The Maple Leaf – Fable VI

Once upon a time, a maple leaf rejoiced in its beautiful green color, brighter this summer than that of any other leaf. As the days turned round to September, this leaf’s color became true crimson. But this was early for a leaf to change, and all the neighboring branches in the spray whispered quietly together and smiled at him with pity. “They’re just jealous,” he thought. But still in September the leaf saw others on his branch begin to turn too, though not yet other leaves on other branches. A storm one day shook him hard, and he nearly fell away but didn’t. “I’ll be here till November,” he boasted. “You can rejoice in my color a little while longer.” But the next day, a wind snapped his whole branch off–while th others were still green.

Don’t boast of a thing without knowing its cause.

The Mice and the Chuck Wagon – Fable V

A kitchen mouse ended up one day in a chuck wagon headed west. On the first night, after the men had eaten and gone to bed, the kitchen mouse came out for his dinner–and just as he did, a field mouse was coming to the wagon for his.

The Slug and the Beetle – Fable IV

Once upon a time, a slug liked to come out at night and eat the garden plants, taking big bites right out of the middle of the leaves. So, one night, as was his custom, he rose at ten sharp and headed for the cabbage. He saw there the choicest, juiciest leaf yet, but right in the middle of it was a big beetle.