Read the stories below, and then, find the correct proverb that represents each story!

The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey

A MAN and his son were once going with their Donkey to market. As they were walking
along by its side a countryman passed them and said: “You fools, what is a Donkey for but to
ride upon?”
So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way. But soon they passed a
group of men, one of whom said: “See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he
rides.”
So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. But they hadn’t gone far when
they passed two women, one of whom said to the other: “Shame on that lazy lout to let his
poor little son trudge along.”
Well, the Man didn’t know what to do, but at last he took his Boy up before him on the
Donkey. By this time they had come to the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point
at them. The Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at. The men said: “Aren’t you
ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor Donkey of yours—you and your hulking son?
The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do. They thought and they thought, till
at last they cut down a pole, tied the Donkey’s feet to it, and raised the pole and the Donkey
to their shoulders. They went along amid the laughter of all who met them till they came to
Market Bridge, when the Donkey, getting one of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the
Boy to drop his end of the pole. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and his fore-
feet being tied together he was drowned.

Proverb: If you try to please all you will please none.

Meaning: The man tried to be perfect in everbody eyes, in reality everyone will find his
mistake in every way.
 The Scorpion and the Frog

One day, a scorpion looked around at the mountain where he lived and decided that he
wanted a change. So he set out on a journey through the forests and hills. He climbed over
rocks and under vines and kept going until he reached a river.
The river was wide and swift, and the scorpion stopped to reconsider the situation. He
couldn't see any way across. So he ran upriver and then checked downriver, all the while
thinking that he might have to turn back.
Suddenly, he saw a frog sitting in the rushes by the bank of the stream on the other side of the
river. He decided to ask the frog for help getting across the stream.
"Hellooo Mr. Frog!" called the scorpion across the water, "Would you be so kind as to give
me a ride on your back across the river?"
"Well now, Mr. Scorpion! How do I know that if I try to help you, you wont try to kill me?"
asked the frog hesitantly.
"Because," the scorpion replied, "If I try to kill you, then I would die too, for you see I cannot
swim!"
Now this seemed to make sense to the frog. But he asked. "What about when I get close to
the bank? You could still try to kill me and get back to the shore!"
"This is true," agreed the scorpion, "But then I wouldn't be able to get to the other side of the
river!"
"Alright then...how do I know you wont just wait till we get to the other side and THEN kill
me?" said the frog.
"Ahh...," crooned the scorpion, "Because you see, once you've taken me to the other side of
this river, I will be so grateful for your help, that it would hardly be fair to reward you with
death, now would it?!"
So the frog agreed to take the scorpion across the river. He swam over to the bank and settled
himself near the mud to pick up his passenger. The scorpion crawled onto the frog's back, his
sharp claws prickling into the frog's soft hide, and the frog slid into the river. The muddy
water swirled around them, but the frog stayed near the surface so the scorpion would not
drown. He kicked strongly through the first half of the stream, his flippers paddling wildly
against the current.
Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner
of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from the frog's back. A deadening numbness
began to creep into his limbs.
"You fool!" croaked the frog, "Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?"
The scorpion shrugged, and did a little jig on the drowning frog's back.
"I could not help myself. It is my nature."
Then they both sank into the muddy waters of the swiftly flowing river.

Proverb: People will always be who they are.

Meaning: Even though the frog helped the scorpion, the scorpion will naturally stings the
frog because it is it nature to sting things.
 The Rabbit and the Turtle
One day a rabbit was boasting about how fast he could run. He was laughing at
the turtle for being so slow. Much to the rabbit’s surprise, the turtle challenged
him to a race. The rabbit thought this was a good joke and accepted the challenge.
The fox was to be the umpire of the race. As the race began, the rabbit raced way
ahead of the turtle, just like everyone thought.
The rabbit got to the halfway point and could not see the turtle anywhere. He was
hot and tired and decided to stop and take a short nap. Even if the turtle passed
him, he would be able to race to the finish line ahead of him. All this time the
turtle kept walking step by step by step. He never quit no matter how hot or tired
he got. He just kept going.
However, the rabbit slept longer than he had thought and woke up. He could not
see the turtle anywhere! He went at full speed to the finish line but found the turtle
there waiting for him.

Proverb: It doesn’t matter how fast you can go, so as long as you don’t stop.
Meaning: Even though the turtle is slow, he is consistent with every step he takes
to the finish line, not like the rabbit who is too confident and ended up losing the
race.
 The Old Man and His Grandson

“Pap!” Trevor’s mom yelled. “Look what you have done. My new table cloth is ruined!”
Trevor looked at his Grandpa. The old man’s hand shook and he hung his head in
shame. A few drops of bright orange soup dribbled out of his mouth and down his chin.
“I can’t take this anymore,” the angry woman told her husband. “He’s ruining
everything!”. More awesome Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

The next morning at the breakfast, Trevor’s grandpa was not sitting with the family at the
table. “Where’s grandpa?” Trevor asked. Turning his head, he saw him sitting in the
corner. Grandpa’s meal bowl of oatmeal was on a tray table in front of him. He seemed
to be shaking more than ever.

Travor picked up his own breakfast and went to join his grandpa. “Get back here Trevor,”
his mother said. “Sit at the table and eat your breakfast with the family”,”But I want to eat
with grandpa,” he said. “Sit down!” his mother repeated. Trevor obeyed his mother and
ate the oatmeal in silence. When his mother passed a dish with his favorite pastry on it,
he pushed it away. “May I be excused?” she asked.

CRASH! Everyone turned to look. The tray table was on its side and the bowl was
broken. Oatmeal was splattered everywhere. “Not another broken bowl,” Trevor’s mother
cried. “That’s it! We have to buy plastic bowls for you,” she screamed at her father-in-
law. “Act like a baby and we’ll treat you like one!”

That night, Trevor’s father came home from the store with plastic bowls and cups for his
father. Day after day, the old man sat alone in the corner eating and drinking out of
plastic bowls and cups. There were no more broken dishes. Also read, Story Of The
Twelve Dancing Princesses.

One evening before dinner, Trevor’s father saw his little boy sitting on his bed with a
small pile of coins. His piggy bank was empty. “What are you doing?” his father asked.
“Counting my money!” Trevor said. “What for?” asked his father. “I need to see if I have
enough money to buy some plastic dishes!” he replied.
His mother peeked her head in the door. “What for?” she asked. “I need to start buying
plastic dishes for you and Daddy, so when you’re old, you won’t break any of my dishes.
I don’t want you to ruin my things when I grow up!” the boy said to his parents.

Trevor’s mother looked at his father and started to cry. She ran out of the room and
down the hall to her father-in-law’s room, walked over to him and kissed him on the
cheek. She said, “I’m so sorry for the way I’ve treated you. Pap. Will you forgive me?” A
tear spilled out across the old man’s cheek. “Come!” she said to him reaching out her
hand for his. “Dinner’s ready!”

That night, the family ate together at the dining room table and every meal after that.
Everyone ate from the good china and when Grandpa spilled something on the table
cloth, instead of yelling at him, Trevor’s mother simply wiped it up and smiled. You may
also like, Rumpelstiltskin Story.

Trevor’s parents didn’t realise how badly they were treating his grandpa. Now, as Trevor
planned to treat them the same way, suddenly they understood.

Proverb: Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Meaning: Trevor’s mother scolded her father because he broke a glass bowl by
accident, seeing that Trevor is scared when his mother became old he will have to buy
some plastic bowl, so he saved up some money. Trevor’s mom is being treated the
same way like she treated his father.