The crow and the pitcher

In a spell of dry weather, when the Birds could find very little to drink, a thirsty Crow found a pitcher with a little water in it.
But the pitcher was high and had a narrow neck, and no matter how he tried, the Crow could not reach the water. The poor thing felt as if he must die of thirst.
Then an idea came to him. Picking up some small pebbles, he dropped them into the pitcher one by one. With each pebble the water rose a little higher until at last it was near enough so he could drink.
"In a pinch a good use of our wits may help us out."

NEVER TELL A LIE

On his deathbed, a father advised his son to always speak truth. The son promised that he would never tell a lie.
One day, while going to the city through a forest, he got surrounded by some robbers. One of them asked, "What do you have?"
The boy answered, "I have fifty rupees."
They searched him but couldn't find anything. When they were about to go, the boy called out, "I am not telling a lie. See this fifty rupee note which I had hidden in my shirt."
The leader of the robbers felt pleased at the truthfulness of the boy, gave him hundred rupees as reward and went away.

THE MISCHIEVOUS DOG

There was once a Dog who was so ill-natured and mischievous that his Master had to fasten a heavy wooden clog about his neck to keep him from annoying visitors and neighbors.
But the Dog seemed to be very proud of the clog and dragged it about noisily as if he wished to attract everybody's attention. He was not able to impress anyone.
"You would be wiser," said an old acquaintance, "to keep quietly out of sight with that clog. Do you want everybody to know what a disgraceful and ill-natured Dog you are?"
Notoriety is not fame.

COST OF THE BELL

Everyday, a shepherd used to take his cows for grazing. He had tied a bell to each of the cows he had so that he could know where they were grazing. The best cow had a costly bell tied around her neck.
One day, a stranger was going through the pasture. Seeing the costly bell around the cow's neck, he went to the shepherd and asked if he would sell the bell.
Out of greed, the shepherd sold the bell. But now he could not know where his best cow was grazing.
On getting an opportunity, the stranger stole the cow. Thus, the shepherd lost his best cow just because of his greed.

The jay and the peacock

A Jay venturing into a yard where Peacocks used to walk, found there a number of feathers which had fallen from the Peacocks when they were moulting.
He tied them all to his tail and strutted down towards the Peacocks. When he came near them they soon discovered the cheat, and strid-ing up to him pecked at him and plucked away his borrowed plumes.
So the Jay could do no better than go back to the other Jays, who had watched his behaviour from a distance; but they were equally annoyed with him, and told him:
'It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds.'

The rat and the elephant

A Rat was traveling along the King's highway. He was a very proud Rat, considering his small size and the bad reputation all Rats have. As Mr. Rat walked along—he kept mostly to the ditch—he noticed a great commotion up the road, and soon a grand procession came in view. It was the King and his retinue.
The King rode on a huge Elephant adorned with the most gorgeous trappings. With the King in his luxurious howdah were the royal Dog and Cat. A great crowd of people followed the procession. They were so taken up with admiration of the Elephant, that the Rat was not noticed. His pride was hurt.
"What fools!" he cried. "Look at me, and you will soon forget that clumsy Elephant! Is it his great size that makes your eyes pop out? Or is it his wrinkled hide? Why, I have eyes and ears and as many legs as he! I am of just as much importance, and"
But just then the royal Cat spied him, and the next instant, the Rat knew he was not quite so important as an Elephant.
A resemblance to the great in some things does not make us great.

Belling the cat

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."