THE FABLES: 1. THE STAG AT THE POOL - 2. THE FOX AND THE GOAT - 3. THE LION, THE ASS AND THE FOX
Aesop's fables

1. “THE STAG AT THE POOL”

Overcome with thirst, a Stag came to a spring and drank his fill. When he saw his own shadow reflected in the water, “How magnificent my horns are! - he said - Tall, wide, beamy…My legs, oh no, I don't like them at all: they are slender, too weak , I am afraid they couldn't hold me and break in the end.” While he was looking down on them, a Lion appeared at the pool. The Stag immediately took to run like the wind, and as long as the plain was smooth and open, he kept himself easily very far from the Lion. But when the plain lead to a wood he was hampered by his horns, which got entangled in the branches and as he was no more able to free himself the Lion quickly came up to him and caught him. Dying, he thus reproached himself: "Woe is me! How I have deceived myself! I despised these legs which would have saved me, while these antlers which I gloried in, have been my destruction."

2. “THE FOX AND THE GOAT”

A Fox one day fell into a deep well and could find no means of escape. A thirsty Goat, came to the same well, and seeing the Fox, inquired if the water was good. That was an unexpected luck. “Is it good? - said he- descend, my dear friend, as this water is really delicious!” The Goat, stunned by his thirst, thoughtlessly jumped down and drank satisfying his thirst. Then, he had a careful look around and said- “And now what can we do to climb up again?” -
-“You're right, it's a trickey affair; but there's a way to save you and me. If," said he, "you will place your forefeet upon the wall and bend your head, I will run up your back and escape, and will help you out afterwards. All right?"
-“OK”-assented the kindly goat- “let's do your way”. After the Fox had leaped upon his back and steadying himself with the Goat's horns, he had safely reached the mouth of the well, he went away as fast as he could.
- “Are you going away and breaking your promise? Why are you betraying me?”
The Fox turned around and cried out, "Foolish old fellow! If you had as many brains in your head as you have hairs in your beard, you would never have gone down before thinking how to come up.”

3. “THE LION, THE ASS AND THE FOX”

One day, the Lion, the Ass and the Fox entered into an agreement and went out into the forest to hunt together. Having got a large game, the Lion ordered the Ass to share it out.
The Ass carefully divided it into three equal shares: “Here you are: Now choose, will you?”.-
The Lion angry with him, seized the Ass and devoured him. Then he told the Fox -”Now, you make the division”.
The Fox prepared one large share, keeping to himself just some small bits; then he asked the Lion to choose.
-“Who has taught you to arrange these perfect shares?”-
- “I learned it from the Ass's misfortune” - answered the Fox.

For children: Didactics and creative games with Aesop's fables