Fabulele bilingve

Povestiri Din Fabule
Authors – Aesop (Esop) and Lev Tolstoi
Istorioare scurte bilingve
pentru citire, vorbire, și
scris în cadrul activităților
de învățarea limbii
Române.
Short bilingual stories
for reading, speaking,
and writing in the
framework of learning
the Romanian language.
Ana Ionesi
Portland, Oregon
April 2020

Online Resources
English Aesop’s Fables - http://www.read.gov/aesop/001.html
https://sites.google.com/site/povesteapreferata/home/furnica-si-porumbita
https://www.kids-pages.com/stories.htm
https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/35/aesops-fables
CUVÎNT ÎNAINTE
Marele scriitor rus Lev Nikolaievici Tolstoi s-a născut, a crescut şi a trăit o bună parte din viaţă în mediul sătesc, la Iasnaia
Poliana. El i-a iubit mult pe copii şi a închinat o seamă de povestiri şi basme celor din Iasnaia Poliana.
Aceste povestiri şi basme Tolstoi le-a publicat pentru prima dată prin anii 1874— 1875 în „Abecedarul" şi în „Cărţi ruseşti
pentru citit". Cu ajutorul lor mulţi copii au învăţat să citească şi să scrie. Tolstoi a inclus în ele o sumedenie de istorioare şi
legende din literatura antică, luate din viaţa diferitelor popoare ale lumii.
Copiilor de azi le sînt prea bine cunoscute povestirile şi basmele ca “Motanul Și Șoarecii", „Trei urşi", „Lupul Și Capra",
„Măgarul În Piele de Leu", „Găina Și Ouăle De Aur" şi altele.
Pe lîngă aceste prime cărţi ale scriitorului, vor intra acum în lectura copiilor şi fabulele lui Lev Tolstoi.
FOREWORD
The great Russian writer Lev Nikolaievich Tolstoy was born, raised and lived much of his life in a village, in Yasnaia
Poliana. He loved children very much and dedicated a number of stories and fairy tales to the people of Yasnaia Poliana.
These stories and fairy tales Tolstoy first published in 1874–1875 in "The Abecedar" and "Russian Books for Reading".
With their help many children have learned to read and write. Tolstoy included in them a wealth of stories and legends
from ancient literature, taken from the lives of the various peoples of the world. Today's children are well aware of
stories and fairy tales such as “The Cat And The Mice", "Three Bears", „The Wolf and The Goat", „The Ass In the Lion’s
Skin", "The Hen And The Golden Eggs" and others. In addition to these first books by the writer, now these stories will
enter the children's reading books of fables by Lev Tolstoy.

Aceste povestiri sunt puse în ordinea în care însuşi scriitorul le-a pregătit pentru tipar. Cartea începe cu fabulele
cele mai simple, apoi vin altele mai complicate...
Lui Lev Tolstoi îi plăceau din cale afară fabulele scurte şi simple ieşite de sub pana înţeleptului fabulist al
antichităţii, grecul Esop. Pentru a le putea traduce cu fidelitate pe talentatul fabulist, scriitorul rus a învăţat limba
greacă veche, și a citit numeroase cărţi.
Traducînd fabulele lui Esop, Lev Tolstoi includea în ele fie o zicătoare (ca în „Naufragiu"), fie o poveste populară (ca
în „Vulpea şi Potcanul"), fie că le transforma într-o povestire din viaţa de toate zilele (vezi „Cei doi prieteni"). El
introducea acţiunea fabulelor în mediul natal, aşa încît ele deveneau basme ruseşti, opere de sine stătătoare ale
marelui scriitor.
Fabulele lui Lev Tolstoi îi atrage în egală măsură atît pe copii cît şi pe oamenii adulţi, ca nişte povestiri fabuloase, în
care totul este captivant şi plin de învăţăminte. Dar fabula, spre deosebire de poveste, include în ea întotdeauna o
ironie înţepătoare sau un avertisment fioros. Apoi, ea este scurtă şi pe înţelesul tuturor.
These stories are in the order in which the writer himself prepared them for printing. The book begins with the
simplest fables, then comes the more complicated ones... Lev Tolstoy enjoyed very much the short, simple fables that
came out from under the feather of the famous fabulist of antiquity, the Greek Aesop. In order to faithfully translate
the talented fabulist, the Russian writer learned ancient Greek, and read numerous books. Translating The fables of
Aesop, Lev Tolstoy included in them either a saying (as in "The Shipwreck") or a popular story (as in "The Fox and the
Potcan"), or he would turn them into a story from everyday life (see "The Two Friends"). He introduced the action of
fables into his native environment, so that they became Russian fairy tales, works in their own right of the great writer.
Lev Tolstoy's fables interest both children and adult people as fabulous stories, in which everything is captivating and
full of lessons. But the fable, as in comparison with short stories, always include an strong irony or a severe
prewarning. Then the fable is short and easily understood by everybody.

Fabulele antichităţii se terminau totdeauna cu o concluzie sau cu o morală. Lev
Tolstoi renunţă la aceste finalizări, păstrînd doar acţiunea şi caracterele
personajelor, fiind încredinţat că toţi copiii vor trage învăţămintele de rigoare.
Eroii cărţii lui Lev Tolstoi sunt variaţi. Sunt oameni, sunt zei, sunt dobitoace, dar
oricare ar fi înfăţişarea lor, autorul povesteşte despre ei adresîndu-se în primul
rând copiilor. De aceea poate uneori avem impresia că eroii săi nu sînt decât nişte
băieţi şi fetiţe purtând măşti de carnaval. Fiindcă ba ici, ba colo, scapără de sub
masca deplasată o privire poznaşă, plină de inteligenţă. Această particularitate a
fabulelor se străduieşte să o păstreze în ilustraţiile sale pictorul Mihail Romadin.
Eduard Babaev
https://ebooksromania.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/furnica-si-porumbita1.doc
The fables of antiquity always ended with a conclusion or a moral. Lev Tolstoy renounces these completions,
keeping only the action and characters of the players, being confident that all children will draw the necessary
assumptions. The heroes of Lev Tolstoy's book are varied. They're people, they’re deities, but whatever their
appearance, the author tells their story addressing the children first. That's why maybe sometimes we get the
impression that his heroes are just boys and girls wearing carnival masks. Because here and there, they're putting
on the face of a mischievous, intelligent look. This peculiarity of fables strives to be preserved in the illustrations
through the paintings of Mihail Romadin.

Nr. Romanian English
1 Calul și Iapa The Horse and The Stag
2 Vulpe și Cocorul The Fox and the Crane
3 Puii Măimuței The Monkey’s Children
4 Lupul și Vererița The Wolf and The Squirrel
5 Vulturul, Cioara și Ciobanul The Eagle and The Jackdaw
6 Doi Cocoși și un Vultur The Fighting Cocks and The Eagle
7 Drumeții The Travelers nd The Purse
8 Șoarecele, Cocoșul și Motanul The Cat, the Cock and The Young Mouse
9 Cocoșul de Munte și Vulpea The Wild Cock and The Fox
10 Lupul și Câinele The Wolf and The House Dog
11 Naufragul The Sea Wreck
12 Șoarecele Care S-a Îngrășat The Hungry Mouse
13 Șoarecele și Broasca The Mouse and The Frog
14 Broasca, Șoarecele și Uliu The Mouse, The Frog, and The Hawk
15 Șoarecele de Rând și Șoarecele de Oraș The Town Mouse and The Country Mouse
16 Marea, Râurile și Pâraiele The Sea, The Rivers, and The Streams

17 Vulturul și Vulpea The Eagle and The Fox
18 Pisica și Vulpea A Cat and A Fox
19 Mâimuța și Vulpea The Fox and the Monkey
20 Motanul cu Zurgălăi The Mouse With Bells
21 Leul și Măgarul The Lion and The Donkey
22 Lupul și Vulpea The Lion and The Fox
23 Vulpea și Lupul The Fox and The Wolf
24 Țăranul și Norocul Luck and The Peasant
25 Fetița și Libelula A Little Girl and The Dragonfly
26 Șarpele de Casă și Ariciul The Porcupine and The Snake
27 Stăncuța și Ulciorul The Little Crow and The Jug
28 Păsărica A Little Bird
29 Mincinosul The Liar
30 Furnica și Porumbița The Ant and The Dove
31 Stăncuța și Porumbeii The Jackdaw and The Eagle
32 Broasca Țestoasă și Vulturul The Turtle and The Eagle

33 Măgarul și Calul The Ass and The Horse
34 Leul și Șoarecele The Lion and The Mouse
35 Baba și Găina The Woman and The Hen
36 Găina și Ouăle de Aur The Hen and The Golden Eggs
37 Câinele, Cocoșul și Vulpea The Dog, The Cock, and the Fox
38 Leul, Ursul, și Vulpea The Lion, The Bear, and The Fox
39 Lupul și Bătrâna THE WOLF and THE OLD WOMAN
40 Libelula și Furnicele THE DRAGONFLY and THE ANTS
41 Lupul și Cocorul THE WOLF and THE CRANE
42 Lucrătoarele și Cocoșul THE WORKERS and THE COCK
43 Câinele și Umbra Sa A DOG and HIS SHADOW
44 Cerbul și Puiul de Cerb The Stag and The Fawn
45 Vulpea și Strugurii The Fox and The Grapes
46 Găina și Rândunica The Hen and The Swallow
47 Măgarul În Piele de Leu The Ass in The Lion’s Skin
48 Viticutorul și Feciorii Săi THE FARMER and HIS SONS

49 Vulpea și Țapul THE FOX and THE GOAT
50 Cocor și Barză THE FARMER and THE STORK
51 Pescarul și Peștișorul THE FISHERMAN and THE LITTLE FISH
52 Iepurii și Broaștele THE HARES and THE FROGS
53 Tatăl și Feciorii THE FATHER and HIS SONS
54 Vulpea THE FOX WITHOUT A TAIL
55 Căinele și Lupul THE HUNGRY WOLF
56 Măgarul Sălbatic și Cel Domestic A WILD ASS and A TAME
57 Calul și Stăpănii THE HORSE and HIS MASTERS
58 Lupul și Capra THE WOLF and THE GOAT
59 Cerbul THE STAF and HIS REFLECTION
60 Cerbul și Via THE BUCK and THE VINE
61 Bătrânul și Moartea THE OLD MAN and DEATH
62 Leul și Vulpea THE OLD LION and THE FOX
63 Motanul și Șoriceii THE CAT and THE MICE
64 Corbul și Vulpea THE FOX and THE CRANE

65 Cei doi prieteni THE TWO FRIENDS AND A BEAR
66 Lupul și Iedul THE WOLF and THE LAMB
67 Leul, Lupul, și Vulpea THE LION, THE ASS, AND THE FOX
68 Leul, Măgarul, și Vulpea THE LION, THE FOX, AND THE JACKAL
69 Pisica și Berbecul THE CAT AND THE RAM
70 Iepurele THE FEARFUL RABIT
71 Iepurele și Broasca Țestoasă THE RABBIT AND THE TURTLE
72 Prepelița și Puii Ei THE QUAIL AND ITS CHICKS
73 Păunul THE PEACOCK
74 Ursul și Albinele THE BEAR AND THE BEES
75 Albinele și Trântorii THE BEES, THE WASP, AND THE HORNET
76 Păunul și Cocorul THE PEACOCK AND THE CRANE
77 Vrabia THE SPARROW
78 Stăpânul și Lucrătorul THE NEIGHBOR AND HIS WORKER
79 Ulciorul și Ceaunul THE TWO POTS
80 Liliacul THE BAT

