Following are some brief versions of Aesop's fables. After reading these stories, write what you think the moral is.
1. One day a hungry fox was walking through a vineyard. Hanging on the vines were bunches of delicious looking grapes. Wanting very much to eat these grapes, he jumped and tried to reach them but they were too high for him. He tried again and again to snatch them from the vine but he was unsuccessful. Disgusted he turned away saying, "I'm sure those old grapes were sour."
Moral: ?
2. After fishing all day, the fisherman finally caught a very small fish. The fish, terribly upset, pleaded with the fisherman and said, "Please throw me back into the sea. When I become a large fish, you can catch me again and I will make a better meal for you." The fisherman laughed and said, "A small meal today is better than taking a chance on a larger meal next month."
Moral: It is better to have little than to have nothing.
3. A crow snatched a piece of cheese and flew with it into a tree. She was about to take a bite when a fox saw her and called out. "Good morning, beautiful crow. How lovely you look today! Your eyes and feathers are beyond compare and I'm sure your voice is as beautiful as you are. Please sing just one song for me," he pleaded. The foolish crow was flattered and she lifted her head, opened her mouth, and began to caw. The cheese immediately fell from her mouth only to be snatched up by the sly fox.
Moral: Do not stoop down to impress others, for they will win in the end.
4. A bull was roaming through the fields when a gnat settled on one of his horns. After resting a long time he flew into the ear of the bull and asked, "Have I bothered you with my weight? I shall be happy to leave and not burden you any longer if I have caused you too much trouble." The bull said, "I haven't even noticed that you've been there. Whether or not you stay makes no difference to me."
Moral: ?
1. Just because you can't have something doesn't mean it's no good.
Thank you, Ms. Sue, for your help with #1.
What do you think about the morals that I wrote for #2 and #3?
I'm not sure how I feel about the moral for #3.
2 and 3 are fine.
Do you think I should change them at all?
What about #4?
I'm not sure about 4. Perhaps a moral could be that a guest and host should be considerate of each other.
I wouldn't change the others.
Moral of the first fable: Don't belittle something you can't have. The moral of the story is that the fox, unable to reach the grapes, convinces himself that they were not worth having in the first place. This teaches us not to undervalue things just because we can't have them.
Moral of the second fable: Appreciate what you have, even if it is small. The fisherman in this story chooses to appreciate the small fish he caught, rather than taking a chance on a potentially larger catch in the future. The moral of the story is to be grateful for what we have in the present, rather than always yearning for something more.
Moral of the third fable: Don't be tricked by flattery. In this story, the crow falls for the fox's flattery and ends up losing her prized possession, the piece of cheese. The moral of the story is that we should not let others manipulate us with false praise or flattery.
Moral of the fourth fable: Sometimes, little things can have a big impact. The gnat in this story offers to leave the bull, thinking that it doesn't make a difference to the bull. The moral of the story is that even small annoyances or burdens can add up and have an effect on us, even if we don't immediately notice or acknowledge them.