The One-Eyed Doe
Aesop | Greece
A doe with one good eye stayed close to a cliff, feeling safe from harm, but was ultimately shot from an unexpected direction.
Curious spider Anansi finds a magical rock that puts animals to sleep; he tricks them but is eventually outsmarted.
A strong Wolf believed he was a Lion and joined real Lions, only to realize he was just a regular Wolf among them.
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.
Clever spider Anansi tricked the turtle with soup, but the turtle's underwater house left Anansi wet and hungry.
A hardworking Butcher's shop is visited by a stray dog that steals a sheep's heart, prompting the Butcher to be more vigilant.
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.
A confident mule enjoying a carefree break believed he had racing horse lineage, but after a day of labor, he doubted his heritage.
Once upon a time, there was a doe, a kind of deer, who couldn't see well with one of her eyes. But her other eye was perfectly fine. She thought she was clever and stayed close to the edge of a high cliff where she felt safe.
She always looked at the land with her good eye to see if any hunters or dogs were coming. Her bad eye, the one that didn't see well, looked out over the sea. She believed nothing bad could come from the water.
One day, some men in a boat were sailing close to the shore. They saw the doe standing near the cliff. Quietly, they aimed an arrow at her and hit her. She fell down.
As the doe lay there, she thought, "How did this happen? I thought I was safe by the sea. I never thought danger could come from this side."
The poor doe learned too late that danger can come from anywhere, even from places we don’t expect.
How the Turtle Saved His Own Life
A king's pond frightened the princes with a mistaken turtle monster, but the clever turtle escaped and swam back to safety.
Fighting Goats and the Jackal
A clever jackal in search of an easy meal watches two fighting goats, but his greed leads to a painful lesson.
Anansi Goes Fishing
Anansi, a mischievous spider, tricks Brother Turtle to catch fish for him but learns the value of hard work in the end.
A Wolf and A Sow
A sow refuses a wolf's offer to watch her piglets, seeing through the wolf's true intentions and protecting her young.
A fowler deceives a curious Blackbird with the promise of a marvelous city but captures it in a net instead.
Crows and owls feud over food and space, crows send a spy, gather information, and drive owls away, leading to peaceful coexistence.
A lion and bear fought over a goat, exhausting themselves, and a fox took advantage, leaving them with regret.
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 spider named Anansi gathered all the wisdom in a large pot, but a child's simple suggestion shattered it, spreading wisdom everywhere.
Anansi, a clever little spider, challenges Elephant and Hippo to a tug-of-war. Can his wit win against strength in the jungle?
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 frightened Thunny being chased by a Dolphin cleverly leads them both to the shore, where they both get stranded.