81 Zgârcitul THE STINGY MAN AND HIS GOLD
82 Lupul și Iapa THE WOLF AND THE DONKEY
83 Cerbul și Calul THE DEER AND THE HORSE
84 Două Broaște THE TWO FROGS
85 Lupoaica și Porcul THE MOTHER WOLF AND THE PIG
86 Broaștele Care Vroiau Un Împărat THE FROGS PICK A KING
87 Negustorul și Hoții THE MERCHANT AND THE THIEVES
88 Soarele și Vântul THE NORTH WIND AND THE SUN
89 Măgarul Și Cățelul
90 Broasca Țestoasă și Vulturul
91 Pisica și Șoarecele
92 Broaștele Care Își Doreau un Rege
93 Buforul și Țăranul
94 Furnica și Omida
95 THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER
96 THE ASS IN THE LION’S SKIN

DISCUSSION TOPICS - PUNCTE IMPORTANTE DE DISCUTA LA FIECARE POVESTE

Nr. 1
A quarrel had arisen between the Horse and the Stag, so the Horse came to a
Hunter to ask his help to take revenge on the Stag. The Hunter agreed, but said:
“If you desire to conquer the Stag, you must permit me to place this piece of
iron between your jaws, so that I may guide you with these reins, and allow
this saddle to be placed upon your back so that I may keep steady upon you as
we follow after the enemy.” The Horse agreed to the conditions, and the
Hunter soon saddled and bridled him. Then with the aid of the Hunter the
Horse soon overcame the Stag, and said to the Hunter: “Now, get off, and
remove those things from my mouth and back.”
“Not so fast, friend,” said the Hunter. “I have now got you under bit and spur,
and prefer to keep you as you are at present.”
If you allow men to use you for your own purposes, they will use you for theirs.
The Horse and the StagCALUL ȘI IAPA

Nr. 1
"The Horse, Hunter, and Stag" Directions: Draw a timeline or create
a timeline. Show with pictures along this line the characters, events,
and ending of this story in the order in which they happened. Write a
simple summary.
https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/35/aesops-fables/620/the-horse-hunter-and-stag/
"Calul și Iapa"
Directii: Desenați o cronologie de ce sa
întâmplat. Afișați cu imagini de-a lungul acestei
linii personajele, evenimentele și finalul acestei
povești în ordinea în care s-au întâmplat. Scrie
un rezumat simplu.

At one time the Fox and the Stork were on
visiting terms and seemed very good
friends. So the Fox invited the Stork to
dinner, and for a joke put nothing before
her but some soup in a very shallow dish.
This the Fox could easily lap up, but the
Stork could only wet the end of her long
bill in it, and left the meal as hungry as
when she began. “I am sorry,” said the Fox,
“the soup is not to your liking.” “Pray do
not apologize,” said the Stork. “I hope you
will return this visit, and come and dine
with me soon.” So a day was appointed
when the Fox should visit the Stork; but
when they were seated at table all that
was for their dinner was contained in a
very long-necked jar with a narrow mouth,
in which the Fox could not insert his snout,
so all he could manage to do was to lick
the outside of the jar. “I will not apologize
for the dinner,” said the Stork: “One bad
turn deserves another.”
Odată vulpea și cocorul au fost în termeni
de prietenie și păreau a fi foarte buni
prieteni. Vulpea a invitat Cocorul la cină, și
pentru o glumă nu i-a pus nimic în față
decât niște supă într-un vas puțin adânc.
Vulpea puteacu ușurință să ajungă
darcocorul putea doar să-și ude ciocul ei
lung în ea, și a lăsat masa la fel de
flămândă ca atunci când ea a început. "Îmi
pare rău", a spus Vulpea, "supa nu este pe
placul dumneavoastră." „Vă rog să nu vă
cereți scuze", a spus cocorul. "Sper că vă
întorc această vizită, și veți veni să luați
masa cu mine în curând." O zi a fost numită
când vulpea să viziteze cocorul. Când s-au
așezat la masă tot ce a fost pregătit pentru
cina a fost într-un borcan cu gât lung, cu o
gură îngustă, în care vulpea nu a putut
ajunge înlăuntru, astfel tot ce a putut să
facă a fost să lingă borcanului pe dinafară.
"Nu-mi voi cere scuze pentru cină", a spus
cocorul: "O întorsătură rea merită alta."

EXPLICAȚI MORALA ȘI DE CE SUNTEȚI DE ACORD SAU NU CU ACEASTĂ MORALĂ
EXPLAIN THE MORAL AND WHY YOU AGREE OR DISAGEE WITH THIS MORAL.

The Wolf and the Squirrel
Nr. 4

The Fighting Cocks and The Eagle
Nr. 6

The Fighting Cocks and The Eagle

The Travelers and The Purse
Nr. 7

Some men were
shipwrecked and
casting their rows in
the sea, they started to
pray to God to save
them from drowning.
Then an older sailor
sked them-
-Why did you cast your
rows? Even when you
pray, do not cast your
rows.
THE SEA WRECK

Nr. 12
A mouse was having a very bad time. She could find
no food at all. She looked here and there, but there
was no food, and she grew very thin.
At last the mouse found a basket, full of corn. There
was a small hole in the basket, and she crept in. She
could just get through the hole.
Then she began to eat the corn. Being very hungry,
she ate a great deal, and went on eating and eating.
She had grown very fat before she felt that she had
had enough.
When the mouse tried to climb out of the basket, she
could not. She was too fat to pass through the hole.
" How shall I climb out?" said the mouse. "oh, how
shall I climb out?"
Just then a rat came along, and he heard the mouse.
"Mouse," said the rat, "if you want to climb out of the
basket, you must wait till you have grown as thin as
you were when you went in."
THE HUNGRY MOUSEȘOARECELE CARE S-A ÎNGRĂȘAT

Nr. 13
A young Mouse in search of adventure was running along the
bank of a pond where lived a Frog. When the Frog saw the Mouse, he
swam to the bank and croaked:
"Won't you pay me a visit? I can promise you a good time if you
do."
The Mouse did not need much coaxing, for he was very anxious to
see the world and everything in it. But though he could swim a little,
he did not dare risk going into the pond without some help.
The Frog had a plan. He tied the Mouse's leg to his own with a
tough reed. Then into the pond he jumped, dragging his foolish
companion with him. The Mouse soon had enough of it and wanted
to return to shore; but the treacherous Frog had other plans. He
pulled the Mouse down under the water and drowned him. But
before he could untie the reed that bound him to the dead Mouse, a
Hawk came sailing over the pond. Seeing the body of the Mouse
floating on the water, the Hawk swooped down, seized the Mouse
and carried it off, with the Frog dangling from its leg. Thus at one
swoop he had caught both meat and fish for his dinner.
Those who seek to harm others often come to harm
themselves through their own deceit.
THE MOUSE AND THE
FROG

THE SEA, THE RIVERS, AND THE STREAMS
Nr. 16

Xanthus making merry one day with several students of philosophy, who were
his companions, became intoxicated, and while in that state one of them, trying
to make fun of him, said, “Xanthus, I have read somewhere that it is possible for
a man to drink up the Sea. Do you believe it could be done?” “Yes, easily,” said
Xanthus. “I’ll wager you my house and lands, and all that I have, that I can do it
myself.” The wager was laid, and to confirm it they exchanged their rings. The
next day Xanthus, missing his ring and finding a strange one in its place, asked
Aesop for an explanation. “Yesterday,” replied Aesop, “you betted your whole
fortune that you would drink up the sea; and to bind the wagcr you exchanged
your ring.” Xanthus was overwhelmed with perplexity, and eagerly besought
Aesop to tell him what to do. “To perform your wager,” said Aesop, “you know is
impossible, but I will show you how to evade it.” They accordingly met the
scholar, and went with him and a great number of people to the sea-shore,
where Aesop had provided a table with several large glasses upon it, and men
stood around with ladles with which to fill them. Xanthus, instructed by Aesop,
gravely took his seat at the table. The beholders looked on with astonishment,
thinking that he must surely have lost his senses. “My agreement,” said he,
turning to the scholar, “is to drink up the Sea. I said nothing of the Rivers and
Streams that are everywhere flowing into it. Stop up these, and I will proceed to
fulfil my engagement.”
THE SEA, THE RIVERS, AND THE STREAMS

An Eagle, looking around for something to feed her
young ones with, spied a Fox’s cub basking in the sun.
She swooped upon him, and was about to carry him
off, when the old Fox came up, and, with tears in her
eyes, implored the Eagle, by the love which she, as a
mother, felt for her own young, to spare this, her only
child. The Eagle, whose nest was in a very high tree,
made light of the Fox’s prayers, and carried the cub to
her brood. She was about to divide it among them,
when the Fox, bent upon revenge, ran to an altar in a
neighbouring field on which some country people
had been sacrificing a kid, and seizing thence a
flaming brand, made towards the tree, meaning to
set it on fire. The Eagle, terrified at the approaching
ruin of her family, was glad to give back the cub, safe
and sound, to his mother.

Once a Cat and a Fox were traveling together. As
they went along, picking up provisions on the way—a stray
mouse here, a fat chicken there—they began an argument
to while away the time between bites. And, as usually
happens when comrades argue, the talk began to get
personal.
“You think you are extremely clever, don’t you?” said the
Fox. “Do you pretend to know more than I? Why, I know a
whole sackful of tricks!”
“Well,” retorted the Cat, “I admit I know one trick only, but
that one, let me tell you, is worth a thousand of yours!”
Just then, close by, they heard a hunter’s horn and the
yelping of a pack of hounds. In an instant the Cat was up a
tree, hiding among the leaves.
“This is my trick,” he called to the Fox. “Now let me see
what yours are worth.”
But the Fox had so many plans for escape he could not
decide which one to try first. He dodged here and there
with the hounds at his heels. He doubled on his tracks, he
ran at top speed, he entered a dozen burrows,—but all in
vain. The hounds caught him, and soon put an end to the
boaster and all his tricks.

At a great meeting of the Animals, who had gathered to
elect a new ruler, the Monkey was asked to dance. This he
did so well, with a thousand funny capers and grimaces,
that the Animals were carried entirely off their feet with
enthusiasm, and then and there, elected him their king.
The Fox did not vote for the Monkey and was much
disgusted with the Animals for electing so unworthy a
ruler.
One day he found a trap with a bit of meat in it. Hurrying
to King Monkey, he told him he had found a rich treasure,
which he had not touched because it belonged by right to
his majesty the Monkey.
The greedy Monkey followed the Fox to the trap. As soon
as he saw the meat he grasped eagerly for it, only to find
himself held fast in the trap. The Fox stood off and
laughed.
“You pretend to be our king,” he said, “and cannot even
take care of yourself!”
Shortly after that, another election among the Animals
was held.

