Aesop's Fables - The Miser and His Gold

Once upon a time there was a Miser who used to hide his gold
at the foot of a tree in his garden; but every week he used to go
and dig it up and gloat over his gains. A robber, who had noticed
this, went and dug up the gold and decamped with it. When the
Miser next came to gloat over his treasures, he found nothing but
the empty hole. He tore his hair, and raised such an outcry that
all the neighbours came around him, and he told them how he used
to come and visit his gold. "Did you ever take any of it out?"
asked one of them.

"Nay," said he, "I only came to look at it."

"Then come again and look at the hole," said a neighbour; "it
will do you just as much good."

Wealth unused might as well not exist.

Aesop's Fables - The Wind and the Sun

The Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger.
Suddenly they saw a traveller coming down the road, and the Sun
said: "I see a way to decide our dispute. Whichever of us can
cause that traveller to take off his cloak shall be regarded as
the stronger. You begin." So the Sun retired behind a cloud, and
the Wind began to blow as hard as it could upon the traveller.
But the harder he blew the more closely did the traveller wrap his
cloak round him, till at last the Wind had to give up in despair.
Then the Sun came out and shone in all his glory upon the
traveller, who soon found it too hot to walk with his cloak on.

Kindness effects more than severity.

Aesop's Fables - The Goose With the Golden Eggs

One day a countryman going to the nest of his Goose found
there an egg all yellow and glittering. When he took it up it was
as heavy as lead and he was going to throw it away, because he
thought a trick had been played upon him. But he took it home on
second thoughts, and soon found to his delight that it was an egg
of pure gold. Every morning the same thing occurred, and he soon
became rich by selling his eggs. As he grew rich he grew greedy;
and thinking to get at once all the gold the Goose could give, he
killed it and opened it only to find nothing.

Greed oft o'er reaches itself.

Aesop's Fables - The Man and the Satyr

A Man had lost his way in a wood one bitter winter's night.
As he was roaming about, a Satyr came up to him, and finding that
he had lost his way, promised to give him a lodging for the night,
and guide him out of the forest in the morning. As he went along
to the Satyr's cell, the Man raised both his hands to his mouth
and kept on blowing at them. "What do you do that for?" said the
Satyr.

"My hands are numb with the cold," said the Man, "and my
breath warms them."

After this they arrived at the Satyr's home, and soon the
Satyr put a smoking dish of porridge before him. But when the Man
raised his spoon to his mouth he began blowing upon it. "And what
do you do that for?" said the Satyr.

"The porridge is too hot, and my breath will cool it."

"Out you go," said the Satyr. "I will have nought to do with
a man who can blow hot and cold with the same breath."

Aesop's Fables - The Crow and the Pitcher

A Crow, half-dead with thirst, came upon a Pitcher which had
once been full of water; but when the Crow put its beak into the
mouth of the Pitcher he found that only very little water was left
in it, and that he could not reach far enough down to get at it.
He tried, and he tried, but at last had to give up in despair.
Then a thought came to him, and he took a pebble and dropped it
into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped it into
the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into
the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into
the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into
the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into
the Pitcher. At last, at last, he saw the water mount up near
him, and after casting in a few more pebbles he was able to quench
his thirst and save his life.

Little by little does the trick.

Aesop's Fables - The Two Pots

Two Pots had been left on the bank of a river, one of brass,
and one of earthenware. When the tide rose they both floated off
down the stream. Now the earthenware pot tried its best to keep
aloof from the brass one, which cried out: "Fear nothing, friend,
I will not strike you."

"But I may come in contact with you," said the other, "if I
come too close; and whether I hit you, or you hit me, I shall
suffer for it."

The strong and the weak cannot keep company.