Aesop
First Lines
A BALD KNIGHT, who wore a wig, went out to hunt.
A BAT, falling upon the ground, was caught by a Weasel, of whom he earnestly besought his life.
A BLIND MAN was accustomed to distinguish different animals by touching them with his hands.
A BOY bathing in a river was in danger of being drowned.
A BOY put his hand into a pitcher full of filberts.
A BRAZIER had a little Dog, which was a great favorite with his master, and his constant companion.
A BULL, escaping from a Lion, entered a cave, which some shepherds had lately occupied.
A CERTAIN MAN had the good fortune to possess a Goose that laid him a Golden Egg every day.
A CERTAIN RICH MAN bought in the market a Goose and a Swan.
A CHARCOAL-BURNER carried on his trade in his own house.
A COCK, scratching for food for himself and his hens, found a precious stone;
A COTTAGER and his wife had a Hen which laid every day a golden egg.
A CRAB said to her son: "Why do you walk so one-sided, my child?
A CROW, having stolen a bit of flesh, perched in a tree and held it in her beak.
A DOG and a Cock, traveling together, took shelter at night in a thick wood.
A DOG had been taught to take his master's dinner to him every day.
A DOG used to run up quietly to the heels of those he met, and bite them without notice.
A DOVE shut up in a cage was boasting of the large number of young ones which she had hatched.
A FAMISHED FOX saw some clusters of ripe black grapes hanging from a trellised vine.
A FAMISHED WOLF was prowling about in the morning in search of food.
A FATHER had a family of sons who were perpetually quarreling among themselves.
A FISHERMAN skilled in music took his flute and his nets to the sea-shore.
A FISHERMAN was drawing up a net which he had cast into the sea, full of all sorts of fish.
A FOWLER caught a Partridge, and was about to kill him.
A FOWLER took his gun, and went into the woods a shooting.
A FOX entered into partnership with a Lion, on the pretense of becoming his servant.
A FOX spied some turkeys roosting in a tree.
A FOX, caught in a trap, escaped with the loss of his "brush".
A FOX, having fallen into a well, could find no means of escape.
A GNAT came and said to a Lion: "I do not in the least fear you, nor are you stronger than I am.
A HARE one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of the Tortoise.
A HEAVY WAGON was being dragged along a country lane by a team of Oxen.
A HEIFER, a Goat, A Sheep, and a Lion formed a partnership, and agreed to divide their earnings.
A HEN finding the eggs of a viper, and carefully keeping them warm, nourished them into life.
A HERDSMAN tending kine in a forest, lost a Bull-calf from the fold.
A HORSE SOLDIER took great pains with his charger.
A HORSE, proud of his fine trappings, met an Ass on the highway.
A HOUND started a Hare from his form, after a long run, gave up the chase.
A KID, mounted on a high rock, bestowed all manner of abuse upon a Wolf on the ground below.
A KID, returning without protection from the pasture, was pursued by a Wolf.
A LARK had made her nest in the young green wheat.
A LION and a Bear seized a Kid at the same moment, and fought fiercely for its possession.
A LION and an Ass made an agreement to go out hunting together.
A LION demanded the daughter of a woodcutter in marriage.
A LION was awakened from sleep by a Mouse running over his face.
A LION, worn out with years, lay on the ground at the point of death.
A MAID was carrying her pail of milk to the farm-house, when she fell a-musing.
A MAN and a Lion traveled together through the forest.
A MAN and a Satyr once formed a bond of alliance.
A MAN came into a forest, and made a petition to the Trees to provide him a handle for his axe.
A MAN had an Ass, and a Maltese Lap-dog, a very great beauty.
A MAN had two daughters, the one married to a gardener, and the other to a tile-maker.
A MAN had two Game-cocks in his poultry yard.
A MAN once kept a Goat and an Ass.
A MAN who had been bitten by a Dog was going about asking who could cure him.
A MILLER and his son were driving their Ass to a fair.
A MISER had a lump of gold which he buried in the ground, coming to look at the spot everyday.
A MONKEY and a cat lived in the same family, and it was hard to tell which was the greater thief.
A MOUSE lived in a granary which became, after a while, the frequent resort of a cat.
A MOUSE, by an unlucky chance, formed an intimate acquaintance with a Frog.
A NIGHTINGALE, sitting aloft upon an oak, was seen by a Hawk, who made a swoop down and seized him.
A PIGEON, oppressed by excessive thirst, saw a goblet of water painted on a signboard.
A PRINCE had some Monkeys trained to dance.
A RAT in an evil day made acquaintance with a Frog, and they set off on their travels together.