Long ago, the mice had a general council to consider what measures they could take to
outwit their common enemy, the Cat. Some said this, and some said that; but at last a
young mouse got up and said he had a proposal to make, which he thought would
meet the case. “You will all agree,” said he, “that our chief danger consists in the sly
and treacherous manner in which the enemy approaches us. Now, if we could receive
some signal of her approach, we could easily escape from her. I venture, therefore, to
propose that a small bell be procured, and attached by a ribbon round the neck of the
Cat. By this means we should always know when she was about, and could easily retire
while she was in the neighbourhood.”
This proposal met with general applause, until an old mouse got up and said: “That is
all very well, but who is to bell the Cat?” The mice looked at one another and nobody
spoke. Then the old mouse said: “It is easy to propose impossible remedies.”
THE MOUSE WITH BELLS
Nr. 20

Nr. 21
Se duse leul la vînătoare, îl luă pe măgar cu el şi îi
spuse:
- Ia-o înainte prin pădure, măgarule, şi strigă cît
poţi de tare, căci ai un gîtlej pe cinste. Fiarele care o
vor lua la fugă, spăimîntate de strigătul tău, vor
cădea în ghearele mele.
Aşa şi făcură. Măgarul răgea, fiarele o rupeau la
fugă care încotro, iar leul punea gheara pe ele.
După vînătoare, leul spuse măgarului:
- Bravo ţie, ai strigat cum nu se poate mai bine. De
atunci, măgarul rage mereu, tot aşteptînd să
fie lăudat de careva.
LEUL ȘI MĂGARUL THE LION AND THE DONKEY
The lion went hunting, took the donkey with him and said: - Go ahead through the forest, donkey, and shout as
loud as you can, for you have a great throat. The beasts that will run away, frightened by your cry, will fall into my
clutches. That's what he did. The donkey was roaring, the beasts were breaking in a run which way, and the lion
was putting the claw on them. After the hunt, the lion said to the donkey: "Well done to you, you cried as best you
could. Since then, the donkey has been constantly roaring, waiting to be praised by anyone.

Lupul fugea urmărit de cîini şi vru să se
ascundă într-o văgăună săpată de ape. Dar
în văgăună şedea o vulpe, care-şi arătă
colţii şi-i spuse:
- Să pleci de aici, locul acesta este al meu!
Lupul nu se lăsă atras în dispută, ci spuse
doar atît:
- Dacă nu eram cu cîinii pe urmele mele, îţi
arătam eu al cui este locul acesta, dar aşa,
se prea poate să ai dreptate.
LUPUL ȘI VULPEA THE WOLF and THE FOX
The wolf was running away from the dogs and
wanted to hide in a hole dug by the water. But in the
hole sat a fox, who showed his fangs and said, "Get
out of here, this place is mine! The wolf didn’t allow
himself to get drawn into the dispute, and he said:
- If I wasn't with the dogs on my trail, I'd show you
whose place this is, but this time, you might be right.
Nr. 22

Nr. 23
Tare o mai necăjeau purecii pe vulpe. Aşa că
se gîndi cum să scape de ei. Veni deci pe
malul rîului şi începu să-şi vîre coada
încetişor, din vîrf, tot mai adînc în rîu. Din
coadă, purecii prinseră a-i sări în spinare.
Atunci vulpea îşi cufundă în apă şi picioarele
dindărăt. Purecii îi săreau tot mai sus pe
spinare, apoi pe grumaz, apoi pe cap. Vulpea
se cufundă şi mai adînc în rîu, aşa încît la
suprafaţa apei îi rămăsese numai capul.
Purecii se îngrămădiră toţi pe botul ei. Atunci
vulpea se cufundă toată în apă. Purecii săriră
pe uscat, iar vulpea ieşi din rîu în alt loc.
Lupul văzu isprava vulpii şi se gîndi să facă o
treabă mai bună. El sări dintru-nceput cu
capul înainte, se scufundă adînc şi rămase în
aşteptare pe fundul apei. Trăgea nădejdea,
vezi bine, că purecii vor pieri toţi dintr-o dată.
Cînd ieşi însă din rîu, purecii îşi reveniră şi
prinseră a-l pişca şi mai tare.
VULPEA ȘI LUPUL THE FOX and THE WOLF

Nr. 23
The fleas were greatly bothering the fox. So he's
thinking about how to get rid of them. So he come
to the river bank and start to tip his tail slowly,
from the top, deeper and deeper into the river.
From the tail, the fleas had caught on his back.
Then the fox immersed itself in the water with its
legs. The fleas were all the way up his back, then
on his neck, then on his head. The fox sank deeper
into the river, so that only its head remained on
the surface of the water. The fleas are all piling up
on her snout. Then the fox sank all its body in the
water. The fleas jumped ashore, and the fox came
out of the river somewhere else. The wolf watched
and he also jumped from the beginning headlong,
dived deep and remained waiting on the bottom of
the water. He was hoping, you see, that the fleas
would all perish at once. But when you came out
of the river, the fleas recovered and they’d got to
him even harder.
VULPEA ȘI LUPUL THE FOX and THE WOLF

Nr. 24
Un ţăran terminase la cositul păşunii,
dar adormi, în vremea asta Norocul se
preumbla prin lume. El se apropie de
ţăran şi spuse:
- În loc să muncească, el doarme, iar
mai tîrziu n-o să poată cosi din pricina
vremii şi-o să dea vina pe mine. O să
zică: „N-am noroc".
A peasant had finished mowing the
pasture, and he fell asleep, while during
this time Luck was traveling the world. He
approached the peasant and said:
- Instead of working, he sleeps, and later
he will not be able to mow because of the
weather and blame me. He's going to say,
"I'm out of Luck."
LUCK and THE PEASANT

Nr. 25
O fetiţă prinse o libelulă şi vroia
să-i smulgă picioarele. Tata îi
spuse:
— Acestea sînt libelulele care
dansează în zori.
Fetiţa îşi aminti de vibraţiile lor
şi dădu drumul libelulei.
A little girl caught a dragonfly and wanted to rip
its legs off. But father said to her:
"These are the dragonflies that dance at dawn”.
The little girl remembered their vibrations and let
go of the dragonfly.
FETIȚA ȘI LIBELULA THE LITTLE GIRL and
THE DRAGONFLY

Nr. 26
The Porcupine & the Snakes

Nr. 26
A Porcupine was looking for a good home. At last he
found a little sheltered cave, where lived a family of
Snakes. He asked them to let him share the cave with
them, and the Snakes kindly consented.
The Snakes soon wished they had not given him
permission to stay. His sharp quills pricked them at
every turn, and at last they politely asked him to
leave.
"I am very well satisfied, thank you," said the
Porcupine. "I intend to stay right here." And with that,
he politely escorted the Snakes out of doors. And to
save their skins, the Snakes had to look for another
home.
Give a finger and lose a hand.
The Porcupine & the Snakes
SARPELE DE CASĂ ȘI ARICIUL

Nr. 27
Stăncuţei i se făcu sete. Găsi un
ulcior în ogradă, cu ceva apă pe
fund. Stăncuţa însă nu putu
ajunge la ea. Atunci se apucă să
arunce în ulcior pietricele, şi
aruncă atîtea, încît apa se ridică
pînă la gura ulciorului şi
stăncuţa îşi putu potoli setea.
A little crow got very thirsty. She found a jug in
the yard with some water on the bottom. But
she couldn’t get to it, so she started to throw
pebbles into the jug; she threw so many, that
the water rose up to the mouth of the jug, and
the little crow was able to quench her thirst.
STĂNCUȚA ȘI ULCIOURUL
A LITTLE CROW and A JUG

Nr. 28
O păsărică stătea pe o creangă şi văzu jos, în
iarbă, nişte seminţe. Păsărica îşi spuse: „Să
ciugulesc şi eu cîteva."
Zbură în iarbă, dar nimeri într-o plasă de prins
păsări.
„De ce trebuie să pier? se întrebă ea. Ereţii
omoară păsărele vii şi nu păţesc nimic, iar eu
îmi pierd zilele pentru un bob de sămînţă."
A little bird stood on a branch and saw some seeds
down in the grass. She said to herself, “Let me
nibble a few”. She flew in the grass, but got in a
bird-net. "Why do I have to perish? "The evil hunters
kill the living birds, and nothing happens to them,
and I lose my days for a grain of seed."
PĂSĂRICA A LITTLE BIRD

THE JACKDAW and THE DOVES
Nr. 31

THE TURTLE and THE EAGLE
Nr. 32

Nr. 36
Directions: What would have
happened if the hen had been
golden inside?
What would have happened if the
hen had not been killed? Write a
new ending for this story.

One moonlight night a Fox was prowling about a
farmer’s hen-coop, and saw a Cock roosting high
up beyond his reach. “Good news, good news!”
he cried.
“Why, what is that?” said the Rooster.
“King Lion has declared a universal truce. No
beast may hurt a bird henceforth, but all shall
dwell together in brotherly friendship.”
“Why, that is good news,” said the Rooster; “and
there I see some one coming, with whom we can
share the good tidings.” And so saying he craned
his neck forward and looked afar off.
“What is it you see?” said the Fox.
“It is only my master’s Dog that is coming
towards us. What, going so soon?” he continued,
as the Fox began to turn away as soon as he had
heard the news. “Will you not stop and
congratulate the Dog on the reign of universal
peace?”
“I would gladly do so,” said the Fox, “but I fear
he may not have heard of King Lion’s decree.”
Cunning often outwits itself.
Vulpea călătorea într-o noapte când prin
lumina lunii vulpe a văzul o căsuță de gâini
și un cocoș cățărat mai sus de unde putea el
ajunge. "Vești bune, vești bune!" a strigat el.
"De ce, ce este asta?", a spus Cocoșul.
"Regele Leu a declarat un armistițiu
universal. Nici-un animal nu poate răni o
pasăre de acum înainte, dar toți vor locui
împreună într-o prietenie frățească." „Ce
bine, aceasta este o veste bună", a spus
Cocoșul; "și acolo văd pe cineva venind, cu
care putem împărtăși veștile bune." Și astfel
spunând, și-a ridicat gâtul în sus și s-a uitat
departe. "Ce vezi?", a spus Vulpea. "Doar
Câinele stăpânului meu vine spre noi. De ce,
merge atât de repede?", a continuat el, în
timp ce vulpea a început să se întoarcă
imediat ce auzise vestea. "Nu vrei să te
oprești și să-l feliciti pe Câine pentru domnia
păcii universale?" "Aș face-o cu plăcere", a
spus Vulpea, "dar mă tem că nu a auzit de
decretul regelui Leu." Vicleania de multe ori
se dă de gol.

Direcții – Răspundeți la întrebările de mai jos cu
propoziții sau cu un paragraf.
1. De ce credeți că Vulpea a spus la Cocoș că
Împăratul Leu a declarat că nici-un animal nu
va vătăma păsările?
2. Credeți că Vulpea a fugit când a văzut că vine
Câinele din cauză că Câinele poate nu a auzit
de declarația Regelui Leu? De ce, or de ce nu?
3. Ați folosit vreodată o minciună pentru a primi
ceea ce ați dorit? Când? Ați căpătat ceea ce
ați dorit? Cum v-ați simțit despre ceea ce ați
făcut?

