Failbles - Ends 6th January

[Sho]

If you don't know what a fable is, it's a short story which conveys a moral. I used to read a lot of these when I was a kid, especially The Owl And The Grasshopper. It's about an owl and a grasshopper (surprisingly) and the grasshopper starts to insult the owl for being nocturnal. The owl responds with a compliment on his singing and offers to give him a bottle of nectar. The grasshopper accepts the offer and as he comes closer to the owl, the owl kills him and eats him.

The moral of that story was supposed to be 'flattery is not a proof of true admiration', but the message I got from it was, if I don't like someone I should be nice to them and then punch them in the face once they get close enough.

What I'd like you to do is, find a fable and show how someone could get the wrong message from reading it.

May the best example win!

Prize: 10 credits + 15 rep
Click here for more information about prizes

[Honor-Branch]

The Boy Who cried Wolf
so a boy who repeatedly cried for help thinking there was a wolf that was going to attack him but then there was no wolf so one day, there was actually a wolf and the boy cried help but no one came.

Moral: this shows how liars are rewarded: even if they tell the truth, no one believes them

[Drew]

Fable: The Monkey and The Dolphin

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It happened once upon a time that a certain Greek ship bound for Athens was wrecked off the coast close to Piraeus, the port of Athens. Had it not been for the Dolphins, who at that time were very friendly toward mankind and especially toward Athenians, all would have perished. But the Dolphins took the shipwrecked people on their backs and swam with them to shore.

Now it was the custom among the Greeks to take their pet monkeys and dogs with them whenever they went on a voyage. So when one of the Dolphins saw a Monkey struggling in the water, he thought it was a man, and made the Monkey climb up on his back. Then off he swam with him toward the shore.

The Monkey sat up, grave and dignified, on the Dolphin's back.

"You are a citizen of illustrious Athens, are you not?" asked the Dolphin politely.

"Yes," answered the Monkey, proudly. "My family is one of the noblest in the city."

"Indeed," said the Dolphin. "Then of course you often visit Piraeus."

"Yes, yes," replied the Monkey. "Indeed, I do. I am with him constantly. Piraeus is my very best friend."

This answer took the Dolphin by surprise, and, turning his head, he now saw what it was he was carrying. Without more ado, he dived and left the foolish Monkey to take care of himself, while he swam off in search of some human being to save.

Moral of the story was supposed to be 'one falsehood leads to another' but what I understood was that people could be two-faced by being nice to their superiors and bad to their inferiors.

[xjacexx]

My story is abit similar to yours (surprise!!!)

okay so

A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree.

"That's for me, as I am a Fox," said the fox, and he walked up to the foot of the tree.

"Good day, Mistress Crow," he cried. "How well you are looking today: how glossy your feathers; how bright your eye. I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does; let me hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds."

The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by Master Fox.

"That will do," said he. "That was all I wanted. In exchange for your cheese I will give you a piece of advice for the future: "Do not trust flatterers."



The moral of the story was, as stated, do not trust flatterers (surprise!). But when i was a kid, i used to think how stupid the crow was. (I mean, crows have such lousy voices??!) So i thought that once, with the right words and tone, i could get anything i want. BOY WAS I WRONG. Even temper tantrums dont work then. So here goes, my fable story.

[Drake.]

The Boy Who Cried Wolf:
Lying will gain you international fame for many centuries to come.

[Hannah]

The Old Hound:

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A Hound, who in the days of his youth and strength had never yielded to any beast of the forest, encountered in his old age a boar in the chase. He seized him boldly by the ear, but could not retain his hold because of the decay of his teeth, so that the boar escaped. His master, quickly coming up, was very much disappointed, and fiercely abused the dog. The Hound looked up and said: "It was not my fault, master; my spirit was as good as ever, but I could not help mine infirmities. I rather deserve to be praised for what I have been, than to be blamed for what I am."

Moral: No one should be blamed for his infirmities.

Another interpretation: When you get old you become useless and undesired.

[Bankai90]

The Rabbit and the Turtle

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One day a rabbit was boasting about how fast he could run. He was laughing at the turtle for being so slow. Much to the rabbit’s surprise, the turtle challenged him to a race. The rabbit thought this was a good joke and accepted the challenge. The fox was to be the umpire of the race. As the race began, the rabbit raced way ahead of the turtle, just like everyone thought. The rabbit got to the halfway point and could not see the turtle anywhere. He was hot and tired and decided to stop and take a short nap. Even if the turtle passed him, he would be able to race to the finish line ahead of him. All this time the turtle kept walking step by step by step. He never quit no matter how hot or tired he got. He just kept going. However, the rabbit slept longer than he had thought and woke up. He could not see the turtle anywhere! He went at full-speed to the finish line but found the turtle there waiting for him.

Moral: Never underestimate the weakest opponent.

[!x!dude!x!2]

the dog and the wolf

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A gaunt Wolf was almost dead with hunger when he happened to
meet a House-dog who was passing by. "Ah, Cousin," said the Dog.
"I knew how it would be; your irregular life will soon be the ruin
of you. Why do you not work steadily as I do, and get your food
regularly given to you?"

"I would have no objection," said the Wolf, "if I could only
get a place."

"I will easily arrange that for you," said the Dog; "come with
me to my master and you shall share my work."

So the Wolf and the Dog went towards the town together. On
the way there the Wolf noticed that the hair on a certain part of
the Dog's neck was very much worn away, so he asked him how that
had come about.

"Oh, it is nothing," said the Dog. "That is only the place
where the collar is put on at night to keep me chained up; it
chafes a bit, but one soon gets used to it."

"Is that all?" said the Wolf. "Then good-bye to you, Master
Dog."

the story shows you that it's better to starve free than to be a fat slave but all i learned was not to chain things up

Added the moral in since he forgot - Shonly (Competitions Manager)