The Fisherman and the Little Fish

"Do not forego a certain gain for an uncertain profit"

A Fisherman who lived on the produce of his nets, one day caught a single small fish as the result of his day's labor.

The fish, panting convulsively, thus entreated for his life:

The fisherman replied:

"O Sir, what good can I be to you, and how little am I worth! I am not yet come to my full size. Pray spare my life, and put me back into the sea. I shall soon become a large fish, fit for the tables of the rich; and then you can catch me again, and make a handsome profit of me."

"I should be a very simple fellow, if I were to forego my certain gain for an uncertain profit."

The Fox and the Grapes

"It is easy to despise what you cannot get"

One hot summer's day a Fox he came to a bunch of Grapes.

"Just the thing to quench my thirst," quoth he.

Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch.

Turning round again, he jumped up, but with no greater success.

Again and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying:

"Just the thing to quench my thirst,"

"I am sure they are sour."

The Goose With the Golden Eggs

"Greed oft o'er reaches itself"

One day a countryman going to the nest of his Goose found there an egg all yellow and glittering.

When he took it up it was as heavy as lead and he was going to throw it away, because he thought a trick had been played upon him.

But he took it home on second thoughts, and soon found to his delight that it was an egg of pure gold.

Every morning the same thing occurred, and he soon became rich by selling his eggs.

As he grew rich he grew greedy; and thinking to get at once all the gold the Goose could give, he killed it and opened it only to find nothing.