Nr. 39
THE WOLF and THE
OLD WOMAN

Un lup flămînd umbla după pradă. La marginea satului auzi dintr-o
izbă plînsetele unui copil şi glasul unei bătrîne care spunea:
- Dacă nu conteneşti cu plînsul, am să te dau la lup.
Lupul nu plecă mai departe, ci se puse pe aşteptat să i se dea
plodul făgăduit.
Aşteptă pînă căzu întunericul, şi iar o auzi pe bătrînă spunînd:
— Nu mai plînge, puişor, că nu te dau la lup. Dacă o veni lupul, îi
punem pielea-n băţ!
Lupul îşi zise: „Se vede treaba că pe aici una se spune şi alta se
face", şi plecă din acel sat.
A hungry wolf was chasing prey. At the edge of the village he heard from a strike the cries of a child and the voice
of an old woman who said:
- If you do not stop with the crying, I will give you to the wolf.
The wolf did not go on, but waited to be given the promised plod. He waited till the darkness fell, and he heard the
old lady say,
"Stop crying, baby, I'm not giving you to the wolf. If the wolf comes, we'll put his skin on the stick!
The wolf said to himself, "You can see how it works in here, one is said and another is done," and he left that
village.

Nr. 40
În toamnă, grâul adunat de furnici au prins
umezeală, și a fost scos la uscat. O libelulă
flămîndă le ceru să-i dea şi ei cîteva boabe.
Furnicile îi spuseră:
- Păi de ce nu ţi-ai adunat din vară bucatele?
Libelula răspunse:
- N-am avut timp: am cîntat toată vara.
Furnicile rîseră şi grăiră aşa:
- Dacă vara ai cîntat, iarna punete pe lucrat!
In the fall, the wheat collected by the ants caught moisture, and was taken out
to dry. A hungry dragonfly asked them to give him a few beans. The ants said
to him,
- "Well, why didn't you pick up your beans in the summer?"
The dragonfly replied:
- I didn't have time: I've been singing all summer.
- The ants laughed and said:
- - If in the summer you sang, in the winter you must work!
THE DRAGONFLY and THE ANTS

Lupul se înecă cu un os şi nu-l
putu scoate nicicum din gîtlej. îl
chemă pe cocor şi îi spuse:
- "Ia, cocorule, ai gîtul lung —
vâră-mi ciocul în gîtlej şi scoate
osul de acolo. Am să te
răsplătesc."
Cocorul vîrî ciocul în gîtlejul
lupului, scoase osul şi spuse:
- "Dă-mi răsplata făgăduită. "
Lupul clănţăni din colţi şi-i
răspunse:
- "Oare nu te-am răsplătit
îndeajuns că nu te-am scurtat de
cap când ţi l-ai vârât între colţii
mei?"
The wolf was choking with a bone
and you can't get it out of his throat.
He called the crane and said,
"Take, crane, your long neck—put
your beak in my throat and remove
the bone from there. I'll pay you
back.
The crane tipped the beak into the
wolf's throat, remove the bone and
said:
- Give me the promised reward.
The wolf was glittering from his
fangs and he said,
- "Didn't I reward you enough for not
shortening your head when you
shoved it between my fangs?"
THE WOLF and THE CRANE

Nr. 42
Gospodina îşi trezea lucrătoarele cu noaptea-n
cap şi le punea la treabă îndată ce cocoşul
cânta zorii de zi. Lucrătoarelor li se păru greu
din cale-afară să se scoale aşa devreme şi se
gândiră să-i ia viaţa cocoşului, ca să n-o
trezească pe stăpână. Făcură întocmai, numai
că nimeriră şi mai prost: temîndu-se să nu
doarmă mai mult decât trebuie, stăpâna le
scula şi mai devreme pe lucrătoare.
The housewife would wake up her workers in the
middle of the and put them to work as soon as the
rooster sang at dawn. The workers found it very hard
to get up so early and thought about taking the
rooster's life so they wouldn't wake the mistress.
They did as they planned, only it got even worse:
fearing they would sleep more than they should, the
mistress would get the workers up even earlier.
THE WORKERS and THE COCK

Nr. 43
Câinele mergea pe un podeţ de scîndură
aruncat peste rîu, cu o bucată de carne în
gură. Văzîndu-şi chipul oglindit în apă,
crezu că-i un alt cîine cu altă bucată de
carne şi sări asupra-i să i-o ia: chipul
amăgitor pieri, dar pieri dusă de valuri şi
bucata de carne a cîinelui.
Astfel, rămase şi fără carnea ce-o avusese.
The dog was walking on a little bridge made of a board thrown
over the river and with a piece of meat in his mouth. Seeing his
face mirrored in the water, he thought it was another dog with
another piece of meat and jumped over the board to him: the
deceitful face perished, but also the piece of meat perished
also led by the waves. Thus, he was left without even the piece
of meat that he had at the beginning.
THE DOG and HIS SHADOW

"Directions: An idiom is an expression whose meaning cannot be understood
from the meanings of its words, but it makes sense to those familiar with the
usage in their language. “Sour grapes” is an idiom illustrated by this story. Do
research or interview people and explain what you think “sour grapes” might
mean. Give an example from your life or make up an example that illustrates
your ideas.
"Directii: Un idiom este o expresie a cărei semnificație nu poate fi
înțeleasă din semnificațiile cuvintelor sale, dar are sens pentru cei
familiarizați cu utilizarea în limba lor. " Struguri acri" este un idiom
ilustrat de această poveste.
Vorbiți cu alte persoane să explice ceea ce cred ei că "struguri
acri" ar putea însemna. Dă un exemplu din viața ta sau inventează
un exemplu care ilustrează ideile tale.

Nr. 48
A rich old farmer, who felt that he had not many more days
to live, called his sons to his bedside.
"My sons," he said, "heed what I have to say to you. Do not on
any account part with the estate that has belonged to our
family for so many generations. Somewhere on it is hidden a
rich treasure. I do not know the exact spot, but it is there, and
you will surely find it. Spare no energy and leave no spot
unturned in your search."
The father died, and no sooner was he in his grave than the
sons set to work digging with all their might, turning up every
foot of ground with their spades, and going over the whole
farm two or three times.
No hidden gold did they find; but at harvest time when they
had settled their accounts and had pocketed a rich profit far
greater than that of any of their neighbors, they understood
that the treasure their father had told them about was the
wealth of a bountiful crop, and that in their industry had they
found the treasure.
Industry is itself a treasure.
The Farmer & His Sons

Nr. 49
A Fox fell into a well, and though it was not very deep, he
found that he could not get out again. After he had been in
the well a long time, a thirsty Goat came by. The Goat
thought the Fox had gone down to drink, and so he asked if
the water was good.
“The finest in the whole country,” said the crafty Fox, “jump
in and try it. There is more than enough for both of us.”
The thirsty Goat immediately jumped in and began to drink.
The Fox just as quickly jumped on the Goat’s back and
leaped from the tip of the Goat’s horns out of the well.
The foolish Goat now saw what a plight he had got into, and
begged the Fox to help him out. But the Fox was already on
his way to the woods.
“If you had as much sense as you have beard, old fellow,” he
said as he ran, “you would have been more cautious about
finding a way to get out again before you jumped in.”
Moral
Look before you leap.
The Fox and The Goat

Nr. 50
The Farmer and the Stork

A farmer placed nets on his newly-sown plowlands and
caught a number of Cranes, which came to pick up his
seed. With them he trapped a Stork that had fractured
his leg in the net and was earnestly beseeching the
Farmer to spare his life. “Pray save me, Master,” he said,
“and let me go free this once. My broken limb should
excite your pity. Besides, I am no Crane, I am a Stork, a
bird of excellent character; and see how I love and slave
for my father and mother. Look too, at my feathers—
they are not the least like those of a Crane.” The Farmer
laughed aloud and said, “It may be all as you say, I only
know this: I have taken you with these robbers, the
Cranes, and you must die in their company.”
Birds of a feather flock together.
The Farmer and the Stork

Nr. 51
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.

Nr. 52
The Hares and the Frogs

Nr. 52
The Hares, persecuted by the other
beasts and afraid even of their own
shadows, had a council to decide what
to do. The conclusion they came to was
to die rather than live on with this
shame. So, they went to a pond,
determined to drown themselves.
But when they were just about to jump,
some Frogs who had been sitting on a
water lily, startled by the noise they
made, rushed to the deep water for
safety.
“Look,” cried a Hare, “there are
creatures who are even afraid of us, so
things are not so bad, after all. We
don’t need to die any more.”
However unfortunate we may think we
are, there is always someone worse off
than ourselves
The Hares and the Frogs

Nr. 53
Un tată porunci feciorilor săi să trăiască în bună înţelegere,
dar ei nu-i dădeau ascultare. Atunci le ceru să-i aducă un
târn şi le spuse:
- Rupeţi-l!
Se tot străduiră feciorii, dar nu-l putură rupe. Tatăl desfăcu
snopul şi le ceru să rupă nuielele una cîte una.
Feciorii frânseră cu uşurinţă nuielele. Atunci tata le spuse:
- Aşa va fi şi cu voi: dacă veţi trăi în bună înţelegere, nimeni
nu vă va putea frânge vreodată. Dacă însă vă veţi certa şi
vă veţi răzleţi în viaţă, oricine vă va putea da uşor pierzâri.
A father commanded his sons to live in good understanding, but they did not obey him.
Then he asked them to bring him a snoop and said, "Break it! The sons kept trying, but
they didn't break it" . The father unfurled the snoop and asked them to break the twigs
one by one. The sons had easily broken the twigs. Then the father said to them, "That will
be the case with you: if you live in good understanding, no one will ever be able to break
you. But if you fight and argue all your lives, anyone would easily make you losers".
THE FATHER and HIS SONS

Nr. 54
A Fox that had been caught in a trap, succeeded at last, after much painful
tugging, in getting away. But he had to leave his beautiful bushy tail behind him.
For a long time he kept away from the other Foxes, for he knew well enough
that they would all make fun of him and crack jokes and laugh behind his back.
But it was hard for him to live alone, and at last he thought of a plan that would
perhaps help him out of his trouble.
He called a meeting of all the Foxes, saying that he had something of great
importance to tell the tribe.
When they were all gathered together, the Fox Without a Tail got up and
made a long speech about those Foxes who had come to harm because of their
tails.
This one had been caught by hounds when his tail had become entangled in
the hedge. That one had not been able to run fast enough because of the weight
of his brush. Besides, it was well known, he said, that men hunt Foxes simply for
their tails, which they cut off as prizes of the hunt. With such proof of the danger
and uselessness of having a tail, said Master Fox, he would advise every Fox to
cut it off, if he valued life and safety.
When he had finished talking, an old Fox arose, and said, smiling:
"Master Fox, kindly turn around for a moment, and you shall have your
answer."
When the poor Fox Without a Tail turned around, there arose such a storm
of jeers and hooting, that he saw how useless it was to try any longer to persuade
the Foxes to part with their tails.
Do not listen to the advice of him who seeks to lower you to his own level
The Fox Without a Tail

