Reading Diary B: Brothers Grimm (Crane)

My favorite stories from the second unit of the Brother's Grimm unit by Lucy and Walter Crane are:

The Six Swans. A king, his daughter, and sons are the main characters.
Another king is the other main character.
Involved some witchery from one of the queens.
The six brothers turned into swans.
That made the story quite interesting as the sister went through a silent journey to fix her brothers.
I liked how the sister successfully finished it.
I was a little confused about what happened to the father (the first king). The story just leaves him out towards the end when the daughter starts her journey.
I might have a grand reunion for all of them.

Illustration by Walter Crane from The Six Swans.

King Thrushbeard. This was a great story! A king, his daughter, and another king are the main characters.
The daughter was way too proud of herself. The way she rejected everyone was funny though. 

The other king had a plan to bring her down to earth. 

I had a feeling the beggar was King Thrushbeard.  

The ending was beautifully set up. 

Snow-White. I always liked the story of Snow-White. It gets more interesting every time I read it.
Good details throughout the story.
I was wondering how the king does not realize his daughter is missing?
He marries a second wife, but does not care for his daughter anymore?
Thankfully, the seven dwarfs were not evil and brought back Snow-White to life even though she was dumb every time.
The story had a nice and a happy ending. 

Reading Diary A: Brothers Grimm (Crane)

My notes from the three stories of the Brother's Grimm unit by Lucy and Walter Crane are:

The Fisherman and His Wife. A fisherman, his wife, and a flounder (who is actually a magical prince?) are the characters.
Greed is a very bad thing is the lesson of the story.
I was amazed at how the wife kept on telling the husband to go ask the flounder for things, and he just kept on going! No matter how impossible the requests were.
I might change that occurring theme in my story, and have the wife go ask for herself.
I didn't get why the color of the water was changing. Was the flounder getting weaker? Maybe.

Illustration by Alexander Zick from the Fisherman and his Wife.

Aschenputtel. A little different version of Cinderella with some new parts added into it. The main character is treated the same way, but some things are changed.
Some magic is involved. A little magic is always fun. Good details throughout describing the things Aschenputtel wears. This was very similar to Cinder-Maid (the story I read two weeks ago).
I might add some new things to this story. The sisters cut off their toes and heels to fit their feet into the shoe in this story as well.
The ending was a little different from what I was used to in a Cinderella story (the sisters get their eyes plucked out).

The Robber Bridegroom. This was a good story. A girl and some robbers are the main characters.
The girl is tricked into marriage by a robber.
She gets help from a old lady.
I thought the old lady was bad also, but she wasn't.
I like the ending, where they were executed for their crimes. 

Extra Reading Diary: Europa's Fairy Book

My favorite stories from the second unit of Europa's Fairy Book unit by Joseph Jacobs are:

Androcles and the Lion. I read this story before. It was really fun then, it is still fun now.
The main character, Androcles, is treated the same way, but some things are changed.
This story should remind people to do good things in their lives no matter the result. In the end, they might just get something better in return.

A Visitor from Paradise. This is very funny. The way the lady is portrayed is very funny.

The beggar just goes with the lady's story, which was the funniest part.
The ending shows that if you are good, you will get rewarded in some ways in the end. The story portrayed the lady and the husband as good but dumb people, but good things come their way after that bad thing.

Johnnie and Grizzle.What is up with people leaving their kids in the forest in these stories? I've come across several of those kinds now. I have to say, way to go, Johnnie!
I thought of Hansel and Gretel while reading the witch part.
Thankfully, they don't die! Also, somehow the dad gets rich!!

Picture depicting Johnnie dropping a stone.

Inside Again. I read a similar story involving a tiger last time.
This time it involves a snake.
The story brings up an interesting debate: gratitude or the rights of self-preservation.
After reading the ending, I am leaning towards self-preservation! The fox should've kept on walking, instead of helping the man.
It just shows how ungrateful everyone is!

