Tag Archives: fable

The Squirrel’s Friends – A Fable About Coveting

A squirrel visited his friends, the Rabbits
He had heard they had a pond now and wanted to see it
It was shady and breezy and smelled of lilies
The water was pure and clear and blue
Young squirrel wanted this pond.
No. He was sure he needed it.

Papa Rabbit called out, “Would you care for a swim?
We are just getting in!”
“No, I would not! It’s yucky and grim,” The jealous squirrel spat.
“With ugly algae setting in,
I’d rather burn in the sun than rest here in this.
It’s disgusting and sad. Why can’t you see it?”

Taking this in the rabbits took a second look at their pond.
“I guess it isn’t nice.”
“We shouldn’t keep this.”
“We should fill it in!”
And that is just what they did.

Unhappy this squirrel went to see the birds
He knew they had discovered an apple tree and wanted to taste it
It was huge and perfect and brightly colored
The apples looked heavy and sweet and red
Young squirrel wanted this tree.
It should be his.

Sister bird called out, “Would you like an apple or two?
They are ripe and ready!”
“No, I would not! They’re starting to turn,” this jealous squirrel barked.
“With worms crawling through,
I’d rather eat leaves or nuts than these.
There won’t be enough, and they’ll not last the fall.”

Believing their friend the birds considered the apples and their tree.
“They’re not that sweet”
“Don’t bother with the bugs”
“Let this tree tend itself”
So they left to find another.

Alone in his hole this squirrel cried to himself
“A filled in pond and a rotten tree mean nothing to me.
I have no rest and I have no food
But worse I have no friend.”

Mr. Owl the Wise (An Original Fable)

On a cold Autumn night,
Simon the Mouse lost much.
His house had burned down
leaving nothing but ash.
The village alarm
brought all to its center.
“We can’t let him suffer,”
they cried out as one.

Before they could solve
this painful dilemma,
friend, Owl the Wise,
swooped down to save them.
He could not bear to watch
them struggle with this.
“You must make this Mouse
his own brand new house!”

They couldn’t argue
so promptly agreed.
Mr. Owl took charge
with his deep smooth voice,
“No need to hassle
with making a plan.
You each have a home,
and he has got none.
He should have some
or at least just one.
Now all of you all,
bring one of your walls.”

Wisely he spoke
not asking too much,
so they all raced off
to dismantle homes.
With little time passing,
the mice had returned
with buckets of nails
and boards of all sizes.
“Put them together.
It won’t take forever.
Some wood over here,
yes, bring it all near.
It has to be grand
as a big apple stand!”

So construct it they did,
in a hurry as one.
They lifted their boards,
held them and hammered.
Together they made
something just like a home.
They gathered the scraps,
enough for three more,
looked to each other
and tossed them all out.

Though weak and drafty,
that Mouse had a house.
“Three cheers for Owl!
He’s saved us again!”
They danced, and they laughed,
but their joy didn’t last,
seeing each his home,
now cold and undone.
Tomorrow, in daylight
they could fix their own.

In the dark and alone,
one sad little mouse
had a thought for the town,
but voice it he didn’t.
“Could we not just have built
him a new one from scratch?”


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