A wolf was hungry. He sneaked into a village in the dead of the night looking for food. He
was happy to see a dog fast asleep in front of a house. As he was about to pounce on it, the
dog woke up.
“Can’t you see well in the dark?” the dog asked.
Confused, the wolf stopped.
“Don’t you see I am lean and bony? Surely, I can’t fill your big stomach!” the dog said. “Why
don’t you wait for a few days? My Master is going to celebrate the wedding of his only
daughter. Then, I will have plenty to eat. I will grow fat,” the dog said. “Don’t you think It
will be better to eat me then?” he asked helpfully.
The wolf thought he could wait. “I’ll be back next week,” he growled and went away.
After a week, when the Wolf returned, he found the dog lying on the roof of the house.
“Is the wedding over? Did you eat well?” asked the wolf, smacking his lip, thinking of the
wonderful food he would soon have. The dog simply smiled. The wolf grew impatient,
“Come down dog. You said I could eat you when you grew fat!”
The dog said, “Listen, wolf, if you catch me again sleeping on the floor, do not wait for the
wedding.”
With that, the dog barked. The door opened. Men came out with sticks. The poor hungry
wolf ran for his life.
The Hungry Wolf

Nr. 56
As a tame ass was airing himself in a pleasant meadow, with a coat
and carcass in very good plight, up comes a wild one to him from
the next wood, with this short greeting. Brother (says he) I envy
your happiness; and so he left him. It was his hap some short time
after this encounter, to see his tame brother groaning under a
unmerciful pack, and a fellow at his heels goading him forward. He
rounds him in the ear upon’t, and whispers him, My friend (says
he) your condition is not, I perceive, what I took it to be, for a body
may buy gold too dear: and I am not for purchasing good looks and
provender at this rate.
Moral
Betwixt envy and ingratitude, we make our selves twice miserable;
out of an opinion, first, that our neighbor has too much; and
secondly, that we our selves have too little.
A Wild Ass and A Tame

Nr. 57
Un grădinar avea un cal. Calul muncea mult
şi primea hrană puţină. Şi se rugă calul celui
de sus să-L mute la un alt stăpîn. Aşa se şi
întîmplă. Grădinarul vîndu calul unui olar.
Calul se bucură la început, numai că la olar
munca se dovedi şi mai grea. Şi iar începu
calul să se plîngă de soartă şi să se roage
să fie mutat la un stăpîn mai bun. I se împlini
şi această rugă. Olarul îşi vîndu calul unui
pielar. Dar cînd privirea îi căzu pe pieile de
cai întinse spre uscare în curtea pielarului,
cu spaimă în suflet strigă bietul de el:
- Vai mie, atîta mi-a fost! Mai bine rămîneam
la ceilalţi stăpîni, că acum m-au vîndut nu
pentru muncă, ci pentru pielea mea!
A gardener had a horse. The horse
worked hard and received little food.
So he gegged the One Above to move
him to another master. That's what
happens. The gardener sold the horse
to a potter. The horse rejoices at
first, only at the potter the work
proved to be even harder. And the
horse began to complain of fate and
pray that he would be moved to a
better master. This prayer is also
fulfilled. The potter sold his horse to
a leather-man. But when the horse
gazed at the hides of horse-skins
stretched out for drying in the yard of
the leather-man, with dread in his
heart he shouted: - Woe to me, that's
all I've been! I'd rather stay with the
other masters, because now they've
sold me not for work, but for my skin!
THE HORSE and HIS MASTERS

A hungry Wolf spied a Goat browsing at the top of a steep cliff where he could not possibly get at her.
“That is a very dangerous place for you,” he called out, pretending to be very anxious about the Goat’s
safety. “What if you should fall! Please listen to me and come down! Here you can get all you want of the
finest, tenderest grass in the country.”
The Goat looked over the edge of the cliff.
“How very, very anxious you are about me,” she said, “and how generous you are with your grass! But I
know you! It’s your own appetite you are thinking of, not mine!”
Moral
An invitation prompted by selfishness is not to be accepted.

Nr. 59
The Stag & His Reflection

A Stag, drinking from a crystal spring, saw himself mirrored
in the clear water. He greatly admired the graceful arch of his
antlers, but he was very much ashamed of his spindling legs.
"How can it be," he sighed, "that I should be cursed with such
legs when I have so magnificent a crown."
At that moment he scented a panther and in an instant was
bounding away through the forest. But as he ran his wide-
spreading antlers caught in the branches of the trees, and soon
the Panther overtook him. Then the Stag perceived that the legs
of which he was so ashamed would have saved him had it not
been for the useless ornaments on his head.
We often make much of the ornamental and despise the
useful.
The Stag & His Reflection

Nr. 60
A buck, pursued by hunters, concealed himself
among the branches of a vine. The hunters passed
by without discovering him, and when he thought
that all was safe, he began browsing upon the leaves
that had concealed him. One of the hunters,
attracted by the rustling, turned round and guessing
that their prey was there, shot into the bush and
killed him. As he was dying, he groaned out these
words; "I suffer justly for my ingratitude, who could
not forbear injuring the vine that had protected me
in time of danger."
The Buck and the Vine

Nr. 61
A poor and toil-worn Peasant, bent with years, and
groaning beneath the weight of a heavy faggot of firewood
which he carried, sought, weary and sore-footed on a long
and dusty road, to gain his distant cottage. Unable to bear
the weight of his burden any longer, he let it fall by the
roadside, and sitting down upon it, lamented his hard fate.
What pleasure had he known since first he drew breath in
this sad world? From dawn to dusk one round of ill-
requited toil! At home, empty cupboards, a discontented
wife, and disobedient children! He called on Death to free
him from his troubles. At once the King of Terrors stood
before him, and asked him what he wanted. Awed at the
ghastly presence, the Old Fellow stammering said, it was
nothing more than to have helped once more upon his
shoulders the bundle of sticks which he had let fall.
The Old Man and Death

Nr. 62
An old Lion, whose teeth and claws were so worn
that it was not so easy for him to get food as in his
younger days, pretended that he was sick. He took care
to let all his neighbors know about it, and then lay
down in his cave to wait for visitors. And when they
came to offer him their sympathy, he ate them up one
by one.
The Fox came too, but he was very cautious about it.
Standing at a safe distance from the cave, he inquired
politely after the Lion's health. The Lion replied that
he was very ill indeed, and asked the Fox to step in for
a moment. But Master Fox very wisely stayed outside,
thanking the Lion very kindly for the invitation.
"I should be glad to do as you ask," he added, "but I
have noticed that there are many footprints leading
into your cave and none coming out. Pray tell me, how
do your visitors find their way out again?"
Take warning from the misfortunes of others.
The Old Lion & the Fox

Nr. 63
There was once a house that was overrun with Mice. A
Cat heard of this, and said to herself, “That’s the place
for me,” and off she went and took up her quarters in
the house, and caught the Mice one by one and ate
them. At last the Mice could stand it no longer, and
they determined to take to their holes and stay there.
“That’s awkward,” said the Cat to herself: “the only
thing to do is to coax them out by a trick.” So she
considered a while, and then climbed up the wall and
let herself hang down by her hind legs from a peg, and
pretended to be dead. By and by a Mouse peeped out
and saw the Cat hanging there. “Aha!” it cried, “you’re
very clever, madam, no doubt: but you may turn
yourself into a bag of meal hanging there, if you like,
yet you won’t catch us coming anywhere near you.”
— If you are wise you won’t be deceived by the
innocent airs of those whom you have once found to
be dangerous.
The Cat & the Mice

A crow has found a piece of meat and retired to a branch to eat it. A fox,
wanting the meat for himself, flatters the crow, calling it beautiful and
wondering whether its voice is as sweet to match. When the crow lets out a
caw, the meat falls and is devoured by the fox.

Nr. 65
The Bear and the two Friends

Once two friends were walking through the forest. They knew that anything dangerous can
happen to them at any time in the forest. So they promised each other that they would remain
united in any case of danger.
Suddenly, they saw a large bear approaching them. One of the friends at once climbed a nearby
tree. But the other one did not know how to climb. So being led by his common sense, he lay down
on the ground breathless, pretending to be a dead man.
The bear came near the man lying on the ground. It smelt in his ears, and slowly left the place.
Because the bears do not touch the dead creatures.Now the friend on the tree came down and
asked his friend on the ground, “Friend, what did the bear tell you into your ears?” The other
friend replied, “The bear advised me not to believe a false friend.”
Moral: True Friend is the one who always supports and stands by you in any situation.
Many people say that they are your friends. Only true friends will help you when you are in
danger.
Choose the correct answer.
Vocabulary:
to swear - To make a solemn promise.
thicket - a dense growth of plants, underbush
to trust - to believe
The Bear and the two Friends

A stray Lamb stood drinking early one morning on the bank of a
woodland stream. That very same morning a hungry Wolf came by
farther up the stream, hunting for something to eat. He soon got his
eyes on the Lamb. As a rule Mr. Wolf snapped up such delicious morsels
without making any bones about it, but this Lamb looked so very
helpless and innocent that the Wolf felt he ought to have some kind of
an excuse for taking its life.
"How dare you paddle around in my stream and stir up all the
mud!" he shouted fiercely. "You deserve to be punished severely for
your rashness!"
"But, your highness," replied the trembling Lamb, "do not be angry!
I cannot possibly muddy the water you are drinking up there.
Remember, you are upstream and I am downstream."
"You do muddy it!" retorted the Wolf savagely. "And besides, I have
heard that you told lies about me last year!" "How could I have done
so?" pleaded the Lamb. "I wasn't born until this year."
"If it wasn't you, it was your brother!"
"I have no brothers."
"Well, then," snarled the Wolf, "It was someone in your family
anyway. But no matter who it was, I do not intend to be talked out of
my breakfast."
And without more words the Wolf seized the poor Lamb and
carried her off to the forest.
The tyrant can always find an excuse for his tyranny.
The Wolf & the Lamb

Nr. 68
The Lion, The Ass, and The Fox

Nr. 68
The Lion, The Ass and The Fox
A Lion, an Ass, and a Fox were hunting in company, and
caught a large quantity of game. The Ass was asked to divide
the spoil. This he did very fairly, giving each an equal share.
The Fox was well satisfied, but the Lion flew into a great
rage over it, and with one stroke of his huge paw, he added the
Ass to the pile of slain.
Then he turned to the Fox.
"You divide it," he roared angrily.
The Fox wasted no time in talking. He quickly piled all the
game into one great heap. From this he took a very small
portion for himself, such undesirable bits as the horns and
hoofs of a mountain goat, and the end of an ox tail.
The Lion now recovered his good humor entirely.
"Who taught you to divide so fairly?" he asked pleasantly.
"I learned a lesson from the Ass," replied the Fox, carefully
edging away.
Learn from the misfortunes of others.

Trăia odată un ţăran şi avea pe lângă casa
lui o pisică şi un berbec. Când ţăranul se
întorcea de la muncă, pisica îi fugea în
întâmpinare, îi lingea mîna, îi sărea în
spate, se freca de picioarele sale. Ţăranul
o mîngâia şi îi dădea pâine.
Berbecul râvni să fie mîngîiat la fel şi să i
se dea şi lui pâine. Când ţăranul se
întoarse de pe ogor, berbecul îi fugi în
întâmpinare, îi linse mîna, se frecă de
picioarele sale. Pe ţăran îl pufni rîsul, dar
stătu să vadă ce va urma. Berbecul îl chiti
din spate, îşi făcu vînt şi sări în spinarea
ţăranului, dărâmându-l din picioare.
Văzând că berbecul i-a doborât părintele
la pământ, feciorul ţăranului puse mîna pe
bici şi-l croi zdravăn pe berbec.
There once lived a peasant who had
a cat and a ram around his house.
When the peasant came back from
work, the cat would run to greet
him, lick his hand, fall behind him,
and rub his feet. The peasant would
caress and give bread to the cat.
The ram wished to be petted and be
given bread. When the peasant
returned from the field, the ram ran
to greet him, licked his hand, and
rubbed against his feet. The
peasant laughed, waiting to see
what's to come. The ram petted him
from behind, made a turn and
jumped on the peasant's back,
knocking him off his feet.
Seeing that the ram had knocked
his father to the ground, the
peasant's maiden put his hand on
the whip and whipped the ram hard.

