carrying the grain, followed with a calm and steady gait. Suddenly, a band of robbers sprang from their hiding places and attacked. In the chaos, the mule carrying the treasure was wounded by a sword, and the robbers eagerly seized the money. They paid no attention to the grain. The injured mule lamented his fate, crying out in pain and sorrow. His companion, unscathed and still carrying his load of grain, replied, "I am indeed fortunate that I was deemed unimportant. I have lost nothing and have not been hurt."

A dog, accustomed to eating eggs, came across an oyster one day. Mistaking it for an egg, he eagerly swallowed it whole. Soon after, he experienced severe stomach pain and lamented, “I deserve this agony for foolishly assuming that everything round is an egg.” Moral: Acting without proper thought can lead to unexpected trouble

An eagle was captured by a man who clipped its wings and placed it in his poultry yard with other birds. The eagle, weighed down with grief, was unable to fly. Later, a kind neighbour bought the eagle and allowed its feathers to grow back. Once the eagle regained its ability to fly, it caught a hare and brought it as a gift to its benefactor. A fox, observing this, advised the eagle, “Do not seek the favour of this man, but of your former owner, lest he capture you again and clip your wings once more.”

  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. The youth saw her, loved her, and took her home as his bride. While they 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. She, quite forgetting her present condition, started up from the couch and pursued the mouse, wishing to eat it. Venus, much disappointed, again caused her to return to her former shape. Nature exceeds Nurture.  

Once upon a time, in the vast expanse of the natural world, an unlikely feud brewed between two creatures: the majestic Eagle and the unassuming Beetle. Their enmity ran deep, fueled by territorial disputes and a thirst for vengeance. The Eagle, with its regal wingspan and piercing gaze, ruled the skies. It had little patience for the tiny Beetle, whose humble existence seemed inconsequential. But the Beetle harboured a secret grudge, nursing wounds inflicted by the Eagle’s cruel actions. One fateful day, the Eagle descended upon the Beetle’s nest, seizing its young ones and devouring them without remorse. The Beetle, fueled by grief and rage, plotted its retaliation. Under the cover of darkness, it infiltrated the Eagle’s lofty nest, rolling out the precious eggs one by one. The Beetle’s audacity knew no bounds. It followed the Eagle to the highest peak, where the gods themselves resided. There, in the presence of mighty Jupiter, the Beetle confronted its adversary. The Eagle, indigna...