Council of Horses
John Gay | England
A young horse questions serving humans, but an older horse explains they benefit each other, calming the young horse.
A strong Wolf believed he was a Lion and joined real Lions, only to realize he was just a regular Wolf among them.
A clever jackal in search of an easy meal watches two fighting goats, but his greed leads to a painful lesson.
A confident mule enjoying a carefree break believed he had racing horse lineage, but after a day of labor, he doubted his heritage.
Jackdaw, a plain bird, found and adorned himself with peacock feathers, only to be exposed and ridiculed, returning to his ordinary state in shame.
A sow refuses a wolf's offer to watch her piglets, seeing through the wolf's true intentions and protecting her young.
A frightened Thunny being chased by a Dolphin cleverly leads them both to the shore, where they both get stranded.
Anansi, a clever little spider, challenges Elephant and Hippo to a tug-of-war. Can his wit win against strength in the jungle?
A fowler deceives a curious Blackbird with the promise of a marvelous city but captures it in a net instead.
Once, in a green field, a young, strong horse, full of fire and energy, spoke up to the other horses around him. His eyes sparkled with anger as he complained, “Isn’t it unfair that we horses have to work for humans all the time? Think about it! We pull their fancy carriages, work hard in their fields, and carry heavy loads for them. And who are we doing all this for? A creature with only two legs, who isn’t even very strong! Why should we let them control us and tell us what to do? They say they love freedom—well, we should be free, too! Any horse who wants to be free should stand up now!”
He stopped and looked around. Some of the other horses nodded and stomped their hooves in support.
Then, an old, wise horse stepped forward. He walked slowly and carefully, as he was much older. He had lived a long life and learned many things.
“My young friend,” he began, “when I was young and strong, I worked hard for humans too. Now, in my old age, they take care of me, and I don’t have to work anymore. I’ve seen that humans are smart; they know when to plant seeds and when to harvest crops, and they share the food they grow with us. They give us warm stables to sleep in, soft hay to eat, and oats every day.”
The old horse looked kindly at the young horse and said, “We all have a part to play. Humans and horses help each other. That’s the way of the world. We both have our jobs, and together, we make things work well.”
Hearing this, the young horse thought for a while. Finally, he understood what the old horse was saying. He nodded, calmed down, and decided to join the others, ready to work together with them.
A Mountain in Labor
A majestic Mountain with strange noises drew crowds of curious people, but their long wait revealed a humble Mouse instead.
A Dog, A Sheep, and A Wolf
The Dog borrowed food from the Sheep, forgot the debt, and refused to repay, leading to an unfair court decision against the innocent Sheep.
A Lion and A Bear
A lion and bear fought over a goat, exhausting themselves, and a fox took advantage, leaving them with regret.
A Gardener and His Dog
A dog falls into a well, and the gardener, while trying to save him, gets bitten due to a misunderstanding, leaving the dog behind.
An ostrich, possessing characteristics of both birds and beasts, seamlessly moved between them, surprising and eventually gaining acceptance from both sides.
A woman had a special Hen that laid one egg daily, so she tried feeding it more to get two eggs, but it stopped laying altogether.
Curious spider Anansi finds a magical rock that puts animals to sleep; he tricks them but is eventually outsmarted.
Crows and owls feud over food and space, crows send a spy, gather information, and drive owls away, leading to peaceful coexistence.
A spider named Anansi gathered all the wisdom in a large pot, but a child's simple suggestion shattered it, spreading wisdom everywhere.
A Bat, Thorn Bush, and Seagull started a business, but their ship sank, making the Bat hide, Seagull search, and Thorn Bush cling to fabric.
Clever spider Anansi tricked the turtle with soup, but the turtle's underwater house left Anansi wet and hungry.
A king's pond frightened the princes with a mistaken turtle monster, but the clever turtle escaped and swam back to safety.