Nr. 70
Un iepurele fugea de câini şi îşi pierdu urma într-o
pădure. Aici se simţi la adăpost, numai că de atîta
frică adunată în el, voi să se ascundă şi mai bine.
Începu să caute un loc mai dosnic, intră în
tufărişul unei râpe, dar aici dădu peste un lup.
Lupul puse gheara pe el. „Se vede treaba, se gândi
iepurele, că în bine, mai binele să-l cauţi nu se
cade. Am vrut să mă ascund mai bine şi, iată, m-
am prăpădit de tot".
A rabbit was running away from dogs and lost
its track in a forest. Here he felt safe, only that
he was so afraid and thought to hide in a
better place. He started looking for a more
comfortable place, going into the bush of a
ravine, but this is where he came across a
wolf. The wolf put his claw on it. I wanted to
hide better, and lo and behold, I'm completely
gone."
A FEARFUL RABBITIEPURELE FRICOS

Nr. 71
THE RABBIT AND THE TURTLE

Nr. 71
One day a rabbit was boasting about how fast he
could run. He was laughing at the turtle for being so
slow. Much to the rabbit’s surprise, the turtle
challenged him to a race. The rabbit thought this
was a good joke and accepted the challenge. The
fox was to be the umpire of the race. As the race
began, the rabbit raced way ahead of the turtle, just
like everyone thought.
The rabbit got to the halfway point and could not
see the turtle anywhere. He was hot and tired and
decided to stop and take a short nap. Even if the
turtle passed him, he would be able to race to the
finish line ahead of him. All this time the turtle kept
walking step by step by step. He never quit no
matter how hot or tired he got. He just kept going.
However, the rabbit slept longer than he had
thought and woke up. He could not see the turtle
anywhere! He went at full speed to the finish line
but found the turtle there waiting for him.
https://www.moralstories.org/the-rabbit-and-the-turtle/
THE RABBIT AND THE TURTLE

Nr. 72
THE QUAIL AND ITS CHICKS
O prepeliţă îşi cloci ouăle într-un lan de ovăz, scoase pui,
dar se tot temea ca stăpânul ogorului să nu înceapă să
cosească ovăzul. Plecând după hrana puilor, le porunci
acestora să asculte bine şi să-i povestească după aceea
tot ce îi vor spune oamenii. Când se întoarse pe înserate
la cuib, puii îi dădură următoarea veste:
— E rău de noi, măicuţă. A trecut pe aici stăpânul
ogorului dimpreună cu feciorul său şi i-a spus acestuia:
„Ovăzul meu a dat în pârgă, trebuie cosit. Să te duci,
fiule, pe la vecini şi prieteni, să le spui că-i rog să vină la
coasă." E rău de noi, măicuţă, mută-ne de aici, căci
mâine dimineaţa vecinii vor fi în lan.
Bătrâna prepeliţă îi ascultă cu luare-aminte şi spuse:
A quail would lay its eggs in a field of oatmeal, hatched the chicks, but
she kept fearing that the master of the field would start mowing the
oats. Going for food for the chicks, she commanded them to listen well
and tell them afterwards everything that the people of the field would
talk about. When she returned to the nest in the evening, the chicks
gave her the following news:
„It’s bad for us, mom. The master of the field came by with his sons
and said: "My oat has gone to the ground, it must be mowed. Go, son,
to the neighbors and friends, tell them I'm asking them to come to
mow the field."
It’s bad for us, mom, move us out of here, because tomorrow morning
the neighbors will be in the field. The old quail listened to them
carefully and said:

- Nu vă fie teamă, copii, staţi fără
grijă, ovăzul nu va fi secerat atît de
repede.
A doua zi în zori, prepeliţa zbură iar
într-ale ei şi iar le porunci puilor să
asculte ce va mai spune stăpânul
lanului. Cînd se întoarse la cuib, puii îi
spuseră:
- A dat iar stăpînul pe aici, măicuţă, a
tot aşteptat prietenii şi vecinii, dar n-a
venit nimeni. Atunci i-a spus
feciorului: „Să te duci, fiule, pe la
fraţi, pe la cumnaţi, pe la cumătri şi
să le spui că-i rog să vină neapărat
mâine la coasă".
- Nu vă speriaţi, copii, nici mâine nu
va fi secerat ovăzul, spuse bătrîna
prepeliţă.
În ziua următoare, întorcîndu-se iar la
cuib:
- Don't be afraid, kids, don't worry, the
oats won't be removed so quickly. The
next day at dawn, the quail flew back to
her friends and commanded the chicks
to listen to what the master of the field
would say. When she returned to the
nest, the chicks said:
- - The master came by here again, mom,
he waited for friends and neighbors, but
no one came. Then he said to his son,
"Go, son, to the brethren, to the
brothers-in-laws, and to tell them that I
ask them to come to mow tomorrow."
"Don't be scared, kids, the oats won't be
mowed tomorrow," said the old quail.
The next day, returning to the nest:

- Ei, ce-aţi mai auzit?
- A venit iar stăpînul cu fecioru-su pe
aici, au lot aşteptat rudele. Aceste nu s-
au arătat. Atunci i-a spus el feciorului:
„Se vede că degeaba aşteptăm, fiule, că
ajutor n-om primi de nicăieri. Ovăzul e în
pîrgă. Să pui în rânduială cele de
trebuinţă, că mîine, cum s-o crăpa de
ziuă, venim aici şi ne apucăm singuri de
coasă".
Ei, puişorii mei, spuse prepeliţa, de
vreme ce omul a hotărît să pună singur
mâna, fără să aştepte ajutorul altora,
treaba se va face. Se cade să ne mutăm
de aici.
- Well, what else did you hear?
- The master came back with his son
here, and waited for the relatives to
come. They did not show up. Then
he said to his son: "We are obviously
waiting for nothing, son, we will not
receive help from nowhere. Oats are
in the meadows. Prepare everything
because tomorrow, by the crack of
day, we will come here and mow the
field ourselves."
- Well, my babies, said the quail, since
the man decided to put his own hand
to work, without waiting for the help
of others, the job will be done. It's
time to move out of here.

The Peacock, they say, did not at first have the beautiful
feathers in which he now takes so much pride. These, Juno,
whose favorite he was, granted to him one day when he
begged her for a train of feathers to distinguish him from the
other birds. Then, decked in his finery, gleaming with
emerald, gold, purple, and azure, he strutted proudly among
the birds. All regarded him with envy. Even the most
beautiful pheasant could see that his beauty was surpassed.
Presently the Peacock saw an Eagle soaring high up in the
blue sky and felt a desire to fly, as he had been accustomed to
do. Lifting his wings he tried to rise from the ground. But the
weight of his magnificent train held him down. Instead of
flying up to greet the first rays of the morning sun or to bathe
in the rosy light among the floating clouds at sunset, he
would have to walk the ground more encumbered and
oppressed than any common barnyard fowl.
Do not sacrifice your freedom for the sake of pomp and
show.
The Peacock

Nr. 74
A Bear roaming the woods in search of berries
happened on a fallen tree in which a swarm of
Bees had stored their honey. The Bear began to
nose around the log very carefully to find out if
the Bees were at home. Just then one of the
swarm came home from the clover field with a
load of sweets. Guessing what the Bear was after,
the Bee flew at him, stung him sharply and then
disappeared into the hollow log.
The Bear lost his temper in an instant, and
sprang upon the log tooth and claw, to destroy the
nest. But this only brought out the whole swarm.
The poor Bear had to take to his heels, and he
was able to save himself only by diving into a pool
of water.
It is wiser to bear a single injury in silence
than to provoke a thousand by flying into a rage.
The Bear & the Bees
Ursul și Albinele

Nr. 75
The Bees & Wasps, & the HornetALBINELE ȘI TRÂNTORII

Nr. 75
A store of honey had been found in a hollow tree, and the Wasps declared positively that it belonged to
them. The Bees were just as sure that the treasure was theirs. The argument grew very pointed, and it
looked as if the affair could not be settled without a battle, when at last, with much good sense, they
agreed to let a judge decide the matter. So they brought the case before the Hornet, justice of the peace in
that part of the woods.
When the Judge called the case, witnesses declared that they had seen certain winged creatures in the
neighborhood of the hollow tree, who hummed loudly, and whose bodies were striped, yellow and black,
like Bees.
Counsel for the Wasps immediately insisted that this description fitted his clients exactly.
Such evidence did not help Judge Hornet to any decision, so he adjourned court for six weeks to give him
time to think it over. When the case came up again, both sides had a large number of witnesses. An Ant
was first to take the stand, and was about to be cross-examined, when a wise old Bee addressed the
Court.
"Your honor," he said, "the case has now been pending for six weeks. If it is not decided soon, the honey
will not be fit for anything. I move that the Bees and the Wasps be both instructed to build a honey comb.
Then we shall soon see to whom the honey really belongs."
The Wasps protested loudly. Wise Judge Hornet quickly understood why they did so: They knew they could
not build a honey comb and fill it with honey.
"It is clear," said the Judge, "who made the comb and who could not have made it. The honey belongs to
the Bees."
The Bees & Wasps, & the HornetALBINELE ȘI TRÂNTORII

Nr. 76
PĂUNUL ȘI
COCORUL
THE PEACOCK AND
THE CRANE

Nr. 76
Un cocor și un păun se înfruntau
într-o dispută aprinsă – care din ei e
o pasăre mai de soi. Păunul spuse:
– Eu sunt cea mai frumoasă pasăre.
În coada mea strălucesc toate
culorile lumii, pe când tu ești
cenușiu și urât.
Cocorul spuse:
– În schimb, eu străbat în zbor
înalturile cerului, pe când tu îți faci
de lucru prin curtea cu bălegar.
https://verbumsapiens.wordpress.com/2017/11/
07/paunul-si-cocorul-fabula/
A crane and a peacock faced off in
a heated dispute - which of them is
more of a kind bird. The peacock
said,
- I am the most beautiful bird. In
my tail shines all the colors of the
world, while you are gray and
ugly.
The crane said,
- "Instead, I fly through the high
heavens, while you work in the dung
yard.

