The Bear and The Two Travelers
Aesop | Greece
Two travelers encounter a bear, one climbs a tree and the other pretends to be dead to survive.
Once upon a time, two travelers were walking through a big, green forest. While they were enjoying their walk, they suddenly saw a big bear coming towards them. They were very scared and started to run as fast as they could.
One traveler was quick and climbed up a tree to hide. But the other traveler wasn't as fast. He remembered hearing that bears won't touch a dead body. So, he decided to fall to the ground and pretend to be dead.
He lay very still, holding his breath and not moving at all. The bear came up to him, sniffed around him from head to toe, and even nudged him a little. But the traveler stayed as still as a log.
Thinking the traveler on the ground was really dead, the bear finally walked away back into the trees.
When the bear was gone, the traveler in the tree climbed down. He went over to his friend on the ground and asked, "What did the bear whisper in your ear?"
The traveler who pretended to be dead sat up and said, "The bear told me to never trust a friend who leaves you alone when danger comes."
A Dog and A Butcher
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 Boasting Mule
A confident mule enjoying a carefree break believed he had racing horse lineage, but after a day of labor, he doubted his heritage.
Of Crows And Owls
Crows and owls feud over food and space, crows send a spy, gather information, and drive owls away, leading to peaceful coexistence.
A Fowler and A Blackbird
A fowler deceives a curious Blackbird with the promise of a marvelous city but captures it in a net instead.