Fables

The Wind and the Sun
Aesop

Once upon a time when everything could talk, the Wind and the Sun fell into an argument as to which was the stronger. Finally they decided to put the matter to a test; they would see which one could make a certain man, who was walking along the road, throw off his cape. The Wind tried first. He blew and he blew and he blew. The harder and colder he blew, the tighter the traveler wrapped his cape about him. The Wind finally gave up and told the Sun to try. The Sun began to smile and as it grew warmer and warmer, the traveler was comfortable once more. But the Sun shone brighter and brighter until the man grew so hot, the sweat poured out on his face, he became weary, and seating himself on a stone, he quickly threw his cape to the ground. You see, gentleness had accomplished what force could not.

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
Aesop

A certain Wolf, being very hungry, disguised himself in a Sheep's skin and joined a flock of sheep. Thus, for many days he could kill and eat sheep whenever he was hungry, for even the shepherd did not find him out. One night after the shepherd had put all his sheep in the fold, he decided to kill one of his own flock for food; and without realizing what he was doing, he took out the wolf and killed him on the spot. It really does not pay to pretend to be what you are not.

The Rooster and the Hen
from "Tales of a Finnish Tupa" by James Cloyd Bowman and Margery Bianco

One day a hen and a rooster went into the sauna to take a bath. The rooster said:

"Hen, fetch me some water from the well. There isn't enough in the bucket here to wet the stones."

The hen went to the well and said:

"Good well, kind well, give me some water."

"I'll give you water if you fetch me a dipper," said the well. So the hen went to the woman of the house.

"Good lady, kind lady, give me a dipper."

"I'll give you a dipper if you'll fetch me a pair of shoes," said the woman. So the hen went to the shoemaker and said:

"Good shoemaker, kind shoemaker, give me a pair of shoes."

"I'll give you the shoes if you'll fetch me an awl," said the shoemaker. So the hen went to the blacksmith and said:

"Good blacksmith, kind blacksmith, give me an awl."

"I'll give you an awl if you'll fetch me some iron," said the blacksmith.

The hen went to the marsh, and said: "Good marsh, kind marsh, give me some iron."

And the marsh was a good and kind marsh, and it gave the hen some iron.

The hen took the iron to the blacksmith, and got the awl.

She took the awl to the shoemaker and got the shoes.

She took the shoes to the woman, and got the dipper.

She took the dipper to the well, and got the water.

But alas, when the hen hurried to the sauna with the water, she found the poor rooster dead from heat!