Nr. 77
Vrabia văzu că omul se duce să semene in.
Zbură îndată la păsări şi le spuse:
— Surorilor, veniţi cu toatele în grabă să
ciuguliţi seminţele de in. Acesta va creşte,
omul va face sfoară din el, din sfoară va împleti
plase, iar în plase ne va prinde pe noi.
Păsările nu-i dădură ascultare vrabiei, iar
aceasta nu izbuti să ciugulească singură toate
seminţele. Cînd inul înflori, vrabia chemă iar
păsările să ciugulească inul, ca să nu
pătimească mai tîrziu din pricina lui. Păsările
n-o ascultară nici de data asta. Inul ajunse la
maturitate şi dădu sămînţă. Pentru a treia oară
zbură vrabia să cheme păsările, şi tot pentru a
treia oară acestea nu-i dădură ascultare. Aşa
încât, vrabia se supără pe surorile ei, plecă de
la ele şi veni să trăiască în preajma oamenilor.
VRABIA THE SPARROW

Nr. 77
The sparrow saw that a man who was going
to sow cotton. He immediately flew to the
other sparrows and said to them, "Sisters,
come all in a hurry to nibble the flaxseeds." It
will grow, the man will make rope out of it, the
string will weave nets, and in the nets he will
capture us. The birds did not obey the
sparrow. She did not succeed in nibbling all
the seeds on her own. When the cotton
bloomed, again the sparrow called the birds to
nibble on the cotton, so that they won't suffer
later because of it. The birds wouldn't listen
to her. The cotton had matured and given
seed. For the third time the sparrow flew to
call the birds, and for the third time they did
not obey either. So the sparrow got mad at her
sisters, walked away from them and came to
live around people.
THE SPARROWVRABIA

Nr. 78
THE NEIGHBOR
AND HIS WORKER

La o nuntă veni multă lume. Vecinul celui cu
nunta chemă la el pe lucrătorul său şi îi
spuse:
- Du-te şi vezi câţi oameni s-au adunat la
nunta vecinului.
Lucrătorul se duse, trase în faţa intrării în
casa vecinului un butuc, iar el se aşeză pe
prispă, aştep-tând ceasul când oaspeţii vor
începe să se împrăştie pe la casele lor.
În sfîrşit, oaspeţii începură să plece. Fiecare,
de cum ieşea din casă, se poticnea de butuc,
scăpa câte o sudalmă şi pleca mai departe.
Numai o singură bătrîna, după ce se poticni
de butuc, se întoarse din drum şi îl îndepărtă
din faţa intrării.
A lot of people come to a
wedding one day. The neighbor
of the wedding man called his
worker and said:
- Go and see how many people
gathered at the neighbor's
wedding.
The worker went, pulled in front
of the entrance to the neighbor's
house a stump, and he sat on
the porch, waiting for the time
when the guests began to
scatter around to go home.
Finally, the guests began to
leave. Each one, as soon as he
left the house, stumbled on the
stump, said a bad curse and
moved on. Only one old lady,
after stumbling on the stump,
turned away and removed it from
the front of the entrance.
THE NEIGHBOR
AND HIS WORKER

Lucrătorul se înapoie la stăpînul său.
Acesta îl întrebă:
- Mulţi oameni au fost?
- Un singur om, dar şi acela era o
bătrîna.
- Cum aşa?
- Păi, cum altfel. Am aşezat un butuc
la intrare, toţi s-au împiedicat de el,
dar nimeni nu l-a dat la o parte. Aşa
fac şi oile. O singură bătrâna a înde-
părtat butucul de acolo. Aşa
procedează numai oamenii. Deci, un
singur om a fost.
The worker returned to his
master. He asked him:
- Many people were there?
- Only one man, but that was
an old lady, too.
- How's that?
- Well, how else. I put a stump
at the entrance, everyone
tripped over it, but no one put it
away. That's what sheep do.
Only one old lady removed the
stump from there. That's what
real men do. So, there was one
man there.
THE NEIGHBOR
AND HIS WORKER

Nr. 79
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.
Equals make the best friends.
The Two Pots

Nr. 80
Demult de tot s-a iscat mare război între animale
şi păsări. Liliacul nu se alătură nici unora nici
celorlalţi şi tot aştepta să vadă cum se va sfârşi
înfruntarea.
La început păsările se dovediră mai tari decât
animalele şi atunci liliacul se dădu de partea lor
— zbura cu ele şi spunea că-i pasăre, dar mai
tîrziu, când puterea animalelor începu să
precumpănească, liliacul se dădu cu animalele. El
le arătă dinţii din gură, labele, sfîrcurile pieptului,
susţinînd sus şi tare că este animal şi că le
iubeşte numai pe ele. Când, în cele din urmă,
izbândiră totuşi păsările, liliacul vru să treacă de
partea acestora, dar păsările îl alungară.
Nici de partea animalelor nu mai izbuti să treacă,
şi de atunci liliacul trăieşte prin beciuri, prin scor-
buri, zboară numai pe înserate şi nu se mai dă cu
niciuna din părţi.
LILIACUL THE BAT

Nr. 80
A long time ago there was a great war between the
animals and the birds. The bat dit not join either of them
and kept waiting to see how the confrontation ended.
At first the birds proved stronger than the animals, and
then the bat sided with them—flying with them and
saying it was a bird, but later, when the power of the
birds began to fall, the bat would go with the animals.
He showed them its teeth in his mouth, his paws, the
nipples of his chest, claiming loud and hard that he is an
animal and that he loves only them.
When the birds finally succeeded, the bat would pass on
their side, but the birds would banish it. Now he could
not belong on the side of the animals either, and since
then the bat lives in the cellars, in the hollows, flies only
in the evenings and does not go with any parts.
LILIACUL THE BAT

Nr. 81
THE STINGY MAN AND HIS GOLD

Milo Winter (1919)
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.
THE STINGY MAN
AND HIS GOLD

Nr. 82
THE WOLF AND THE DONKEY

Vroia lupul să se înfrupte dintr-un
mînz. Veni la herghelie şi spuse:
- Văd la voi un mînz care
şchioapătă. Oare nu cunoaşteţi
leacul pentru vindecat şchiopături?
Noi, lupii, cunoaştem un astfel de
leac, care vindecă pe loc.
Una din iepe îl întrebă:
- Da' tu ştii lecui?
- D'apoi cum!
- Atunci, rogu-te, lecuieşte-mi
piciorul drept din spate, că mă cam
ţine o durere în copită.
Lupul se duse numaidecît la ea,
da'ndată ce ajunse lîngă piciorul cu
pricina, primi o copită de-i zburară
toţi colţii din gură.
The wolf wanted to feast on a lamb. He
come to the herd and said, "I see a
limping lamb over there.
" Don't you know the cure for limping?
We wolves know such a cure, which
heals on the spot.
- You know the cure? How?
- Then, please, heal the pain in my
right back leg, because it is causing
a bit of a pain in my hoof.
The wolf went immediately to her, but
as soon as he reached the foot in
question, he received a hoof that all the
fangs flew out of his mouth.
THE WOLF AND THE DONKEY

Nr. 83
Un cerb împunse cu coarnele calul şi îl
alungă de pe păşune. Calul veni la om şi îl
rugă să-i ia apărarea. Omul îi luă
apărarea, alungă cerbul, dar în schimb
puse hamul şi şaua pe cal. VăzÂnd că
cerbul a fost alungat, calul spuse:
Mulţumesc, omule, acuma lasă-mă să
plec. Ba nu te las, fiindcă mi-am dat
seama cÂtă nevoie am de tine. Şi păstră
calul pe lîngă el.
A deer poked the horse with its horns and
drove it off the pasture. The horse comes to
the man and asked him to defend him. The
man stood up for him, chased the deer away,
but instead put the harness and saddle on
the horse. No, I'm not leaving you, because I
realized how much I need you. And he kept
the horse around him.
CEBUL ȘI CALUL THE DEER AND THE HORSE

Nr. 84
Two Frogs had to leave their dry pond and
encountered a well. One said they should live
there; the other cautioned about getting out if
they needed to. Look before you leap
TWO FROGS

Nr. 85
O lupoaică ceru porcului să o găzduiască
peste noapte. Porcul o găzdui. Lupoaica
fătă cîţiva pui. Porcul se rugă să fie lăsat la
locul lui.
- Vezi şi singur, puii sînt prea mici, ai
puţintică răbdare, îi răspunse lupoaica.
Porcul se gîndi „De, să mai aştept..." Trecu
vara. Porcul ceru iar să fie lăsat la locul lui.
Lupoaica îi spuse:
- Încearcă numai să te legi de noi. Acum
sântem şase, te facem bucăţele.
A wolf asked the pig to host him overnight. The pig agreed to host
her. The wolf gave birth to a few babies. The pig prayed to be left in
its place. "See for yourself, the babies are too small, have a little
patience," replied the wolf. The pig thought, "Why, I will wait..." In
the summer the pig asked againto be left in its place. The wolf said
to him, "Just try to bother us again." Now we're six, we'll tear you to
pieces. "
LUPOAICA ȘI PORCUL
THE MOTHER WOLF AND
THE PIG

Nr. 86
The frogs prayed for a
king but got a log.
Prayed again and got a
stork who started to
have a feast on them.
People are never
satisfied.
THE FROGS PICK A KING

Nr. 87
THE MERCHANT AND THE THIEVES

În prăvălia unui negustor intrară doi
oameni să cumpere basmale.
Negustorul se întoarse cu spatele la ei
ca să scoată marfa, dar când reveni şi
privirea îi căzu pe tejghea, văzu că o
basma dispăruse. Negustorul îi opri pe
cei doi şi le spuse:
— Careva dintre voi a luat o basma.
Unul dintre ei prinse a se jura că nu
are asupra lui nici un fel de basma, iar
celălalt că n-a luat basmaua de pe
tejghea. Atunci negustorul spuse:
-- În cazul acesta, amîndoi sînteţi hoţii.
Ghicise că unul din ei luase şi dăduse
celuilalt basmaua şi îl buzunări pe
hoţul care se jurase că n-a luat
basmaua de pe tejghea. O găsi asupra
lui şi îi duse pe amîndoi la comisar.
In a merchant's shop, two men came in
to buy scarves. The merchant turned his
back to them to get the goods out, but
when he turned back and his eyes fell
on the counter, he saw that a scarf was
gone. The merchant stopped the two
and said, "Some of you have taken a
scarf. One of them kept swearing that
he had no scarves on him, and the other
that he didn't take the scarf off the
counter. Then the merchant said, "In
this case, you're both thieves." He had
guessed that one of them had taken it
and gave it to the other. The owner
pocketed the thief who had sworn that
he did not take the scarf off the
counter. The owner found it on him and
took them both to the commissioner.