Reading Diary A: Europa's Fairy Book

My favorite stories from the Europa's Fairy Book unit by Joseph Jacobs are:

The Cinder-Maid. A little different version of Cinderella. The main character is treated the same way, but some things are changed.
Some magic is involved. A little magic is always fun. Good details describing the things Cinder-Maid wears. She was lucky the tree was magical :)
I might change some things with this story. Maybe add some new things. Oh, and the poor sisters, they cut off their toes and heels to fit their feet into the shoe! Ha!

Picture depicting one of the sister cutting off her toe. 

The Language of Animals. A son named Jack, his mom, and dad are the main characters. This was a different and interesting story mixed with some familiar themes.
I have to say that, thankfully, the robber had more heart than the father. I might change this though because this seems a little harsh.
Jack was always very nice, and in the end, he forgave his dad.

A Dozen at a Blow. One of my favorites just because it was a similar story to on I read last week I think. A tailor is the main character. He went from killing flies to messing with and killing giants , boars, and unicorns. He is very cunning, hence, he gets away with it every time. I said it last time, it kind of sounds like Mission Impossible based on what he is doing. I might write this story, and give him even more strength. 

Reading Diary A: More English Fairy Tales

My favorite stories from the More English Fairy Tales unit by Joseph Jacobs are:

The Pied Piper. I remember this story from when I was a little kid.
The rats are extremely annoying. Good details describing Pied Piper. How lucky were the town that he rolled in?
Should've paid the man instead of betraying him. Is Pied Piper's actions justified? I think so!

Picture depicting Pied Piper. 

Tattercoats. A lord, his granddaughter, a prince, and a gooseherd are the main characters. It contains a little bit of magic, which is always awesome.
A question I had was why be mad at your daughter's own blood and kin if you loved your daughter so much? I might write this story just to change that part.
Good details in describing how the girl looked.
Highlights the fact that one shouldn't judge based on someone's appearance.

Johnny Gloke. One of my favorites just because of how reached his resolution to do great deeds. He went from killing flies to killing giants. Johnny Gloke along with the two giants are the main characters. I am really interested in this story. It kind of sounds like Mission Impossible based on the ending.

The Old Witch. This was such an interesting story. It highlights the fact that some people succeeds in life, but some don't even if they try to follow the same path. The two sisters and a witch are the main characters. The witch was not so bad as she didn't kill the second sister when she caught her. 

Reading Diary B: English Fairy Tales

My favorite stories from the English Fairy Tales unit by Joseph Jacobs are:

Tom Tit Tot. This was a very interesting story. It was one of my favorite because it is similar to Rumpelstiltskin. In fact, it is almost a direct copy of Rumpelstiltskin except for the characters and the beginning of the story. What the little guy wanted is different also, but everything else is same. Every characters are here, the dad is substituted by a mom. I liked Rumpelstiltskin when I read that the first time, hence, I like this also. I felt like this has more details about the settings, which makes it better also. Those details would be very good in a story.

Picture depicting Tom Tit Tot and the lady. 

The Old Woman and Her Pig. Lots of repeated words used in this story, but that's what made this fun. It was really funny to read about what the old woman did to get home. I am glad the cat agreed at the end, or the woman would've had to stay out there :) 

Cap o' Rushes. This was a pretty nice story. I heard this story before, but this was changed a little bit. But the overall theme was the same. About three people were the main characters. The father needed to understand clever things.

The Story of the Three Little Pigs. I think this is my second favorite. It is a little different from the usual three little pigs story. The wolf died at the end, which is a nice change. Wish he died at the beginning, so no pigs would've died. 

Extra Reading Diary: Native American Hero Tales

My favorite stories from the second unit of Native American Hero Tales unit by Stith Thompson are:

The Son-in-Law Tests. This was an interesting story. A father, his daughter, and his son-in-law are the characters in this story. I bet every father wants to put their son-in laws through the tests this father put his son-in-laws through. This story had good details about the settings of the story and each scene. The tests are well explained. The tests seem interesting and I might use them as some sort of games in my story. In the end, the father died from trying to kill his current son-in-law, and he became a pike.

