The Travelers and The Plane-Tree
Aesop | Greece
Two tired travelers rest under a plane tree, one calls it useless, but the tree reminds them of its shade's value.
An ostrich, possessing characteristics of both birds and beasts, seamlessly moved between them, surprising and eventually gaining acceptance from both sides.
A strong Wolf believed he was a Lion and joined real Lions, only to realize he was just a regular Wolf among them.
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 clever jackal in search of an easy meal watches two fighting goats, but his greed leads to a painful lesson.
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.
Anansi, a mischievous spider, tricks Brother Turtle to catch fish for him but learns the value of hard work in the end.
A confident mule enjoying a carefree break believed he had racing horse lineage, but after a day of labor, he doubted his heritage.
A frightened Thunny being chased by a Dolphin cleverly leads them both to the shore, where they both get stranded.
Once upon a time, on a hot summer day, two travelers were walking down a dusty road. They were tired and sweaty because of the burning sun above. They decided to stop and rest at noon, right under the wide and cooling branches of a big Plane-Tree.
As they sat down to relax in the cool shade, one of the travelers looked at the tree and said to his friend, "What a strange tree this Plane-Tree is! It doesn't have any fruit, and it doesn't seem to be useful to anyone."
Just as he finished saying those words, the Plane-Tree spoke in a kind yet firm voice, "How can you call me useless? Aren't you both resting under my shade right now? Aren't you escaping from the hot sun thanks to me?"
Both travelers were surprised. They looked at each other, then at the tree. They realized that the tree was right. They had been enjoying its shade and hadn't thought about how useful that was.
A Bat, Thorn Bush and Gull
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 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.
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.
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.
A lion and bear fought over a goat, exhausting themselves, and a fox took advantage, leaving them with regret.
A majestic Mountain with strange noises drew crowds of curious people, but their long wait revealed a humble Mouse instead.
A fowler deceives a curious Blackbird with the promise of a marvelous city but captures it in a net instead.
A hardworking Butcher's shop is visited by a stray dog that steals a sheep's heart, prompting the Butcher to be more vigilant.
Clever spider Anansi tricked the turtle with soup, but the turtle's underwater house left Anansi wet and hungry.
The Dog borrowed food from the Sheep, forgot the debt, and refused to repay, leading to an unfair court decision against the innocent Sheep.
Anansi, a clever little spider, challenges Elephant and Hippo to a tug-of-war. Can his wit win against strength in the jungle?
A spider named Anansi gathered all the wisdom in a large pot, but a child's simple suggestion shattered it, spreading wisdom everywhere.