A RAVEN saw a Swan, and desired to secure for himself a like beauty of plumage.
A RIVER carried down in its stream two Pots, one made of earthenware, and the other of brass.
A SAILOR, bound on a long voyage, took with him a Monkey to amuse him while on shipboard.
A SCHOOLBOY stole a horn-book from one of his schoolfellows and brought it home to his Mother.
A SICK STAG lay down in a quiet corner of his pasture-ground.
A STAG asked a Sheep to lend him a measure of wheat, and said that the Wolf would be his surety.
A THIEF came in the night to break into a house.
A TRAVELER hired an Ass to convey him to a distant place.
A TRUMPETER, bravely leading on the soldiers, was captured by the enemy.
A VERY LARGE OAK was uprooted by the wind, and thrown across a stream.
A VERY SKILLFUL BOWMAN went to the mountains in search of game.
A VILLAGER found a Snake under a hedge, almost dead with cold.
A VINE was luxuriant in the time of vintage with leaves and grapes.
A VIPER, entering the workshop of a smith, sought from the tools the means of satisfying his hunger.
A WIDOW woman, fond of cleaning, had two little maidens to wait on her.
A WILD BOAR was whetting his tusks against a tree, when a Fox coming by, asked him why he did so;
A WIZARD, sitting in the marketplace, told the fortunes of the passers-by.
A WOLF followed a flock of sheep for a long time, and did not attempt to injure one of them.
A WOLF pursued a Lamb, which fled for refuge to a certain temple.
A WOLF saw a Horse grazing in a field.
A WOLF, having stolen a lamb from a fold, was carrying him off to his lair.
A WOLF, passing by, saw some Shepherds in a hut eating for their dinner a haunch of mutton.
A WOMAN possessed a Hen that gave her an egg every day.
A YOUNG THRUSH who lived in an orchard once became acquainted with a Swallow.
AN ASS and a Cock were together, when a Lion, desperate from hunger, approached.
AN ASS climbed up to the roof of a building, and, frisking about there, broke in the tiling.
AN ASTRONOMER used to walk out every night to gaze upon the stars.
AN EAGLE and a Fox formed an intimate friendship, and decided to live near each other.
AN EAGLE had made her nest at the top of a lofty oak.
AN EAGLE sat on a lofty rock, watching the movements of a Hare, whom he sought to make his prey.
AN EAGLE, overwhelmed with sorrow, sat upon the branches of a tree, in company with a Kite.
AN IDLE HORSE, and an Ass laboring under a heavy burden, were traveling the road together.
AN OX, drinking at a pool, trod on a brood of young frogs, and crushed one of them to death.
AS A GNAT was buzzing around a Lion, the Lion said to him: "How dare you approach so near?
SOME BEES had built their comb in the hollow of an old trunk of an oak.
SOME CRANES made their feeding grounds on some plough-lands newly sown with wheat.
SOME DOGS, famished with hunger, saw some cow-hides steeping in a river.
SOME DOGS, finding the skin of a lion, began to tear it in pieces with their teeth.
THE ANTS were employing a fine winter's day in drying grain collected in the summer time.
THE ASS and the Fox, having entered into partnership together went out into the forest to hunt.
THE BEASTS of the forest gave a splendid entertainment, at which the Monkey stood up and danced.
THE BIRDS once met together to choose a king; and, among others, the Peacock was a candidate.
THE BIRDS waged war with the Beasts, and each party were by turns the conquerors.
THE EAGLE and the Beetle were at enmity together, and they destroyed one another's nests.
THE FOX and the Leopard disputed which was the more beautiful of the two.
THE FOX invited the Stork to dinner, and provided nothing but a soup, in a wide shallow dish.
THE GEESE and the cranes fed in the same meadow.
THE HORSE had the plain entirely to himself.
THE KITES of old time had, equally with the swans, the privilege of song.
THE LION, the Ass, and the Fox formed a party to go out hunting.
THE PIGEONS, terrified by the appearance of a Kite, called upon the Hawk to defend them.
THE SWALLOW and the Crow had a contention about their plumage.
THREE BULLS for a long time pastured together.
TWO FROGS dwelt in the same pool.
TWO GAME COCKS were fiercely fighting for the mastery of the farmyard.
TWO MEN were traveling together, when a Bear suddenly met them on their path.
TWO MULES laden with packs were trudging along.
TWO SOLDIERS, traveling together, were set upon by a Robber.
UPON the decease of the Lion, the beasts of the forest assembled to choose another king.
WHILE A RABBIT was absent from his hole one day, a Weasel took possession of it.
"WHY SHOULD there always be this implacable warfare between us?" said the Wolves to the Sheep.
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