The Tortoise and the Hare: A slow tortoise beats a speedy, overconfident hare. Slow and steady wins the race. The Boy Who Cried Wolf: A boy lies about a wolf, then nobody believes him when it is real. Liars are not trusted even when they tell the truth. The Ant and the Grasshopper: The ant works all summer while the grasshopper plays, and has no food in winter. Prepare for the future. The Fox and the Grapes: A fox cannot reach the grapes and says they were sour anyway. It is easy to scorn what you cannot have. The Lion and the Mouse: A tiny mouse frees a lion from a net. Even small friends can help big ones. The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs: A farmer who wants all the gold at once loses the goose. Greed can cost you everything. The Crow and the Pitcher: A thirsty crow drops pebbles into a pitcher to raise the water. Clever thinking solves problems. The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse: A country mouse prefers a simple, safe life over the town mouse's fancy but risky one. Simple and safe beats rich and scary. The Fox and the Crow: A fox tricks a crow into dropping its cheese by praising its singing. Beware of flattery. The Dog and His Reflection: A dog with a bone sees his reflection in a stream and drops the bone to grab another. Greed can make you lose what you have. The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: A wolf dresses as a sheep and is found out. Looks can fool, so be careful. The North Wind and the Sun: The sun makes a traveler remove his coat gently, while the wind fails by force. Kindness works better than force. The Lion's Share: A lion takes everything for himself after a hunt. Power can make people unfair. The Milkmaid and Her Pail: A girl dreams of what she will buy with milk money and spills it. Don't count your chickens before they hatch. The Bundle of Sticks: A father shows his sons that sticks bound together cannot be broken. Together we are strong. The Tortoise and the Eagle: A tortoise wishes to fly and is dropped by an eagle. Be happy with who you are. The Frogs Who Wanted a King: Frogs ask for a king and get a stork that eats them. Be careful what you wish for. The Dog in the Manger: A dog guards the hay he cannot eat and keeps the ox from it. Don't spoil things you cannot use. The Lion and the Boar: Two animals fight over a spring while vultures wait. Fighting over little things can hurt both sides. The Mice in Council: Mice agree to put a bell on the cat but nobody will do it. Easy to say, hard to do. The Hare and the Tortoise (retold): Confidence without effort loses to patience and work. The Shepherd Boy (shortened): A shepherd boy's false alarms leave him unheard when real danger comes. The Oak and the Reeds: A stiff oak breaks in a storm while bending reeds survive. Be flexible. The Cat and the Mice: Mice hear that a cat is hiding and stay away. Beware of those pretending to be harmless. The Farmer and the Snake: A man warms a frozen snake and is bitten. Not everyone you help is grateful. The Two Goats: Two goats meet on a narrow bridge and neither gives way, so both fall. Pride can hurt everyone. The Lark and Her Young Ones: If you want something done well, do it yourself. The Wind and the Sun: A kind approach is stronger than a harsh one. The Fox and the Stork: A fox serves soup on a flat plate, then the stork serves food in a tall jar. Treat others as you want to be treated. The Donkey in the Lion's Skin: A donkey dresses as a lion and his bray gives him away. Pretending does not last. The Wolf and the Crane: A crane helps a wolf with a bone and gets no reward. Be careful who you help, and be thankful when helped. The Peacock and the Crane: A peacock mocks a crane's plain feathers, but the crane can fly. Skill beats show. The Lion and the Statue: Whoever makes the story tells it his own way. The Gnat and the Bull: A gnat thinks the bull noticed it. Do not think you matter more than you do. The Sick Lion: A sick lion pretends nothing is wrong. People may use you if you look weak. The Miser: A man buries gold and never uses it. Wealth that is not used has no value. The Belly and the Members: The parts of the body quarrel with the stomach and all suffer. Everyone depends on each other. The Fisherman and the Little Fish: A small fish begs to be thrown back until he is bigger. A little now is better than a lot later maybe. The Ass and the Lap Dog: A donkey copies a lap dog and causes trouble. Be yourself. The Horse and the Groom: Someone who wants praise should earn it first. The Blind Men and the Elephant: Each feels a different part of an elephant and thinks he knows it all. A part is not the whole. (An old folktale told with Aesop's.) Who was Aesop?: A storyteller of ancient Greece, thought to have lived about 2,600 years ago Free flashcards from Peabody at peabody.kids/flashcards/fun-aesop-fables