Æsop's fables in words of one syllable

Chapter 48: THE OX AND THE CALF.

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About This Book

A collection of short, self-contained fables retold in simple monosyllabic language for young readers. Each brief tale stages animal characters in a single situation that leads to a clear outcome and an explicit moral, exploring themes such as honesty, pride, prudence, selfishness, and the consequences of deceit or folly. Lines are spare and direct, often paired with small illustrations, and the arrangement of discrete episodes emphasizes cause-and-effect and memorable aphorisms to make ethical lessons accessible and easy to discuss.

THE OX AND THE CALF.

In days of old, a calf that ran wild in some fields near Rome, and had not yet felt the yoke, said to an old ox, “Dull slave! How can you drudge on in this way from day to day with a plough at your tail? Look at me, see how I skip and play!” The ox said not a word, but went on with his work. The next day there was a great feast held at Rome, so the ox did not go to the plough; but his friend the calf, was led off in great pomp to be slain, with a wreath round his neck. “If this is the last scene of your gay life,” said the ox, “let me drudge on at the plough, for the yoke is more to my mind than the ax.”

Of two ills, choose the least.

The Ox and the Calf.—Page 44.

Æsop.