Picture depicting a pike.

Dirty-Boy. There are lots of descriptive words used in this story. It was described so nicely that I thought I was there actually watching it happen. I will try to use those words to describe my characters. I felt the story had a hidden message: don't judge someone based on appearance. Two girls, their father, and the star and the sun are the main characters.

The Jealous Father. A father, his son, and his two wives are the main characters of this story. All the stories tend to have a character try to kill another, this one was no different. The incident where the father tries to kill the son was described very nicely. This story had some sort of magic associated with it, that was why it was one of my favorite. I might add some sort of magic to my story.

Reading Diary B: Native American Hero Tales

My favorite stories from the Native American Hero Tales unit by Stith Thompson are:

The Jealous Uncle. This was a very interesting story. It was one of my favorite because of its payback nature. I loved the ending. It was a little weird to start off with, and I didn't quite get the meaning of the title. But I liked the style the story was told in. A boy, his mom and dad, and his uncle are the main characters. There are some good descriptive words used to describe the scenes. I will look at those carefully to describe the scene in my story.

The Attack on the Giant Elk and the Great Eagle. Lots of descriptive words used in this story. It provided the reason behind the existence of the mountains. This unit gets kind of confusing sometimes, but it starts to make sense toward the end. I might have my readers experience the same thing :) You might have to read the ending for it to make sense. A men send by the God is the main character. The elk and the eagle are the other characters. The two scenes described here are very interesting. I might do the story this way. 

Picture depicting an elk. 

Dug-From-Ground. This was my second least favorite. Mainly because it was kind of confusing. I didn't quite get how the baby was dug from the ground. That baby which turned into a man, along with its mother and grandmother are the main characters. I will not likely to do my story on this or the other story for this unit. The two above are my choices for this unit. 

Extra Reading Diary: American Indian Fairy Tales

The three stories from second unit of the American Indian Fairy Tales unit by Henry Schoolcraft are:

The Boy who Snared the Sun. This was a pretty nice story. The narrator remains in the Fairy Tales. He is the one telling these stories to his audiences. A girl and her little brother are the audience. They are also the main character along with a giant mouse. The narrator comes up with these stories on the spot when a subject arises. That is a different style of storytelling and I like it so far. The story also had other animals but the mouse was the biggest. The giant mouse frees the sun after the sun was caught but doing so, the mouse becomes small, the size he is today. It was kind of funny that they gave a reason for the mouse being so small.

How the Summer Came. This was an interesting story also. This told the history of Summer and how it came to Earth. A man named O-jeeg along with some animals are the main characters. The man is the one who brings Summer to Earth, which was filled with snow before. The man was said to have magical powers. That alone makes it my favorite out of the three. 

Picture depicting O-jeeg. 

The Fairy Bride. This was a story about fairies. A girl named Neen-i-zu is the main character. She dreams of not being a bride but staying with the fairies. She ends up as the bride of a male fairy. Oh the irony! The descriptions were interesting. 

Reading Diary A: American Indian Fairy Tales

My favorite stories from the American Indian Fairy Tales unit by Henry Schoolcraft  are:

Shin-ge-bis Fools the North Wind. This was a pretty interesting story. I like the storytelling style. A story teller is telling the stories to some kids. A man named Shin-ge-bis and the North Wind are the main characters of this story. The North Wind is depicted as a mean old man. He is the reason for the cold weather. Shin-ge-bis is shown as a brave person who takes on the North Wind. The battle was really interesting. In the end, the North Wind is defeated. This story came about when the wind was blowing during the storytelling session held by the story teller. That approach seemed really interesting to me. There was even a message in the end: Cheerfulness and courage can overcome even the North Wind.

Picture depicting the North Wind.

