THE EAGLE AND THE BEETLE

A Beetle once begged the Eagle to spare a Hare which had run to her for protection. But the Eagle pounced upon her prey, the sweep of her great wings tumbling the Beetle a dozen feet away. Furious at the disrespect shown her, the Beetle flew to the Eagle's nest and rolled out the eggs. Not one did she spare. The Eagle's grief and anger knew no bounds, but who had done the cruel deed she did not know.

Next year the Eagle built her nest far up on a mountain crag; but the Beetle found it and again destroyed the eggs. In despair the Eagle now implored great Jupiter to let her place her eggs in his lap. There none would dare harm them. But the Beetle buzzed about Jupiter's head, and made him rise to drive her away; and the eggs rolled from his lap.

Now the Beetle told the reason for her action, and Jupiter had to acknowledge the justice of her cause. And they say that ever after, while the Eagle's eggs lie in the nest in spring, the Beetle still sleeps in the ground. For so Jupiter commanded.

Moral: Even the weakest may find means to avenge a wrong.


Reflection: In life, people in higher level always expect that the weak people don't know much. But we shouldn't judge them that way, because by observing, they can also pin point the wrong ones. God made us all equal and so, we must respect and treat one another equally.

THE ANT AND THE DOVE

A Dove saw an Ant fall into a brook. The Ant struggled in vain to reach the bank, and in pity, the Dove dropped a blade of straw close beside it. Clinging to the straw like a shipwrecked sailor to a broken spar, the Ant floated safely to shore.

Soon after, the Ant saw a man getting ready to kill the Dove with a stone. But just as he cast the stone, the Ant stung him in the heel, so that the pain made him miss his aim, and the startled Dove flew to safety in a distant wood.

Moral: A kindness is never wasted.


Reflection: In this fable,the Dove helped the ant. And so, when the ant saw that the dove is in trouble and needs help, he showed kindness by helping the dove with out any hesitation.
For us, we offer help to anyone who is in need. And so, our kindness is not worthless because for sure in time that we are the one in need, there's always a hand ready to help.

BELLING THE CAT

The Mice once called a meeting to decide on a plan to free themselves of their enemy, the Cat. At least they wished to find some way of knowing when she was coming, so they might have time to run away. Indeed, something had to be done, for they lived in such constant fear of her claws that they hardly dared stir from their dens by night or day.

Many plans were discussed, but none of them was thought good enough. At last a very young Mouse got up and said:

"I have a plan that seems very simple, but I know it will be successful. All we have to do is to hang a bell about the Cat's neck. When we hear the bell ringing we will know immediately that our enemy is coming."

All the Mice were much surprised that they had not thought of such a plan before. But in the midst of the rejoicing over their good fortune, an old Mouse arose and said:

"I will say that the plan of the young Mouse is very good. But let me ask one question: Who will bell the Cat?"

Moral: It is one thing to say that something should be done, but quite a different matter to do it.


Reflection:  Sometimes, it easy to say that something  should be done but in reality is difficult to be done. For the sake for other people, you should take the risk if you really want something as a result, just like in the fable, if none of them will do what is being suggested, they will continue to live without security. There goes a saying" action speaks louder than words"

THE FIGHTING BULLS AND THE FROG

Two Bulls were fighting furiously in a field, at one side of which was a marsh. An old Frog living in the marsh, trembled as he watched the fierce battle.

"What are you afraid of?" asked a young Frog.

"Do you not see," replied the old Frog, "that the Bull who is beaten, will be driven away from the good forageup there to the reeds of this marsh, and we shall all be trampled into the mud?"

It turned out as the Frog had said. The beaten Bull was driven to the marsh, where his great hoofs crushed the Frogs to death.

Moral: When the great fall out, the weak must suffer for it.
Reflection: As a country, we have a leader to lead us. But in times that our leader or "the great one" to be compared in the story fall out or made a mistake, the citizens suffers for it, because the actions of the great one doesn't only affects himself but the also the people under him.

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."

Moral: Poverty with security is better than plenty in the midst of fear and uncertainty.


Reflection: In this story, the country mouse thought that living with wealth is heaven, but when he experienced living in a city, eating delicious foods but in the other hand, is always afraid and no assurance of security. He realized that its better to live a simple yet peaceful life.
For us, we also aim for wealth but it was never in our goal to live a life with wealth but feels like your a criminal for your hiding all the time and living with out security. So just like the country mouse,we must realize as soon as now that its better to live with a simple  life with security and with put any guilt of doing something bad.

THE MISER

A Miser had buried his gold in a secret place in his garden. Every day he went to the spot, dug up the treasure and counted it piece by piece to make sure it was all there. He made so many trips that a Thief, who had been observing him, guessed what it was the Miser had hidden, and one night quietly dug up the treasure and made off with it.

When the Miser discovered his loss, he was overcome with grief and despair. He groaned and cried and tore his hair.

