Folk tale - Lazy Jack

   This is an old English folk tale story. This story was collected by James Halliwell Orchard Phillips. 

   Once upon a time there was a boy whose name was Jack, and he lived with his mother in a small and dull cottage. They were very poor, and the old woman earned a few pennies by doing some odd jobs, but that was not enough to maintain the family properly. Jack was so lazy that he would do nothing but relax in the sun in the hot weather and sit by the corner of the fire in the winter time. His mother could not make him do anything for the family. At last his mother warned him that if he did not begin to work for his porridge, she would turn him out of the house to get his living as best he could.

   This threat finally stirred Jack. He went out and found a job for the day working for on a farm. The farmer paid him one penny, but he was not used to having money, and as he was coming him he lost it as he passed over a stream. 

   “You stupid boy, you should have put it in your pocket.” said his mother.

   “Next time I will.” replied Jack.

   The next day Jack went out again, and found a job with a cow-keeper, who gave him a jar of milk for his day’s work. Jack took the jar and put it into the large pocket of his jacket. The whole milk was spilling it all, long before he came home.

   “Oh my Dear, you should have carried it on your head!” said his mother. 

   “Next time I will.” replied Jack.

   The following day Jack found a job with a farmer. The farmer agreed to give him a cream cheese for his work. In the evening, Jack took the cheese and went home with it on his head. By the time he got home the cheese was completely spoiled, part of it being lost, and part matted with his hair. 

   “You are a good-for-nothing boy,” said his mother, “you should have carried it very carefully in your hands.” 

   “Next time, I will.” replied Jack.

Fairy Tale - The story of a mother (part-1)

The story of a mother - part 1

  a fairy tale by - Hans Christian Anderson

    A mother sat there with her little child. She was so downcast, so afraid that it should die! It was so pale, the small eyes had closed themselves, and it drew its breath so softly, now and then, with a deep respiration, as if it sighed. The mother looked still more sorrowfully on the little creature.
   Then a knocking was heard at the door, and in came a poor old man wrapped up as in a large horse-cloth, for it warms one, and he needed it, as it was the cold winter season! Everything was covered with ice and snow outside, and the wind blew so that it cut the face.
   As the old man trembled with cold, and the little child slept a moment, the mother went and poured some ale into a pot and set it on the stove, that it might be warm for him; the old man sat and rocked the cradle, and the mother sat down on a chair close by him, and looked at her little sick child that drew its breath so deep, and raised its little hand.
   "Do you not think that I shall save him?" said the mother. "Our Lord will not take him from me!"
   And the old man-it was Death himself-he nodded so strangely, it could just as well indicate yes as no. And the mother looked down in her lap, and the tears ran down over her cheeks. Her head became so heavy-she had not closed her eyes for three days and nights. But now she slept only for a minute, when she started up and trembled with cold.
   "What is that?" said the mother and looked on all sides. But the old man was already gone, and her little child was gone-he had taken her child with him. The old clock in the corner burred, and burred, the great leaden heavy ran down to the floor, suddenly! Then the clock also stood still.
   But the poor mother ran out of the house and cried loudly for her child.

Aseop's Fable

This fable is from Aesop's fables... 

 

  The Lion and the Mouse

       
     Once there was a lion taking a rest. At this time a naughty little mouse began running up and down upon the lion. For this reason the lion woke up. The lion placed his huge paw upon him, and opened his big jaws to eat him. 

     The lion caught the mouse and holding him in his large claws. The lion growled in anger- “How dare you wake me up! Don't you know that I am King of the Beasts? Anyone who disturbs my rest deserves to die!"

    The scared mouse, shaking and trembling, begged the lion to let him go. “Please don't eat me Your Majesty! I did not mean to wake you, it was a mistake. I was only playing. Please let me go  and I promise to do something for you in return some of this day.I will be your friend forever. Who knows but one day I could save your life?” 

    The lion looked at the tiny mouse and laughed. “You save my life? What an absurd idea!” he said mockingly.

Aesop's Fable

This fable is from Aesop's fables...

    The Dog and the Shadow

 There was dog lived in a village. It happened when the Dog had got a piece of meat and was carrying it home in his mouth to eat it in peace. Now on his way of home he had to cross a piece of wood lying across a running stream. When he crossed, he looked down and saw his own shadow reflected in the water underneath. 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 it was never seen more. 

The moral of the story:

Beware you can lose the thing what you get by grasping at the greediness.

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