There is a frog. He lives in a well and he never goes out of the well. He thinks the sky is as big as the mouth of the well.
One day a crow comes to the well. He sees the frog and says, "Frog, let's have a talk." Then the frog asks, "Where are you from?" "I fly from the sky," the crow says. The frog feels surprised and says, "The sky is only as big as the mouth of the well. How do you fly from the sky?"
The crow says, "The sky is very big. You always stay in the well, so you don't know the world is big."
The frog says, "I don't believe." But the crow says, "You can come out and have a look by yourself."
So the frog comes out from the well. He is very surprised. How big the world is!
The wolf and the fox wanted to eat the rabbit, but it wasn't easy to catch him.
One day the wolf said to the fox, "You go home and lie in bed. I'll tell the rabbit that you are dead. When he comes to look at you, you can jump up and catch him." That's a good idea," said the fox.
He went home at once. The wolf went to the rabbit's house and knocked at the door. "Who is it?" asked the rabbit. "It's the wolf. I've come to tell you that the fox is dead." Then the wolf went away.
The rabbit went to the fox's house. He looked in through the window and saw the fox lying in bed with his eyes closed. He thought, "Is the fox really dead or is he pretending to be dead? If he's not dead, he'll catch me when I go near him." so he said, "The wolf says that the fox is dead. But he doesn't look like a dead fox. The mouth of a dead fox is always open." When the fox heard this, he thought, "I'll show him that I'm dead." So he opened his mouth.
The rabbit knew that the fox wasn't dead, and he ran as quickly as he could.
An oak got talking with a reed one day: "you certainly have cause of nature to complain; why even a sparrow's weight for you is quite a strain. At even the slightest breeze that makes the ripples1 play, you quake as if you're touched with blight2; you bend and bow so desolate3, indeed you are a sorry sight."
"Now I, like Caucasus in all his pride and state 'Tis little that the rage of Phoebus I abate4; Laughing at hurricanes; beneath thunder's roar at ease, I stand as strong and straight, as though I bore a shield of peace inviolate5. For you each breath's a storm, for me the storm's a breeze. For you each breath's a storm, for me the storm's a breeze. If only you were growing somewhere close, then in the depths of shade that my broad boughs6 could lend you form stress of weather I could easily defend you.Alas7 that nature for your dwelling8 chose the banks of a Eolus, the stormy realm of air; No doubt, for such as you she found no time to care. 'You are full of charity,' the reed replied with scorn; 'But do not be distressed9! My lot can well be borne! If storms I fear, it is not for my sake."
"Though bend I must I shall not break; Tis little harm they do to me. Methinks, for you yourself more danger there may be Tis true that up till now, beneath the fiercest blast Your sturdy from stands firm and fast; from all its angry blows you face you never hide; but wait and see the end!"
And scarce the reed had thus replied when see, all sudden from the North. The boisterous10 aquilo with hail and rain broke forth11. The oak stood firm; the reed down to the earth must bend. On raged the storm still fiercer than before Till, roaring, from his root it tore, The tree that close to heaven his towering summit flaunted12 and in the realm of shade his sturdy foot had planted.
A man once bought a brilliantly-coloured parrot. Instead of locking it up in a cage or chaining it to a perch, he allowed it to fly free all over the house. The parrot was delighted at this and flapped from room to room, shrieking and screaming with happiness. At last he settled on the edge of a rich curtain.
"Who on earth are you ?" said a cross voice from below. "Stop that terrible noise at once."
The parrot saw a cat staring up at him from the carpet.
"I 'm a parrot. I 've just arrived and I 'm to make as much noise as I can," he said.
"Well, I 've lived here all my life," replied the cat ."I was born in this very house and I learned from my mother that it is best to keep quiet here."
"Keep quiet then, "said the parrot cheerfully. "I don't know what you do around here, but I know my job. My master bought me for my voice and I'm going to make sure he hears it."
A boy was playing in the fields when he was stung by a nettle . He ran home to tell his mother what had happened.
"I only touched it lightly," he said, "and the nasty thing stung me."
"It stung you because you only touched it lightly," his mother told him." Next time you touch a nettle grasp it as tightly as you can. Then it won't sting you at all."