HERCULES AND THE WAGONER

A Farmer was driving his wagon along a miry country road after a heavy
rain. The horses could hardly drag the load through the deep mud, and
at last came to a standstill when one of the wheels sank to the hub in a
rut.
The farmer climbed down from his seat and stood beside the wagon
looking at it but without making the least effort to get it out of the rut. All
he did was to curse his bad luck and call loudly on Hercules to come to
his aid. Then, it is said, Hercules really did appear, saying:
“Put your shoulder to the wheel, man, and urge on your horses. Do you
think you can move the wagon by simply looking at it and whining about
it? Hercules will not help unless you make some effort to help yourself.”
And when the farmer put his shoulder to the wheel and urged on the
horses, the wagon moved very readily, and soon the Farmer was riding
along in great content and with a good lesson learned.
Self help is the best help.
Heaven helps those who help themselves.
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THE KID AND THE WOLF
A frisky young Kid had been left by the herdsman on the thatched roof of
a sheep shelter to keep him out of harm’s way. The Kid was browsing
near the edge of the roof, when he spied a Wolf and began to jeer at
him, making faces and abusing him to his heart’s content.
“I hear you,” said the Wolf, “and I haven’t the least grudge against you
for what you say or do. When you are up there it is the roof that’s talking,
not you.”
Do not say anything at any time that you would not say at all times.
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THE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE
A Town Mouse once visited a relative who lived in the country. For lunch
the Country Mouse served wheat stalks, roots, and acorns, with a dash
of cold water for drink. The Town Mouse ate very sparingly, nibbling a
little of this and a little of that, and by her manner making it very plain
that she ate the simple food only to be polite.
After the meal the friends had a long talk, or rather the Town Mouse
talked about her life in the city while the Country Mouse listened. They
then went to bed in a cozy nest in the hedgerow and slept in quiet and
comfort until morning. In her sleep the Country Mouse dreamed she was
a Town Mouse with all the luxuries and delights of city life that her friend
had described for her. So the next day when the Town Mouse asked the
Country Mouse to go home with her to the city, she gladly said yes.
When they reached the mansion in which the Town Mouse lived, they
found on the table in the dining room the leavings of a very fine banquet.
There were sweetmeats and jellies, pastries, delicious cheeses, indeed,
the most tempting foods that a Mouse can imagine. But just as the
Country Mouse was about to nibble a dainty bit of pastry, she heard a
Cat mew loudly and scratch at the door. In great fear the Mice scurried
to a hiding place, where they lay quite still for a long time, hardly daring
to breathe. When at last they ventured back to the feast, the door
opened suddenly and in came the servants to clear the table, followed
by the House Dog.
The Country Mouse stopped in the Town Mouse’s den only long enough
to pick up her carpet bag and umbrella.
“You may have luxuries and dainties that I have not,” she said as she
hurried away, “but I prefer my plain food and simple life in the country
with the peace and security that go with it.”
Poverty with security is better than plenty in the midst of fear and
uncertainty.

THE TOWN MOUSE AND THE

COUNTRY MOUSE

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THE FOX AND THE GRAPES
A Fox one day spied a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a
vine trained along the branches of a tree. The grapes seemed ready to
burst with juice, and the Fox’s mouth watered as he gazed longingly at
them.
The bunch hung from a high branch, and the Fox had to jump for it. The
first time he jumped he missed it by a long way. So he walked off a short
distance and took a running leap at it, only to fall short once more. Again
and again he tried, but in vain.
Now he sat down and looked at the grapes in disgust.
“What a fool I am,” he said. “Here I am wearing myself out to get a bunch
of sour grapes that are not worth gaping for.”
And off he walked very, very scornfully.
There are many who pretend to despise and belittle that which is beyond
their reach.
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THE BUNDLE OF STICKS

A certain Father had a family of Sons, who were forever quarreling

among themselves. No words he could say did the least good, so he
cast about in his mind for some very striking example that should make
them see that discord would lead them to misfortune.
One day when the quarreling had been much more violent than usual
and each of the Sons was moping in a surly manner, he asked one of
them to bring him a bundle of sticks. Then handing the bundle to each of
his Sons in turn he told them to try to break it. But although each one
tried his best, none was able to do so.
The Father then untied the bundle and gave the sticks to his Sons to
break one by one. This they did very easily.
“My Sons,” said the Father, “do you not see how certain it is that if you
agree with each other and help each other, it will be impossible for your
enemies to injure you? But if you are divided among yourselves, you will
be no stronger than a single stick in that bundle.”
In unity is strength.
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THE WOLF AND THE CRANE
A Wolf had been feasting too greedily, and a bone had stuck crosswise
in his throat. He could get it neither up nor down, and of course he could
not eat a thing. Naturally that was an awful state of affairs for a greedy
Wolf.
So away he hurried to the Crane. He was sure that she, with her long
neck and bill, would easily be able to reach the bone and pull it out.
“I will reward you very handsomely,” said the Wolf, “if you pull that bone
out for me.”
The Crane, as you can imagine, was very uneasy about putting her head
in a Wolf’s throat. But she was grasping in nature, so she did what the
Wolf asked her to do.
When the Wolf felt that the bone was gone, he started to walk away.
“But what about my reward!” called the Crane anxiously.
“What!” snarled the Wolf, whirling around. “Haven’t you got it? Isn’t it
enough that I let you take your head out of my mouth without snapping it
off?”
Expect no reward for serving the wicked.