(_Adapted for Children, Three to Nine Years._)
One day a selfish Boy saw a jar of nuts. He put his hand into the jar and grasped as many as his hand could hold. As the mouth of the jar was small he could not pull his hand out, so he became frightened and began to cry. “I can’t get my hand out!” he whined. A boy standing near said, “Take only half as many, and you can easily get your hand out!”
Once there was a man who had a wonderful Goose that laid for him every day a fine golden egg. But the man wanted to get all the golden eggs at once. So he killed the Goose and cut her open, but found she was like all other geese. So he lost the Goose he had because he was so greedy and impatient.
Once a hungry Cow came to a manger full of hay. But a Dog was lying there, snarling and barking, and would not let the Cow come near the hay. “Mr. Dog,” mooed the Cow, “How selfish you are; you cannot eat the hay yourself, and you will let no one else have any of it.”
In a forest a Toadstool once sprang up in a night. Early the next morning, as soon as the first passer-by touched it with his foot, the Toadstool fell to the earth and its life was ended. A little Acorn grew and grew and grew during more than one hundred years, and it is still standing strong and tall in the forest.
One day some boys at play were throwing stones into a pond at some frogs. At last one old Frog peeped up out of the water and said, “Boys, why are you so cruel?” “We are only playing!” shouted the boys. The old Frog croaked back: “It may be fun for you, but remember it is death to us. Do to us as you would like us to do to you.”
Once a little Ant went down to the river to drink. He fell into the water and began to drown. Just then a Dove, perched on a tree, saw him and quickly dropped down a leaf, which served as a little boat on which the Ant sailed safely to the shore. “Thank you,” said the Ant as he shook his wet feet, “I shall not forget this.” Next day a Hunter was aiming his bow and arrow straight at the Dove when the Ant bit his foot, making the man jump, and the Dove flew away.
A Fox who was hungry saw some large, juicy grapes on a vine high up in a tree. “How good they will taste,” said he; “I am going to have some of them.” Then he gave a run and leaped as high as he could, but the grapes were still far above his head. He could not reach them no matter how high he jumped. At last he trotted off in a rage, muttering, “I know those are sour grapes and not worth eating.”