Aesop’s Fables Audio: The Boy Who Cried Wolf and More

Every story at a glance: what it teaches and who it suits

1. The Ant and the DoveAges 4–9

   One good turn deserves another. Kindness is often repaid, and sometimes by the smallest friend you have.

2. The Ant and the GrasshopperAges 4–8

   Work today so you are ready for tomorrow. There is a time for play and a time for preparing, and the wise do the preparing first.

3. The Farmer Who Pulled Up His SeedlingsAges 4–10

   Everything grows at its own pace, and forcing it only makes things worse. Patient watering and weeding do more good than any overnight 'help'.

4. The North Wind and the SunAges 4–9

   Gentleness and persuasion often succeed where force and bullying fail. You cannot make someone do something by pushing harder, but you can make them want to.

5. Belling the CatAges 4–9

   It is easy to suggest a plan and much harder to carry it out. A good idea needs answers to two questions: how will it be done, and who will do it?

6. The Boy Who Cried WolfAges 4–8

   Nobody believes a liar, even when he tells the truth. Trust is easy to lose and slow to win back, so a call for help should never be used as a joke.

7. The Bundle of SticksAges 4–9

   Unity is strength. On our own we are easy to break, but when we stick together and help each other, we are far stronger than any one of us alone.

8. The Town Mouse and the Country MouseAges 4–9

   A simple life lived in peace can be richer than a grand one lived in fear. What makes a home good is feeling safe and happy there, not how fancy the dinner is.

9. The Crow and the PitcherAges 3–8

   Clever thinking and patience can solve problems that strength cannot. When one idea fails, try another, and a big job gets done one small step at a time.

10. The Dog and His ReflectionAges 3–7

    Greed can make you lose what you already have. Be thankful for what you hold before you snap at what someone else seems to have.

11. The Farmer and the ViperAges 5–9

    Kindness is good, but be careful whom you trust: some will repay kindness with harm, because that is their nature. Be kind and wise at the same time.

12. The Fox and the CrowAges 4–9

    Be careful of people who flatter you because they want something. Sweet words cost nothing, and a compliment that comes with a request deserves a second thought.

13. The Fox and the GoatAges 4–9

    Look before you leap: think about how a plan will end before you jump in. And be wary of advice from someone who needs you to get them out of trouble.

14. The Fox and the GrapesAges 4–9

    It is easy to look down on something you could not get. Being honest about failing, and willing to ask for help, takes more courage than pretending you never wanted it.

15. The Fox and the StorkAges 4–9

    Don't play tricks on others unless you are ready to have the same trick played on you. A good host thinks about what each guest needs, and treats others the way they would like to be treated.

16. The Frog and the OxAges 4–9

    Don't try to be something you're not. Pride and envy can puff you up until you burst; being yourself is big enough.

17. The Miller, His Son and the DonkeyAges 4–9

    You can't please everyone, and if you try, you may end up pleasing no one, not even yourself. Listen politely to advice, then think for yourself and do what you believe is right.

18. The Goose That Laid the Golden EggsAges 4–9

    Greed can make you lose the good things you already have. Be thankful for a gift that keeps coming, and don't throw it away by grabbing for everything at once.

19. The Tortoise and the HareAges 3–8

    Slow and steady wins the race. Talent is not enough on its own: keeping going, without showing off or giving up, is what gets you to the finish.

20. The Monkeys Who Fished for the MoonAges 3–7

    Look carefully and think before you act, and don't just rush after what everyone else is doing. If you mistake a reflection for the real thing, all your hard work comes to nothing.

21. The Fox Who Borrowed the Tiger's MightAges 5 and up

    Power borrowed from someone else isn't really yours, and bluffing only lasts so long. It also pays to look closely and ask where someone's power truly comes from, instead of being fooled by appearances.

22. The Milkmaid and Her PailAges 4–9

    Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. Dreaming is good, but pay attention to what you are doing now, or you may lose everything before your plans can even begin.

23. The Frog at the Bottom of the WellAges 4–10

    Everyone sees only part of the world, and there's no shame in saying 'I didn't know that.' Don't mistake your own patch of sky for all of it; go out, look around and listen to others, and your world will grow.

24. The Lion and the MouseAges 3–8

    No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. Never look down on someone for being little: small friends can be great friends when it matters most.

25. The Oak and the ReedsAges 4–9

    It is better to bend than to break. Giving way a little when trouble comes can be wiser, and stronger, than standing stiff and stubborn.

26. The Wolf in Sheep's ClothingAges 4–9

    Appearances can deceive: judge others by what they do, not only by how they look. And tricks often turn back on the trickster, because the wolf's own disguise is what gets him caught.

27. Waiting for Rabbits by the Tree StumpAges 5 and up

    A lucky accident won't happen to order. If you stop working and wait for luck to come back, you lose what honest work would have given you, and when things change, your plans have to change too.

28. 曾子杀猪3–8 岁

    说话要算数，答应了的事就要做到，对小孩子也一样。孩子是看着父母长大的，父母守信，孩子才会守信。

29. 郑人买履3–8 岁

    做事要看实际情况，不能死守规矩、只认条条框框。尺码是从脚上量来的，真正可靠的，是眼前实实在在的东西。