A passerby heard his cries and asked what had happened.

"My gold! O my gold!" cried the Miser, wildly, "someone has robbed me!"

"Your gold! There in that hole? Why did you put it there? Why did you not keep it in the house where you could easily get it when you had to buy things?"

"Buy!" screamed the Miser angrily. "Why, I never touched the gold. I couldn't think of spending any of it."

The stranger picked up a large stone and threw it into the hole.

"If that is the case," he said, "cover up that stone. It is worth just as much to you as the treasure you lost!"

MOral: A possession is worth no more than the use we make of it.


Reflection: There comes a time when we treasure a thing so much and because of this, we prefer not to make use of it and reserve for another time when it is already worth it. But we don't know that as day pass by without using it, we lost the opportunity to enjoy the usage of that treasured object. 
The importance of a treasured object does not lay on how long you keep it safe and unused, its the matter on how you use and enjoy it as a reward to yourself.

THE TWO POTS

Two Pots, one of brass and the other of clay, stood together on the hearthstone. One day the Brass Pot proposed to the Earthen Pot that they go out into the world together. But the Earthen Pot excused himself, saying that it would be wiser for him to stay in the corner by the fire.

"It would take so little to break me," he said. "You know how fragile I am. The least shock is sure to shatter me!"

"Don't let that keep you at home," urged the Brass Pot. "I shall take very good care of you. If we should happen to meet anything hard I will step between and save you."

So the Earthen Pot at last consented, and the two set out side by side, jolting along on three stubby legs first to this side, then to that, and bumping into each other at every step.

The Earthen Pot could not survive that sort of companionship very long. They had not gone ten paces before the Earthen Pot cracked, and at the next jolt he flew into a thousand pieces.

Moral: Equals make the best friends.


Reflection: Equality is very important in any relationship especially in friendships. In order to make the best friendship, two must work together, it must be a give and take relationship in order to survive. No one is on the top, no one is under the other. No one has bigger responsibility nor has lesser. It must be equal and as best friends you can trust and relie to each other.

THE FISHERMAN AND THE LITTLE FISH

A poor Fisherman, who lived on the fish he caught, had bad luck one day and caught nothing but a very small fry. The Fisherman was about to put it in his basket when the little Fish said:

"Please spare me, Mr. Fisherman! I am so small it is not worth while to carry me home. When I am bigger, I shall make you a much better meal."
But the Fisherman quickly put the fish into his basket.

"How foolish I should be," he said, "to throw you back. However small you may be, you are better than nothing at all."

Moral: A small gain is worth more than a large promise.


Reflection: Life is full of promises and we never loose hope for it. But in times our needs are immediate, we need to be contended even in small things than to wait and wait with out assurance if that will even come true.

THE TRAVELERS AND THE PURSE

Two men were traveling in company along the road when one of them picked up a well-filled purse.

"How lucky I am!" he said. "I have found a purse. Judging by its weight it must be full of gold."

"Do not say 'I have found a purse,'" said his companion. "Say rather 'we have found a purse' and 'how lucky we are.' Travelers ought to share alike the fortunes or misfortunes of the road."

"No, no," replied the other angrily. "I found it and I am going to keep it."

Just then they heard a shout of "Stop, thief!" and looking around, saw a mob of people armed with clubs coming down the road.

The man who had found the purse fell into a panic.

"We are lost if they find the purse on us," he cried.

"No, no," replied the other, "You would not say 'we' before, so now stick to your 'I'. Say 'I am lost.'"

Moral: We cannot expect any one to share our misfortunes unless we are willing to share our good fortune also.


Reflection: There are really people who share their misfortunes to you but seems to be blind to share their good fortune. It is unfair for the one being shared by misfortune. So in all aspects of life,if we wish to have some people whom you can relay on and share not only your misfortunes but also your fortunes, be fair and don't hesitate to share what you have because for sure, they will also do the same . 

The Frogs Desiring a King
Illustrated by Heidi Finn

Moral: Better no rule than cruel rule

Reflection: As citizens and members, we always aim for a leader or a ruler to guide us. But in cases like this, the frogs were not satisfied by what their lord had given to them, and so their lord sent a stork and gave them pain. Going back to us people, we all have the abilities to be a leader and to rule, if God doesn't give us any leader it means that we should act as one this is much better than to have a leader who give cruel rules.

The Wind and the Sun
Illustrated by Kwang Dong

The Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger. Suddenly they saw a traveller coming down the road, and the Sun said: "I see a way to decide our dispute. Whichever of us can cause that traveller to take off his cloak shall be regarded as the stronger. You begin." So the Sun retired behind a cloud, and the Wind began to blow as hard as it could upon the traveller. But the harder he blew the more closely did the traveller wrap his cloak round him, till at last the Wind had to give in despair. Then the Sun came out and shone in all his glory upon the traveller, who soon found it too hot to walk with his cloak on. Kindness affects more than severity.