Near an apple tree grew a rose bush．The rose bush saw how much she was admired and said，Who can compare with me，and who is as worthy as I am？My flowers look so beautiful and smell so sweet．True，the apple tree is bigger than I，but what p...
Walk straight，said a mother crab to her daughter，stop dragging yourself sideways all the time． Mother，replied the daughter，just show me how．If you walk straight yourself I will copy you． Don't expect people to do things you would not do...
At the time when Fan，a nobleman of the state of Jin，became a fugitive，a commoner found a bell in Fan's house and wanted to carry it off on his back．But the bell was too big for him．When he tried to knock the bell into pieces with a hammer i...
A peacock，spreading its gorgeous plumage，mocked a cranethat passed by，ridiculing the ashen hue of its feathers，I am robed，like a king，in gold and purple，looking as splendid as the rainbow；while you have not a bit of colour on your win...
A man from the state of Chu was crossing a river in a boat when his sword fell into the water．Immediately he made a mark on the boat．This is where my sword fell off，he said．When the boat stopped moving，he jumped into the water to look for h...
A man from the state of Chu was crossing a river in a boat when his sword fell into the water．Immediately he made a mark on the boat．This is where my sword fell off，he said．When the boat stopped moving，he jumped into the water to look for h...
A wild boar was whetting his tusks against a tree，when a fox passing by asked why he did so．For，said he，I see no reason for it；there is neither a hunter nor a hound in sight，nor any other danger that I can see at hand．True，replied the...
One day a fox fell into a well and could not scramble out again．The water was not very deep，but the sides of the well were smoothand were covered with slippery moss so that every time the fox struggled up a few inches，he slipped down again with...
A mule that had grown fat and wanton on too great an allowance of corn，was one day jumping and kicking about，and at length，cock-ing up her tail，exclaimed，My dam was a racer，and I am quite as good as ever she was．But being soon exhausted...
A mule that had grown fat and wanton on too great an allowance of corn，was one day jumping and kicking about，and at length，cock-ing up her tail，exclaimed，My dam was a racer，and I am quite as good as ever she was．But being soon exhausted...
A wolf accused a fox of theft，but the latter entirely denied the charge．An ape undertook to judge the matter between them．When each had fully stated his case，the ape pronounced this sentence；I do not think you，wolf，ever lost what you cl...
If only I could fly，sighed a tortoise one day，looking up at thebirds whirling and gliding far above him．what a different person I would be．It's just a question of getting off the ground．If I could get high enough in the air I could soar as...
In the state of Song there was a farmer in whose fields stood a tree stump．A hare which was running very fast dashed against the stump and died，having broken its neck．So the farmer abandoned his plough and waited by the tree stump，hoping to g...
Once upon a time the rivers combined against the sea，and con-verging into a whole，accused her，Why is it that when we rivers pour our water into you so fresh and Sweet，you straightway render it salty and unpalatable？The sea，observing the t...
A man of the state of Chu had a spear and a shield for sale．Hew as loud in praises of his shield．My shield is so strong that nothing can pierce it through． He also sang praises of his spear．My spear is so sharp that it can pierce through anyt...
