داستان های ساده ی انگلیسی

The Dog and the Shadow

It happened that a Dog had got a piece of meat and was carrying it home in his mouth to eat it in peace. Now on
 his way home he had to cross a plank lying across a running brook. As he crossed, he looked down and saw
 his own shadow reflected in the water beneath. Thinking it was another dog with another piece of meat, he made
 up his mind to have that also. So he made a snap at the shadow in the water, but as he opened his mouth the
 piece of meat fell out, dropped into the water and was never seen more. Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow

The Lion’s Share

The Lion went once a-hunting along with the Fox, the Jackal, and the Wolf. They hunted and they hunted till at
 last they surprised a Stag, and soon took its life. Then came the question how the spoil should be divided.
 ‘Quarter me this Stag,’ roared the Lion; so the other animals skinned it and cut it into four parts. Then the Lion
 took his stand in front of the carcass and pronounced judgment: The first quarter is for me in my capacity as
 King of Beasts; the second is mine as arbiter; another share comes to me for my part in the chase; and as for the fourth quarter, well, as for that, I should like to see which of you will dare to lay a paw upon it.’ ‘Humph,’ grumbled the Fox as he walked away with his tail between his legs; but he spoke in a low growl .’You may share the labours of the great, but you will not  share the spoil

The Wolf and the Crane

A Wolf had been gorging on an animal he had killed, when suddenly a small bone in the meat stuck in his throat
 and he could not swallow it. He soon felt terrible pain in his throat, and ran up and down groaning and groaning
 and seeking for something to relieve the pain. He tried to induce every one he met to remove the bone. ‘I would
 give anything,’ said he, ‘if you would take it out.’ At last the Crane agreed to try, and told the Wolf to lie on his
 side and open his jaws as wide as he could. Then the Crane put its long neck down the Wolf’s throat, and with
 its beak loosened the bone, till at last it got it out. ‘Will you kindly give me the reward you promised?’
 said the Crane. The Wolf grinned and showed his teeth and said: ‘Be content. You have put your head inside a Wolf’s mouth and taken it out again in safety; that ought to be reward enough for you.’ Gratitude and greed go not together

The Man and the Serpent

A Countryman’s son by accident trod upon a Serpent’s tail, which turned and bit him so that he died. The father
 in a rage got his axe, and pursuing the Serpent, cut off part of its tail. So the Serpent in revenge began stinging several of the Farmer’s cattle and caused him severe loss. Well, the Farmer thought it best to make it up with the Serpent, and brought food and honey to the mouth of its lair, and said to it: ‘Let’s forget and forgive; perhaps you were right to punish my son, and take vengeance on my cattle, but surely I was right in trying to revenge him; now that we are both satisfied why should not we be friends again?’
 ‘No, no,’ said the Serpent; ‘take away your gifts; you can never forget the death of your son, nor I the loss of
 my tail.’ Injuries may be forgiven, but not forgotten

The Town Mouse and the country mouse

Now you must know that a Town Mouse once upon a time went on a visit to his cousin in the country. He was
rough and ready, this cousin, but he loved his town friend and made him heartily welcome. Beans and bacon, cheese and bread, were all he had to offer, but he offered them freely. The Town Mouse rather turned up his long nose at this country fare, and said: ‘I cannot understand, Cousin, how you can put up with such poor food as this, but of course you cannot expect anything better in the country;come you with me and I will show you how to live. When you have been in town a week you will wonderhow you could ever have stood a country life.’ No sooner said than done: the two mice set off for the town and arrived at the Town Mouse’s residence late at night. ‘You will want some refreshment after our long journey,’ said the polite Town Mouse, and took his friend into the grand dining-room. There they found the remains of a fine feast and soon the two mice were eating up jellies and cakes and all that was nice. Suddenly they heard growling and barking. ‘What is that?’ said the Country Mouse. ‘It is only the dogs of the house,’ answered the other. ‘Only!’ said the Country Mouse. ‘I do not like that music at my dinner.’ Just at that moment the door flew open, in came two huge mastiffs, and the two mice had to scamper down and run off. ‘Good-bye, Cousin,’ said the Country Mouse, ‘What! going so soon?’ said the other. ‘Yes,’ he replied; ‘Better beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear

The Fox and the Crow

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 Master Reynard, and he walked up to the foot of the tree. ‘Good-day, Mistress Crow,’ he cried. ‘How well you are looking to-day: 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 Sick Lion

A Lion had come to the end of his days and lay sick unto death at the mouth of his cave, gasping for breath.
 The animals, his subjects, came round him and drew nearer as he grew more and more helpless. When they saw
 him on the point of death they thought to themselves: ‘Now is the time to pay off old grudges.’ So the Boar
 came up and drove at him with his tusks; then a Bull gored him with his horns; still the Lion lay helpless before
 them: so the Ass, feeling quite safe from danger, came up, and turning his tail to the Lion kicked up his heels into his face. ‘This is a double death,’ growled the Lion. Only cowards insult dying majesty

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