Nr. 88
The North Wind and the Sun

Nr. 88
The North Wind and the Sun had a quarrel about which of them was the
stronger. While they were disputing with much heat and bluster, a Traveler
passed along the road wrapped in a cloak.
"Let us agree," said the Sun, "that he is the stronger who can strip that
Traveler of his cloak."
"Very well," growled the North Wind, and at once sent a cold, howling
blast against the Traveler.
With the first gust of wind the ends of the cloak whipped about the
Traveler's body. But he immediately wrapped it closely around him, and the
harder the Wind blew, the tighter he held it to him. The North Wind tore
angrily at the cloak, but all his efforts were in vain.
Then the Sun began to shine. At first his beams were gentle, and in the
pleasant warmth after the bitter cold of the North Wind, the Traveler
unfastened his cloak and let it hang loosely from his shoulders. The Sun's
rays grew warmer and warmer. The man took off his cap and mopped his
brow. At last he became so heated that he pulled off his cloak, and, to
escape the blazing sunshine, threw himself down in the welcome shade of
a tree by the roadside.
Gentleness and kind persuasion win where force and bluster
fail.
The North Wind and the Sun

Măgarul şi CăţeluşulNr. 89

Măgarul şi Căţeluşul
Într-o zi, un ţăran s-a dus la grajdul sau pentru a-şi vedea animalele care îl ajutau la muncă. Printre
ele se afla şi un măgar, care era întotdeuna bine hrănit şi îşi purta adesea stăpâul în spate.
Împreună cu ţăranul venise şi un căţeluş, care dansa în jurul omului, îi lingea mâna şi zburda plin de
voie bună. Ţăranul s-a căutat într-un buzunar, i-a dat căţelului o bucata de mâncare gustoasă şi s-a
aşezat pe un scăunaş în timp ce le dădea ordine slugilor lui. Micul câine a sărit în braţele stăpânului
său şi a rămas acolo, clipind din ochi în timp ce omul îi scărpina urechile.
Văzând ce se întâmplă, măgarul s-a încordat şi a rupt funia care îl priponea, după care a început să
ragă din toate puterile, imitând lătratul căţeluşului. Tăranul nu mai putea de râs, aşa că măgarul a
venit la el şi şi-a sprijinit picioarele din faţă pe genunchii bărbatului în încercarea de a se sui în
poalele lui asemeni căţelului. Slujbaşii ţăranului l-au alungat imediat cu ciomage şi furci, şi, în acest
fel, măgarul a învăţat că …
… o imitaţie prostească nu este în nici un caz o gluma.
http://www.anidescoala.ro/divertisment/povesti/autori-straini/esop/magarul-si-catelusul/#prettyPhoto

Broasca Țestoasă şi VulturulNr. 90

Broasca Țestoasă şi Vulturul
Într-o zi, o broască ţestoasă stătea la soare şi se plângea păsărilor de mare de soarta ei nefericită. Se jeluia
că nu poate să zboare şi că nu se găsea nimeni care s-o înveţe. Pe când se văicărea ea aşa, o auzi un vultur
care zbura pe acolo. S-a dus la ţestoasă şi i-a spus că ar învăţa-o el să zboare, însă pentru o răsplată.
– Îţi voi da bogăţiile Mării Roşii, spuse broasca ţestoasă.
Vulturul acceptă şi, luând broasca în gheare, o duse până aproape de nori. Apoi îi dădu drumul dintr-o dată.
Ţestoasa căzu pe un vârf de munte şi carapacea i se
fărâmă în bucăţi. Cu ultimele puteri, ţestoasa strigă:
– Îmi merit soarta. Am vrut să zbor, când puteam să stau liniştită pe pământ.
Morala:
Să nu-ţi doreşti lucruri imposibile.
http://www.anidescoala.ro/divertisment/povesti/autori-straini/esop/broasca-testoasa-si-vulturul/

Pisica şi Șoarecele
A fost odată o casă plină de şoareci. O pisică a descoperit-o şi a început să mănânce şoareci zi de zi,
aşa încât cei rămaşi s-au hotărât să stea în găurile lor şi să nu mai iasă afară. Acum, pisica nu ştia ce
să mai facă din cauză că nu mai putea prinde şoareci şi rămânea deseori flămândă. După ce s-a
gândit îndelung, i-a venit în minte un plan.A sărit pe un cârlig de haine, s-a prins de el şi s-a prefăcut
moartă. Când, împinşi de curiozitate, şoarecii au venit lângă ea, pisica cea isteaţă a început să dea
cu laba şi a omorât o grămadă. Era foarte încântată de şiretenia ei şi s-a gândit să mai încerce un
truc.
S-a dat cu făină şi a rămas nemişcată lângă un maldăr de saci, prefăcându-se că ar fi ea însăşi un
sac. Şoarecii s-au apropiat din nou de ea, însă un şoarece bătrân a recunoscut-o şi i-a avertizat pe
ceilalţi. Apoi i-a spus pisicii:
– Ah, prea bună doamnă, chiar de te-ai preschimba în făină adevărată, noi tot nu ne-am mai
apropia de tine.
Morala:
Cel păcălit o dată, e de două ori mai atent.
sau:
Cine s-a fript cu ciorbă, suflă şi-n iaurt.
http://www.anidescoala.ro/divertisment/povesti/autori-straini/esop/pisica-si-
soarecele/#prettyPhoto

Broaştele Care Îşi Doreau Un Rege
Nr. 92

Broaştele Care Îşi Doreau Un Rege
(adaptare după Esop)
Într-o baltă mlăştinoasă trăia fericită o armată de broaşte. Cântau, dansau şi se bălăceau cât era ziua de
lungă. După o vreme, şi-au dat seama că nu aveau rege, aşa că i-au trimis un sol zeului Jupiter, rugându-l
să le dea şi lor unu.- Prea- puternice Jupiter, spuseră ele. Dă-ne un rege care să ne conducă şi să ţină
ordine printre noi.
Când le auzi, zeul Jupiter râse din toată inima şi le aruncă un buştean mare, care făcu apa să sară în toate
părţile. Broaştele s-au speriat groaznic, năpustindu-se la mal. După o vreme, cum buşteanul nu se mişca, o
broască mai curajoasă s-a aventurat până la el şi l-a atins. Buşteanul a
rămas nemişcat, aşa că broasca a sărit pe el şi a început să danseze.
Văzând asta, i s-au alăturat şi celelalte broaşte. Într-o zi, două, broaştele au revenit la îndeletnicirile lor
obişnuite, fără a-l mai băga în seamă pe regele din mijlocul lor. Cu timpul, broaştele şi-au dat seama că
regele nu le guverna aşa cum s-ar fi cuvenit, aşa că i-au trimis lui Jupiter încă un sol:
– Noi vrem un rege adevărat, care să ne poată conduce cu adevărat.
Jupiter s-a mâniat când le-a auzit vorbind astfel şi le-a trimis imediat o ditamai barza. Aceasta a început de
îndată să le înfulece şi, nu după mult timp, era deja prea târziu ca broaştele să se mai poată căi de greşeala
lor.
Morala: Gândeşte-te bine ce îţi doreşti! Nu mereu ceea ce îţi doreşti, este cel mai bun lucru.
http://www.anidescoala.ro/divertisment/povesti/autori-straini/esop/broastele-care-isi-doreau-un-rege-
adaptare-dupa-esop/

Bufonul şi Țăranul
La un bâlci de la ţară şi-a făcut apariţia un bufon care a făcut pe toată lumea să râda în hohote prin felul în care
imita vocile şi răgetele animalelor. El şi-a încheiat spectacolul cu un guiţat atât de asemănător cu cel al unui
porc, încât spectatorii s-au gândit că are ascuns un godac în spatele scenei. Un ţăran care stătea în primele
locuri s-a ridicat însă în picioare şi a anunţat cu iritare:
„Credeti voi că în acest fel guiţă cu adevarat un porc? Nu este deloc aşa. Asteptaţi pâna mâine şi am să vă arăt
eu cum se face.”
Oamenii au râs de el dar, a doua zi, ţăranul şi-a făcut
apariţia pe scenă şi a început să guiţe atât de urât, încât spectatorii l-au fluierat, l-au huiduit şi au aruncat cu
pietre în el pentru a-l face să termine odată.
„Voi, proştilor „, a strigat indignat ţăranul, „uitaţi-vă pe cine l-aţi fluierat”, şi a scos din sân la iveală un mic
purcel pe care îl pişcase pâna atunci de ureche pentru a-l face să guiţe.
Morala: „Adeseori oamenii aplaudă o imitaţie şi huiduie un lucru adevărat.”
http://www.anidescoala.ro/divertisment/povesti/autori-straini/esop/bufonul-si-taranul/

Furnica şi Omida
Pe când alerga vioaie în lumina soarelui, căutând ceva de îmbucat , o furnică a dat peste o omida
care nu ieşise încă din gogoaşa ei şi era pe cale de a se schimba în fluture. Omida şi-a mişcat coada
şi, în acest fel, a atras atenţia furnicii, care şi-a dat dintr-o dată seama că este în prezenţa a ceva
viu.
“Biata, firava creatură!” a exclamat, plină de dispreţ, furnica, “ce soarta amară te aşteaptă! În timp
ce eu mă pot mişca încolo şi încoace, după cum îmi doresc, şi mă pot căţăra, dacă mi-e poftă, chiar
şi în cel mai înalt copac, tu rămâi prizonieră a corpului tau, a gogoaşei tale, având
numai putinţa de a mişca din coadă.” Omida a auzit aceste cuvinte, dar nu a dat niciun răspuns.
Câteva zile mai târziu, gogoaşa crisalidei a rămas goală. Nedumerită, întrebându-se unde a
dispărut omida de acolo, furnica a fost, la un moment dat, umbrită şi descumpănită de aripile
imense ale unui frumos fluture care zbura deasupra ei.
“Uită-te la mine,” a spus fluturele, “tu, biată şi firavă creatură! Laudă-te acum cu puterea ta de a te
mişca şi căţăra.” Dupa ce a zis cuvintele acestea, fluturele s-a înălţat în aer şi, purtat de adierea
vântului de vară, a ieşit din vederea furnicii pentru totdeuna.
http://www.anidescoala.ro/divertisment/povesti/autori-straini/esop/furnica-si-omida/

The Ant and the Grasshopper
Nr. 95

The Ant and the Grasshopper
It was summer, hot and sunny, and, instead of working and preparing for winter, a Grasshopper
preferred to dance, sing and play his violin at his leisure, not minding that these wonderful days
will soon be over, that cold and rainy days will soon be near. On seeing a hardworking Ant passing
by him, preparing for the hard winter that was to come one day, he invited him to join him and
share his fun.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have time for this”, the Ant answered, “I must work hard, so that winter
won’t find me without shelter and food.”
“Stop worrying so much, there is still plenty of time to prepare for winter. Let’s sing and dance
together, let’s laugh and enjoy life”.
But Ant was very wise and wouldn’t pay attention to the Grasshopper’s words and continued to
work hard and store food for the long winter that was to come.
The winter came sooner than expected, and the Grasshopper found himself without home and
without food. He went to the Ant’s house and begged him for food and shelter.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t help you”, the Ant said. “I only have room and food for me and my family,
so go find help somewhere else.”
“I should have followed Ant’s example in the summer”, the Grasshopper thought sadly. “I would
have been so happy now…”
Prepare for the hard days to come.
https://kids-pages.com/folders/stories/Aesops_Fables/page1.htm

The Ass in the Lion's Skin
Nr. 96

The Ass in the Lion's Skin
On his walk through the forest, an Ass found a Lion’s skin and instantly, a wonderful idea
crossed his mind that was going to help him be respected and feared by al the other animals.
He was going to pretend to be a Lion! So, he put the skin on and wandered through the forest,
scaring all the small animals around. He felt so strong, he was the king of the forest! What a
great feeling! For a moment, he forgot he was not supposed to open his mouth to give himself
away and brayed triumphantly. Right then, a fox that was just on the point to run away scared
thinking it was a real Lion, stopped suddenly and began to mock at him.
“An Ass! You were just an Ass pretending to be a Lion! You gave yourself away with your voice.
Had you kept your mouth shut, I would have been fooled myself, too.”
The real fakers will finally give themselves away. .
https://kids-pages.com/folders/stories/Aesops_Fables/page2.htm

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