The Dove and The Ant
by Aesop
An Ant was speeding along on its three pair of legs when suddenly, it
stopped.
"I’m thirsty," the Ant said aloud.
"Why don’t you get a drink of water from the brook?" cooed a
Dove perched in a nearby tree. "The brook is close by. Just be careful
you don’t fall in."
The Ant sped to the brook and began to drink.
A sudden wind blew the Ant into the water.
"Help!" the Ant cried, "I’m drowning!"
The Dove knew it had to act quickly to save the Ant. With its beak,
the Dove broke a twig from the tree. Then, the Dove flew over the
brook with the twig and dropped it to the Ant.
The Ant climbed onto the twig and floated ashore. Not long afterward,
the Ant saw a Hunter. He was setting a trap to catch the Dove. The
Dove began to fly toward the trap. The Ant knew it had to act quickly
to save the Dove. The Ant opened its strong jaws and bit the bare
ankle of the Hunter.
"Ouch!" the Hunter cried.
The Dove heard the Hunter and flew away.
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The Lion and the Mouse
by Aesop
A small mouse crept up to a sleeping lion. The
mouse admired the lion's ears, his long whiskers and his great mane.
"Since he's sleeping," thought the mouse, "he'll never suspect I'm
here!"
With that, the little mouse climbed up onto the lion's tail, ran
across its back, slid down its leg and jumped off of its paw. The lion
awoke and quickly caught the mouse between its claws.
"Please," said the mouse, "let me go and I'll come back and help you
someday."
The lion laughed, "You are so small! How could ever help me?" The lion
laughed so hard he had to hold his belly! The mouse jumped to freedom
and ran until she was far, far away.
The next day, two hunters came to the jungle. They went to the lion's
lair. They set a huge rope snare. When the lion came home that night,
he stepped into the trap.
He roared! He wept! But he couldn't pull himself free. The mouse heard
the lion's pitiful roar and came back to help him.
The mouse eyed the trap and noticed the one thick rope that held it
together. She began nibbling and nibbling until the rope broke. The
lion was able to shake off the other ropes that held him tight. He
stood up free again!
The lion turned to the mouse and said, "Dear friend, I was foolish to
ridicule you for being small. You helped me by saving my life after
all!"
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