Æsop's fables in words of one syllable

Chapter 65: THE OWLS AND THE WREN.

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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 OWLS AND THE WREN.

Two owls sat on the branch of a tree. “How strange is it,” said one of them, “that in the old days of Greece, men best knew our worth, for owls were then thought to be the type of all that is wise.” “Not so,” said the wren, who heard them, “and if you were less vain, you would know well that in those days men wore owls on their shields to show that they should not judge by mere looks. If they did, they would take an owl to be a wise bird; for, though he has but a small wit, he has a large head.”