New Aesop Fables for Children : Volume 2

By Robert Long and Yuko Sakai

This is the second volume of 45 new and delightful fables, which involve animals, insects, people, and objects, and touch on a variety of social, moral and even political themes that are particularly relevant to this time. The fables, which have been written for third and fourth grade levels, will appeal to both young and old.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 12, 2011
• ISBN: 9781257610068

Robert Long

Robert Long is the editor of Long Island Poets and author of De Kooning's Bicycle. He's contributed to The New Yorker and The Partisan Review, among other publications. He lives in East Hampton, New York.

Book preview

Fable 2

Bird Songs

Jealousy

Have you ever thought, Why do birds sing? Well, a long time ago, a bluebird was scratching for worms. She started quietly singing. The song was so beautiful that it woke up a crow. The crow thought for a while. Then he decided that he too could sing just as good as the bluebird. The crow began to caw—slowly and softly at first—and then louder and faster. He also sang, I’m the best singer in the forest! An eagle was flying in the sky. She heard the crow singing. She decided that she too could sing. She began to screech even louder, crying out about her strength, beauty, and intelligence. This led other birds to sing about their own virtues. Even today, the singing has not ended.

Moral: Jealousy is a noise that is best ignored.

Fable 3

Oysters Anyone?

Gluttony

What are they? They look and smell disgusting, said the black dog to the white dog.

They’re oysters, the white dog replied. Men eat them so they must be delicious. But they sometimes don’t want them. They don’t want these oysters either, I guess. Go on, you should eat them. I’m not hungry now. The black dog started eating the oysters, and the white dog encouraged him. If some oysters are OK, more oysters must be delicious, he said.

Finally, after he had eaten all the oysters, the black dog slowly crawled away. He was very sick with a stomachache from those really spoiled oysters.

Moral: Some gifts are better not accepted.

Fable 4

Changing Places

Envy

A duck, a frog, a tortoise, and an eagle were drinking at a pond one day. The duck said to the tortoise, "I really wish I could change places with you. You have a house with you wherever you go. That’s so