The Fox and the Grapes
A hungry fox fails to reach ripe grapes and calls them sour rather than admit his disappointment.
Story theme
Lessons Learned
What happens when greed, pride or vanity take over? These tales offer a gentle warning.
11 stories
The Ass and the Grasshopper
An ass envies the grasshoppers' sweet song and tries living on dew alone to learn it, only to collapse from hunger and discover that every creature needs its own true food.
The Hare and the Tortoise
A swift hare mocks a slow tortoise, but grows careless and falls asleep, letting the tortoise's steady, unstopping steps win the race.
The Dog and the Shadow
A dog carrying meat mistakes his own reflection for another dog holding a bigger piece, and by barking at the shadow he loses the real meat he already had.
Snow White
The kind and lovely Snow White is envied by the queen and tricked into a deep sleep by a poisoned apple, until the seven little friends and a prince help her wake again.
The Ugly Duckling
A mocked and lonely young bird survives the cold seasons until he discovers that he has been a swan all along.
The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs
A farmer and his wife own a goose that lays a golden egg each day, but their greed to have all the gold at once costs them the steady good fortune they already had.
Waiting by the Stump for a Hare
A farmer in Song finds a hare that runs into an old tree stump and dies, and hopes the same luck will happen again — until his field turns to weeds and the whole village laughs.
The Peacock and the Crane
A vain peacock mocks a crane's plain feathers, until winter comes and shows which of them truly has something worth having.
The Fox and the Crow
A crow cannot resist a fox's flattery and tries to prove her voice is as fine as her feathers — and loses her meal in the process.
The Golden Goose
A kind, generous youngest son shares his last bit of food with a stranger, wins a goose of pure gold, and ends up making a princess who never laughs burst out laughing.