The Hart admires his antlers and dislikes his slim and slight legs. When escaping from a hunter, his legs swiftly carry him away, but his antlers get caught in a tree. This allows the hunter to come up on him. Sometimes we don’t appreciate what is most important. What is most valuable, the beautiful antlers or the skinny legs?
Nature and the movement of clouds at dusk ignite the author's imagination.
The author uses the example of two faulty clocks to make a point.
A Fox was boasting to a Cat of his hundred ways of excaping enemies. When they heard a pack of houds coming the Cat ran up a tree and hid. The Fox though of many ways to escape, and while he debated the hounds caught him and the hungers killed him.
The Fox served the Stork soup in a shallow dish. The Stork could not lap it up. The Stork served the Fox dinner in a long-necked jar into which the Fox could not lap. Does one bad turn deserve another?
An animal being chased by hounds hids in the hay in a barn. When the hunters come into the barn they are told by the stable boys that they could see nothing. Shortly afterwards the master came in. He saw something unusual. He asked what the things sticking out of the hay might be. The Hart was discovered and done away with. Moral: Nothing escapes the eye of the master.
After telling Mistress Crow how much he admires her, Master Fox is able to trick her into dropping her meal. Master Fox snaps it up and eats it. Mistress Crow learns a hard lesson about insincere compliments.
The Whip-Poor-Will sings a sad song throughout the night.
Brownie became pinned under the tree until he managed to gnaw his way out. When he got back to town he refused to tell anyone about his experience under the tree for fear of embarassment.
A little Mouse wakened a sleeping Lion. Just as the Lion was about to eat the Mouse the Mouse cried out that he should be spared. Someday he might be able to do a good turn for the Lion. The Lion let the Mouse go. Much later, when the Lion was trapped the mouse gnawed the ropes holding him.
Jupiter and Venus argue if a living being can change its nature. Jupiter changes a cat into a maiden and has her marry. Venus lets loose a mouse during the wedding to see how she reacts. The maiden pounces on the mouse.
The Hare boasted of never being beaten in a race. The Tortoise accepted this challenge. The Hare stopped during the race for a nap and woke to find the Tortise about to cross the finish line.
A frog in an attempt to prove he is bigger than an ox blows himself up until he bursts. Be careful about how great you need to be. It can lead to your demise.
The author describes his love for his wife.
A cat-and-mouse game between Miss Moppet, a cat, and a tiny mischievous mouse.
A shepherd boy falsely cries “wolf” twice just to get excitement from the villiage people, but when a real wolf comes and he cries “wolf” again, no one comes to his rescue. moral: no one believes a liar even when he tells the truth.
A herdsman loses a calf. He bargains with the deities. He will sacrifice a lamb if they will help him find the calf. Next he discovers a lion eating his calf and adds a full-grow bull to the sacrifice just to escape the lion with his own life.
A man takes revenge on a serpent that killed his son by cutting his tail. The serpent takes revenge on the man by killing his cattle. When both are satisfied with their revenge, the man tries to be friends with the serpent, but the serpent cannot forgive the loss of his tail. Moral: Injuries may be forgiven, but not forgotten.
Seeing that the Lion appeared to be dying, a Goat, Sheep, and a Calf came to receive the last wishes of the Lord of Beasts. Soon the Lion seemed to recover and saw a Fox. He asked why the fox did not come to pay his respects. The Fox responded that he saw hoof-marks going into the Lion’s cave and none coming out.
A country man sows hemp seeds and a swallow warns the birds to eat all the seeds up, the birds did not take the swallow’s advice and the seeds grew into a net of cords that caught the birds. Moral: destroy evil before it destroys you.
The author marvels at the natural beauty of the Florida Landscape.
An ode to the Florida Cypress.
Two Fellows were traveling through a wood. A Bear rushed out upon them. One traveler hid himself among the leaves of a branch from a tree. The other threw himself on the ground. The Bear after much sniffing walked away. The fellow in the tree asked what Master Bruin whispered. His friend answered, “Never trust a friend who deserts you at a pinch.”
A lad tricks the Deil to get into a nut, and he asks a smith to crack it open.
Mother and the children continue to watch the life of the Orioles and other neighboring bird families.