The fox and the grapes

Rosy and ripe, and ready to box,

The grapes hang high over the hungry Fox,
He pricks up his ears, and his eye he cocks.

Ripe and rosy, yet so high!

He gazes at them with a greedy eye,
And knows he must eat and drink- or die!

When the jump proves to be beyond his power

"Pooh!" says the Fox. "Let the pigs devour
Fruit of that sort. Those grapes are sour!"

The fox and the crow

Mr. Crow sat at his ease
high in a tree, a good bit of cheese
safe and secure in his beak.
Mr. Fox. scented the cheese, took a peek
and called out to say:

„Good morning, what a lovely day!

My goodness, how your feathers gleam.
I’m so impressed. You are a dream,
the finest flier of the wood,
shining as a Phoenix should.
Should your song match, you are a god!”

Carried away, the crow,

all too keen to show
the beauty of his voice, raised his crop,
opened his mouth, let the cheese drop.
Quick as a flash Mr. Fox was on it.

„Old Crow” he called. „I think I won it.

You should always realize
flattering words take a prize
paid for by the other!
That lesson’s worth the payment, brother!”

Puzzled, ashamed and sad,

the crow swore, too late, he’d never again be had.
 The Wind and the Sun
(part 1)

The Wind lives up in the sky far away.

He blows and he blows everything, every day.

The big Yellow Sun lives in the sky far away.

He warms everything as he shines every day.

One day, the Wind says, „Sun, do you know?

I am stronger than you, just watch me blow!”

The sun looks and says, „Do you see what I do?
I shine very brightly. I am stronger than you.”

The wind starts to laugh. „I am stronger than you.

There are so many things that the sun cannot do.”

The Sun says, „OK. Do you see that tall man?

Make him take off his jacket. Let’s see if you can.”

The Wind says, „Sun, I know that I can

Blow that jacket right off that man!”

The wind blows gently. The man looks around.

He closes his jacket and sits on the ground.

The wind blows hard. The man puts on his hood.

The man says, „Oh, no! This isn’t good!”

The wind is angry. He blows as hard as he can.

„I will zipper my jacket. I am cold”, says the man.

(part 2)

The Warm Yellow Sun says, „Wind, it’s my turn.

Stop all your blowing. Please watch and learn.”

The Sun shines gently. The man takes off his hood.
The man looks around and he says, „This is good.”

The Warm Yellow Sun shines some more on the man.

„I can open the jacket”, says the man. „Yes, I can”.
 The Warm Yellow Sun says, „I am almost done.
I can shine very brightly and be warm”, says the Sun.

„The sun is so hot”, says the very tall man.

„I can take off my jacket now, Oh, yes I can”.

The man falls asleep. The sun shines and shines.

The sun looks at the wind and says, „ Now all is fine”.

The wind says, „Sun, you are stronger than I.”

The wind blows away and calls out „Good bye!”

The sun smiles and says, „I know what to do.

I can be gentle and strong. Do you think you can, too?”
 The Ant and the Grasshopper

Here is an ant and a grasshopper, too.

Here is a story about what they do.

Summer is here. It is a hot day.

The ant sings a song. The ant doesn’t play.

“Summer is here. I work all day.

I do not have time to dance and play.
Winter comes fast. I know what to do.
Grasshopper, can you work, too?”

Summer is here. It is a hot day.

The grasshopper sings. He likes to play.

“Oh, little ant, summer is here.

I don’t like to work very hard my dear.
The day is hot. I am happy. I play.
Winter is very far away.”

Autumn is here. It is a cool day.

Ant sings a song. The ant doesn’t play.

“I’m ready for winter, oh grasshopper, dear.

You can work, too. Winter is near.
You need to have food. Come, let me help you.
Come, grasshopper. I know what to do.”

Autumn is here. It is a cool day.

Grasshopper sings. He likes to play.

“I don’t have to work now. It’s autumn you know.

It isn’t winter, I don’t see snow.
I like to dance. I like to play.
I don’t want to work hard today.”

Winter is here. It is a cold day.

Grasshopper’s not happy. He doesn’t play.

“Oh, ant, I am cold. What can I do?

I want to come in. I want to eat, too.
Please open the door. I’m hungry. I’m here.
The snow is so cold. Oh, help me! Oh, dear!
Winter is here. It is a cold day.
Ant sings a sing. Now he can play.

“Oh, grasshopper, grasshopper, what can I do?

I have food for me. I have no food for you.
Winter is here. You have to work, too.
Here’s a scarf and a jacket. That is all I can do.”

Winter is here. Spring isn’t here.

Grasshopper says, “oh, dear, oh dear”

“It’s not time to dance. It’s not time to play.

Winter is here. It is a cold day.
It is time to work hard. I know what to do.
The ant works hard. I can work hard, too.”
 The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse

“Hello, Town Mouse!

Welcome to my house!
It’s very small, but it’s very nice!
A lovely house for two small mice!”

“Oh no, it’s very bad!

Where’s the table? Where’s the chair?
No bedroom, no bathroom, no kitchen! Oh dear!
I want to go home, I don’t like it here!”

“Come along, Town Mouse, time to eat!”

“But, Country Mouse, where’s the meat?”
“Oh, dear! No meat for me,
I’m a country mouse, you see!
I eat bread and cheese and honey from bees.”

“No, thank you! This place isn’t pretty!

Come with me! Let’s go to the city!”

“Look at my living room! Look at my chair

And look at the table over there!”

“Oh, my! Lots of food! It all looks so good!”

“Burgers and chips and milk and ice cream.”
“This can’t be real! It must be a dream!”

“Come on, Country Mouse! It’s great in my house.

There’s plenty to eat. Please, take a seat!”

“Help me!!! Oh, help me!!!!

The dog wants its tea,
It doesn’t want burgers,
It wants to eat me!!!!”

“I don’t like it here! I want my nice house!

This is no place for a Country Mouse!”

“My house is small and a little bit shabby,

But I like it here! I’m very happy.
I don’t like the town, I don’t like the dogs,
I’m staying at home with the ants and the frogs!”
 The Hare and the Tortoise
Said the Tortoise one day to the Hare:
"I'll run you a race if you dare.
I'll bet you cannot
Arrive at that spot
As quickly as I can get there."

Said the Hare: "You are surely insane.

Pray, what has affected your brain?
You seem pretty sick.
Call a doctor in--quick,
And let him prescribe for your pain."

"Never mind," said the Tortoise. "Let's run!

Will you bet me?" "Why, certainly." "Done!"
While the slow Tortoise creeps
Mr. Hare makes four leaps,
And then loafs around in the sun.

It seemed such a one-sided race

To win was almost a disgrace.
So he frolicked about
Then at last he set out--
As the Tortoise was as nearing the place.

Too late! Though he sped like a dart,

The Tortoise was first. She was smart:
"You can surely run fast,"
She remarked. "Yet you're last.
It is better to get a good start."

“The race is not always to the swift.”