Classic Fables

A treasury of timeless stories for kids

“The Crow and the Pitcher” by AesopA thirsty crow finds a pitcher, but can’t reach the water at the bottom. How will the clever bird quench its thirst?

“The Boy Who Cried Wolf” by AesopA shepherd boy lies about a wolf threatening his sheep. What will happen when the wolf actually appears?

“The Lion and the Mouse” by AesopIn this short Aesop fable, a tiny mouse helps a great, big lion.

“The Fox and the Stork” by AesopFox plays an insensitive trick on his friend Stork while they eat dinner together.

“The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse” by AesopTwo mice with very different lives highlight the value of simplicity.

“The Little Red Hen” adapted by LibraryCallThe little red hen asks her barnyard companions for help as she works to plant and harvest wheat, make flour, and bake some bread. But no one else does any of the work—and so no one else gets any of the reward. This classic story has been told and retold countless times.

“The Bear and the Bees” adapted by Arezo MayaarIn this traditional Afghan folk tale, all the animals wait in line to buy delicious honey from the bees. Everything is harmonious until a bullying bear begins to cut in line and take honey without paying.

“The Three Little Pigs” adapted by LibraryCallIn this classic children’s fable, three little pigs each builds a house to stay safe—one of straw, the second of sticks, and the third a house of bricks. When the Big Bad Wolf arrives to huff and puff and blow their houses down, which pig will be safe?

“The Kind Elephant” adapted by Arezo MayaarA kind but lonely elephant seeks friendship among the other animals of the forest, yet one by one, they reject him. One day, a lion enters the forest, and all the other animals flee in terror. The elephant alone can protect the smaller animals, but why bother when they were all so cruel to him?

“The Ant and the Grasshopper” by Aesop, adapted by Ryan AotoIn this reimagining of Aesop’s well known fable, a lone ant finds beauty in the grasshopper’s music, and inspires her entire colony to take up percussion. Yet she has trouble convincing her fellow ants that the grasshopper deserves their help when winter comes.