Aesop's Fables
“The Man and the Wood”
by Aesop
A Man with an axe begged the Trees for a branch. The good-natured Trees gave him one of their branches. The man fixed it into the axe and began cutting down trees.
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Aesop's Fables
“The Man and His Two Wives”
by Aesop
A man’s two wives each want his hair a different way.
Aesop's Fables
“Avaricious and Envious”
by Aesop
Two neighbors were in constant competition with each other, so Jupiter granted them a wish to teach them a lesson.
Aesop's Fables
“The Fawn and His Mother”
by Aesop
A young fawn asks his mother why she is afraid of barking hounds. He points out how much faster, larger, and well armed with horns she is. Her answer shows her lack of courage.
Songs of the Wind on a Southern Shore, and other Poems of Florida
“Valentine to an Island Love”
by George E. Merrick
The author's valentine to his wife.
Aesop's Fables
“The Fisher and the Little Fish”
by Aesop
After fishing all day a fisherman has ony caught a tiny fish. The Fish begs to be put back in the water. The fisherman does not do so.
Aesop's Fables
“The Fox and the Grapes”
by Aesop
A Fox wants a bunch of Grapes to quench his thirst. He jumps to reach them several times. He is not able to reach them. As he leaves he decideds the grapes are probably sour and he wouldn’t like them anyway.
The Story of Siegfried
The After Word
by James Baldwin
A final note from Baldwin regarding how he constructed his Story of Siegfried.
Aesop's Fables
“The Ant and the Grasshopper”
by Aesop
The ants have plenty. The grasshopper is starving. He begs for food. The ants point out that he could have stored up food for winter.
Aesop's Fables
“The Father and His Sons”
by Aesop
A fable about a father whose sons were not able to get along.
Aesop's Fables
“The Bundle of Sticks”
by Aesop
A father teaches his sons the value of working together.
Aesop's Fables
“The Jay and the Peacock”
by Aesop
A Jay ties peacock feathers to his tail to appear more grandiose. The peacocks plucked away the feathers. The jays would not accept him back saying it takes more than fine feathers to make fine birds.
Aesop's Fables
“The Man and the Lion”
by Aesop
A Man and a Lion each boast of their strength. Upon seeing a statue of a Man strangling a Lion the Man points out how strong man is. The Lion replies that if the statue had been made by Lions Man would be under the Lion’s paw.
Aesop's Fables
“The Rooster and the Pearl”
by Aesop
The Rooster uncovers a precious pearl beneath the hay in the barnyard. Knowing it was a treasure in the world of people, he was not excited about what he had found for himself.
Aesop's Fables
“The Wolf and the Kid”
by Aesop
A Kid perched on top of a house saw a Wolf passing by. He began to shout angrily at the Wolf. Moral: It is easy to be brave from a safe distance.
Aesop's Fables
“Hercules and the Waggoner”
by Aesop
A Waggoner’s wheels sank deep into the mud. The horses could not pull it out. He prayed to Hercules for help. Hercules told him to help himself by helping the horses pull.
Songs of the Wind on a Southern Shore, and other Poems of Florida
“Gulfstorm Song”
by George E. Merrick
A gulf storm evokes memories of childhood.
Aesop's Fables
“The Kingdom of the Lion”
by Aesop
The king of beasts, the Lion, makes an effort to bring peace between all of the birds and beasts over which he has reign. Having completed his ruling, one of the animals has a comment. This fable has a surprise ending.
Aesop's Fables
“The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing”
by Aesop
This story gave rise to the idiom: “A wolf in sheep’s clothing.” A wolf covers himself with a sheepskin so he can hide in a herd of sheep. His plan is to get close to a sheep so he can attack successfully.
Aesop's Fables
“The Farmer and the Cranes”
by Aesop
First a farmer chases cranes out of his field. When they keep returning he shoots rocks at them with a sling shot. If words don’t work you must fight.
Peter Rabbit and Other Stories
“The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit”
by Beatrix Potter
The story of a good rabbit and a very naughty bad one.
Seven O’Clock Stories
“Eighth Night: The Prettiest Fairy Story in the World”
by Robert Gordon Anderson
Mother teaches the three children how to garden and describes it as a fairy story to peak their interest. When their hard work is finished, the reap the benefits from their personal gardens.
Songs of the Wind on a Southern Shore, and other Poems of Florida
“Gulf Stream Phosphorescence”
by George E. Merrick
Starlight reflects off the ocean.
Aesop's Fables
“The Bats, the Birds, and the Beasts”
by Aesop
The beasts and the birds are preparing for a conflict. Each group invites the bat to join with them. After the conflict is settled the bat wishes to be friends but neither group will have him.
Aesop's Fables
“The Tortoise and the Eagle”
by Aesop
A turtle who wishes to fly is destroyed when the wish is fulfilled. As the turtle is dying the realization comes that we should be careful what we wish for.