Ancient Wisdom

Once two friends were walking along the road, when a Bear came suddenly upon them. One of them got first to a tree, and climbed up into it and hid among the branches. The other, who was slower, fell flat upon the ground, and made believe that he was dead. When the Bear came up to him and poked him with his nose, he held his breath; for it is said that this animal will not touch a dead man. The Bear went off, and the Man in the tree came down, and asked the other what the Bear had whispered. "He told me," said the other, ' not to travel with friends who would desert you when danger came."

Once upon a time there was a dog who was used to snap at people and bite them without any provocation, and who was a great problem to everyone who came to his master's house. Therefore his master decided to fasten a bell round his neck so that people should be warn of his presence.  The Dog was very proud of the bell, and satisfied with its tinkling. One day an old dog came up to him and said, " The fewer airs you give yourself the better, my friend. You don't think, do you, that your bell was given you as a reward of merit? On the contrary, it is a badge of disgrace."

Once a Farmer set a net in his field to catch the Cranes that were eating his grain. He caught the Cranes, and with them a Stork also. The Stork was lame, and begged the Farmer to let him go. "I am not a Crane," he said. "I am a Stork. I am a very good bird, and take care of my father and mother. Look at the colour of my skin; it is not the same as the Crane's." But the Farmer said: "I do not know how that is. I caught you with the Cranes, and with the Cranes you must die."

A Fox who had never seen a Lion happened one day to meet one. When he saw him, he was so afraid that he almost died. When he met him a second time, he was afraid, to be sure, but not as at first. The third time he saw him, the Fox was so bold that he went up to the Lion and spoke to him.

  Once a Wolf came upon a Lamb straying from the flock, and felt some compunction about taking the life of so helpless a creature without some plausible excuse; so he cast about for a grievance and said at last, "Last year, sirrah, you grossly insulted me." "That is impossible, sir," bleated the Lamb, "for I wasn't born then." "Well," bleated the Lamb," you feed in my pastures." "That cannot be," replied the Lamb," for I have never yet tasted grass." "You drink from my spring, then," continued the Wolf. "Indeed, sir," said the poor Lamb, "I have never yet drunk anything but my mother's milk." "Well, anyhow," said the Wolf, "I'm not going without my dinner": and he sprang upon the Lamb and devoured it without more ado.

  ایک دفعہ کا ذکر ہے کہ ایک گھوڑوں کی دیکھ بھال کرنے والا گھوڑوں کے اصطلبل میں شاہی گھوڑے کی دیکھ بھال کی ا کرتا تھا۔ بادشاہ اپنے گھوڑے کی دیکھ بھال کے لیے اخروٹ، پستے ، بادام اور خشک میوہ جات دیتا تھا تاکہ گھوڑے کی کارکردگی زبردست ہو۔ یہ ملازم گھوڑے کی دیکھ بھال اور اس کی کنگھی پر بہت زور دیتا تھا مگر اس کے لیے آنے والا خشک میوہ جات چرا لیا کرتا تھا اور تھوڑا سا اس کو دے دیتا تھا۔ تنگ آکر ایک دن گھوڑے نے اس ملازم سے کہا، "بھائی صاحب! آپ میری کنگھی اور بنائو سنگھار پر کم مگر خوراک پر زیادہ توجہ دو۔"

  Once there was a Groom who used to spend long hours clipping and combing the Horse of which he had charge, but who daily stole a portion of his allowance of oats, and sold it for his own profit. The Horse gradually got into worse and worse condition, and at last cried to the Groom, "If you really want me to look sleek and well, you must comb me less and feed me more."

  Once upon a time all the Mice called a Council and discussed how to secure themselves against the violent attacks of the cat. Many rats gave various suggestions and then an experience stood up and said, " I think I have hit upon a plan which will ensure our safety in the future, if you approve and carry it out. It is that we should fasten a bell round the next of our enemy (the cat), which will warn us before her attack." This proposal was warmly applauded by all participants of the Council, and it had been decided to adopt it immediately, when an old Mouse got upon his feet and said, " I agree with you all that the plan before us is an admirable one: but may I ask who is going to bell the cat?"

Once upon a time a Man and His wife had the good fortune to possess a Goose which was used to lay a Golden Egg every day. Though they were lucky but not satisfied with their existing situation of 'one Golden Egg' on daily basis. They soon started to think to become rich within a days and thought that the bird must have a gold mine inside its stomach. Therefore they decided to kill it in order to secure the whole store of precious metal at once. But when they cut it and open its stomach they were shocked to see nothing inside. It was like any other goose. Thus they neither got rich all at once, as they hoped, nor enjoyed any longer the daily addition to their wealth.  Even in real life we hear many scams around the world when people loose their money as scammer offer them much more. 

Once the Hares gathered together and lamented their unhappiness, exposed as they  were to dangers on all sides and lacking the strength and the courage to hold their own. Men, dogs, birds and beasts of prey were all their enemies, and killed and devoured them daily: and sooner than endure such persecution any longer. Therefore they decided to end their miserable lives. Thus they decided to migrate towards a neighbouring pool, intending to drown themselves. On the bank of the pool were sitting a number o Frogs, who, when they heard the noise of the Hares as they ran, with one accord leaped into the water and hid themselves in the depths. Then one of the older Hares who was wiser than the rest cried out to his companions, "Stop, my friends, take heart; don't let us destroy ourselves after all: see, here are creatures who are afraid of us, and who must, therefore, be still more timid than ourselves."

