The Fox and the Hedgehog

A fox and a hedgehog were strolling through the forests. 

The fox was very proud of itself. It looked down at its prickly companion with a smug smile. “Do you know hedgehog, if the hounds suddenly come, I am so clever that I have a hundred different strategies to escape. I can double back on my tracks. I can leap over streams, and I have half a dozen secret burrows, all over the forest.” The fox looked even more smug. “I have a master plan for everything.” 

The fox finally looked at the hedgehog with pity. “You however, have nothing!”

The hedgehog was quiet for a few seconds. “I have one trick, and I think that is enough.”

Suddenly the fox and the hedgehog heard the hound’s howl echoing through the trees. 

The hedgehog did not pause. He tucked his head and pulled his paws and rolled himself into a tight sharp ball of defensive spikes.

On hearing the hounds, the fox's brilliant mind, however, went through many possibilities. 

The fox wondered whether he should run to the river, but then the fox decided against it, because the water current was too strong. Then, the fox wondered whether he had to double back, but then the fox realised that the wind was blowing straight towards the hound. Finally, the fox wondered whether he had to climb the ridge. But then the fox was afraid that this would damage his beautiful fur. 

So thinking all this, the fox was frozen on his tracks.

While the fox was still calculating all this, the hounds burst from the trees. 

The hedgehog remained perfectly safe inside his prickly armour. The hedgehog heard the commotion around and looked up only when the noise around him faded into the distance.

When the hedgehog finally felt that it was safe, he unrolled and looked around. 

The fox was, however, nowhere to be found.

The hedgehog went home safe that day, because he knew that one simple, reliable plan executed immediately was better than a hundred complex options.

Adapted from Aesop’s Fables

The Farmer and his Lazy Sons

Once there lived a hard working farmer. Unfortunately all the sons of the farmer were very lazy and none of his sons realized the importance of hard work.

Years later the farmer was on his deathbed.

He got all his sons to come together and gave them an important message. "I have hidden a treasure in our vineyard. The treasure buried in the vineyard is enough to keep you happy for a long time. Find the treasure and divide it equally amongst you."

In those words the farmer breathed his last.

The next day the son's dug the vineyard completely. They would not stop until they got the treasure.

But no matter how much they tried, they could not find the treasure.

The vineyard being dug and with the proper rains gave rich yields.

The sons saw the yields of the vineyard and the riches it made them. Finally, they realized that this was the treasure that the father had left for them.

They understood that hard work is the best way to get rich and followed it for the rest of their lives.

Adapted from Aesop's Fables

The Old Woman and the Physician

 There lived an old woman in a city. Added to her old age, she was beginning to lose her eye-sight as well.

She was worried that she would lose her vision completely. So she visited a physician in her city to cure her.

The physician was new and young. But he looked at the old nearly blind woman and had an idea. He readily agreed to cure her blindness.

The old woman was taken aback with his eagerness and smelt a trap. “I shall pay you ten silver coins only when you completely cure me.” She told the physician carefully. “I will not pay you anything, if your treatment does not work.”

The physician did not even hesitate. “I agree to the conditions.” He shrugged to himself. “Your treatment will start tomorrow. Since you cannot see properly, I would advise you not to come here daily. I will come to your house and treat your eyes.”

The old lady could not find any flaw in the physician’s words and agreed.

So daily the physician came to the old lady’s house.

Though he treated her properly, the physician was greedy.

Realizing that the old woman could not see properly, the physician stole some precious trinkets from the old woman’s house, daily.

A month later, the old woman’s vision had improved considerably and the physician had stolen many precious items from her house.

Finally the treatment was over and the physician demanded his fees.

The old woman refused to pay him.

Angry, the physician took the lady to court.

“I treated her properly.” The physician told the court the next day. “She promised to pay me ten silver coins. Now, she completely refuses to pay me.”

The judge was puzzled as he looked at the physician and the old woman.

“Did you have trouble with your vision, grandma?” The judge asked the old woman.

“Yes.”

“Did you go to the physician?”

“Yes.”

“Did you promise to pay him on successfully completing your treatment?”

“Yes.”

“Can you see better now?”

“I cannot say that for certainty, my judge.”

“She lies!” The physician yelled. “She can see much better than she could when she came to consult me first.”

The judge studied the physician and then looked at the old woman.

“Why do you say that you cannot see better, grandma?” The judge asked finally.

The old lady smiled. “Over the years when I was younger and could see better, I had gathered many treasures. I adorned my house with them, judge.” The old woman looked at the physician with a cold smile. “I do not see any of those treasures around my house. If I do not see them, that means I have not gained my vision, isn’t it?”

Needless to say, the physician was forced to return all the old woman’s jewelry. He was not paid for his treatment, because he was imprisoned for his thievery.

(The story is of Greek Origin and was included in many books including the Fable of Aesop’s)

-Aesop’s Fables.