  Once there was a time when Goods and Ills entered equally into the concerns of people, so that the Goods did not prevail to make them altogether blessed, nor the Ills to make them wholly miserable. It was due to the foolishness of mankind the Ills multiplied greatly in number and increased in strength, until it seemed as though they would deprive the Goods from all share in human affairs, and banish them from the earth. The later, therefore, be took, themselves to heaven and complained to Jupiter of the treatment they had received, at the same time praying him to grant them protection from the Ills, and to advise concerning the manner of their intercourse with humanity. Jupiter granted their request for protection, and decreed that for the future they should not go among men openly, and so be liable to attack from the hostile Ills, but singly and unobserved, and at infrequent and unexpected intervals. Hence it is that the earth is full of Ills, for they come and go as they please and

  ایک دفعہ کا ذکر ہے کہ ایک جنگل میں شیر اور ریچھ دونوں ایک مشترکہ شکار پر لڑ پڑے۔ دونوں نےشکار  کو مارنے کے بعد آپس میں لڑائی شروع کر دی۔ یہ لڑائی اتنی شدید ہوئی کہ ایک دوسرے میں مزید حرکت کی ہمت نہ رہی۔ ایک لومڑی دور سے یہ تماشا دیکھ رہی تھی۔ جب اس نے دیکھا کہ دونوں اتنے کمزور ہو چکے ہیں کہ حرکت بھی نہیں کر سکتے۔ اس نے دونوں کے درمیان سے شکار اٹھایا اور آرام سے اپنے کھانے کے لیے غائب ہو گئی۔ بے بسی کے عالم میں شیر اور ریچھ نے ایک دوسرے کی طرف دیکھا اور کہا، "ہم کتنے بیوقوف ہیں کہ جس کے لیے ایک دوسرے سے لڑائی کی وہ کوئی اور لے گیا۔" حقیقت میں لڑائی اور تنازعات میں یہی ہوتا ہے۔ ہمیشہ کوئی تیسرا فریق فائدہ اٹھاتا ہے۔ لڑنے والے ہمیشہ نقصان میں رہتے ہیں۔  

Once a Farmer's sons fell out. The Farmer tried to make peace between them, but he could not. Then he bade them bring him some stick. These he tied together into a bundle, and gave the bundle to each of his sons in turn, and told him to break it. Each Son tried , but could not. Then he untied the bundle and gave them each one stick to break. This they did easily, and he said: "So is it with you, my sons. If you are all of the same mind, your enemies can do you no harm. But if you quarrel, they will easily get the better of you."

  In a time not too long ago, there existed a Lamp, brimming with an excess of oil. It blazed fiercely, casting shadows that danced on the walls. In its pride, it declared, “Behold, my radiance outshines even the sun!” However, fate had a lesson in store. A gust of wind, as sudden as it was swift, swept through the room. The Lamp, in all its glory, was snuffed out in an instant. The owner of the Lamp, with a knowing smile, rekindled its flame. As the light flickered back to life, he gently admonished, “Let this be a lesson, dear Lamp. No more boasting. Be satisfied with your purpose, to illuminate in quiet dignity. Remember, even the stars above, in all their splendour, need to be reignited.”

  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."

A Mouse who always lived on the land, by an unlucky chance formed an intimate acquaintance with a Frog, who lived for the most part in the water. The Frog, one day intent on mischief, bound the foot of the Mouse tightly to his own. Thus joined together, the Frog first of all led his friend the Mouse to the meadow where they were accustomed to find their food. After this, he gradually led him towards the pool in which he lived, until he reached the very brink, when suddenly he jumping in he dragged the mouse with him. The Frog enjoyed the water amazingly, and swam croaking about, as if he had done a meritorious action. The unhappy Mouse was soon suffocated with the water, and his dead body floated about on the surface tied to the foot of the Frog. A Hawk observed it, and, pouncing upon it with his talons, carried it up aloft. The Frog being still fastened to the leg of the Mouse, was carried off a prisoner, and was eaten by the Hawk. 

Three Bulls for a long time pastured together. A Lion lay in ambush in the hope of making them his prey, but was afraid to attack them whilst they kept together. Having at last by guileful speeches succeeded in separating them, he attacked them without fear, as they fed alone, and feasted on them one by one at his desire.

"This story is in context of students protests in America. While America is focusing on issues of other countries but suddenly stung by his own university students and swollen its feet." A Fowler, taking his bird-lime and his twigs, went out to catch birds. Seeing a thrush sitting upon a tree, he wished to take it, and fitting his twigs to a proper length, he watched intently, having his whole thoughts directed towards the sky. While thus looking upwards, he unawares trod upon a Viper sleeping before his feet. The Viper, turning towards him, stung him; and he, falling into a swoon, said to himself, "Woe is me! that while I proposed to hunt another, am myself fallen unawares into the snares of death."

Once an Owl, accustomed to feed at night and to sleep during the day, was greatly disturbed by the noise of Grasshopper, and earnestly besought her to leave off chirping. The Grasshopper refused to desist, and chirped louder and louder the more the Owl entreated. The Owl, when she saw that she could get no redress, and that her words were despised, attacked the chatterer by a stratagem. "Since I cannot sleep," she said, "on account of your song, which, believe me, is sweet as the lyre of Apollo, I shall indulge myself in drinking some nectar which Pallas lately gave me. If you do not dislike it, come to me, and we will drink it together." The Grasshopper, who was at once thirsty and pleased with the praise of her voice, eagerly flew up. The Owl, coming forth from her hollow, seized her, and put her to death.

The Monkey once danced in an assembly of the Beasts, and so pleased them all by his performance that they elected him their King. A Fox envying him the honour, discovered a piece of meat lying in a trap, and leading the Monkey to the place where it was said :that she had found a store, but had not used it, but had kept it for him as a treasure trove of his kingdom, and counselled him to lay hold of it." The Monkey approached carelessly, and was caught in the trap; and on his accusing the Fox for purposely leading him into the snare, she replied, "O Monkey, and are you, with such a mind as yours, going to be King over the Beasts?"