The Little Boy and Girl in the Clouds. This was one of my favorite purely because of all the descriptive words used to describe the forest. It felt like I was there. When I write this week's story, I might use some those words to describe my story settings. The story itself is very nice also. A boy and a girl along with some animals are the main character. A worm is the main character out the animals. He climbs a high mountain when bigger animals have failed. This was another sort of message. 

The Child of the Evening Star. This was a real long story. It wasn't one of my favorite, but since this unit is only three stories long, I included it here. There are lots of characters, with two being the main ones. It was interesting but a little boring. 

Extra Reading Diary: Filipino Popular Tales

My favorite stories from second unit of the Filipino Popular Tales unit by Dean Fansler are:

Why Mosquitoes Hum and Try to get into the Holes of our Ears. This was really funny. I finally found the reason for the existence of mosquitoes. I have always wondered why they ever existed :) This story does a good job with its characters and details to tell the readers why mosquitoes hum. It was really interesting to read as it the author made it sound like it was actually true. There were three main charcters and other sub characters.

The Greedy Crow. This was one of my favorite because of the lesson it provided. A crow is the main character with two other birds being the other characters. The crow learned the lesson the hard way: greed is not a good thing, and be contented with what you have. I feel this is a great lesson, and it needs to be repeated and repeated in today's society. Politicians currently needs to take this lesson very seriously.

Crow picture provided in the Greedy Crow story.

The Hawk and the Coling. I am really liking this unit as this story is really good also. Most of the stories provide reasons for natural things. This story is no different. A hawk and a sarcops calvus bird are the main character. The story showed why the top of sarcops calvus birds are bald.

Sarcops calvus picture provided in the hawk and the coling story.

Why the Cow’s Skin is Loose on the Neck. This was another great story, This provided a reason for why cow's skin is loose on the neck. A cow and a carabao are the main characters. The story is simple and short, but it got its message across. 

Reading Diary A: Filipino Popular Tales

My favorite stories from the Filipino Popular Tales unit by Dean Fansler are:

Three Brothers of Fortune. Three brothers and a young woman are the main characters. The story started interestingly and it finished interestingly. Started interestingly as I can relate to them not wanting to study ;) The story gave magic powers to the brothers. I really like magic stories. I might use this to add magic to my story. It also gave a great ending for the brother who seemed like he received the worst magic power.

The Devil and the Guachinango. This was a great story. It was a little longer than the others, but it was interesting throughout. The devil and a man are the main characters. A woman and her daughter are the other characters. The story involved the woman and her daughter at first. Then it involved the man. It transitioned from the woman and her daughter to the man and the devil beautifully. There was lots of settings in the story, each described through the actions of the characters. I liked how the daughter backed out when the real devil came after she was saying she would rather marry the devil than some guy. 

Cochinango. This was another great story. It sort of reminded of situations where the underdogs sometimes win. That's exactly what happened in the story. A poor man married the princess. He was helped by God himself. Involving God made the story more interesting as it seemed like he was chosen to do great things by God himself. One way he was helped was through a magic buyo, a Filipino term of betel. We used to chew betel in my home country. My family still does sometime. So that was a nice connection.

Betel picture provided in the Cochinango story.

Reading Diary B: Chinese Fairy Tales

My favorite stories from second unit of the Chinese Fairy Tales unit by R. Wilhelm are:

Retribution. This fairy tale story was a little different than the other stories I have read so far. It was about retribution, but it was achieved through a different way that anyone could've imagined. It involved death, reincarnation, and then in turn, retribution. Four people were the main characters, two being the same person. It was an interesting story and I thought it provided a lesson of not staying quiet if you see a bad deed occur. The story involved around the chrysanthemum flower, so I used that image.

Chrysanthemum flower from Retribution. 

The Sorcerer of the White Lotus Lodge. This was another of those stories where the main character does something smart to fool others. These sort of stories are filled in the Chinese Fairy Tales. The Sorcerer is the main character. He teaches magic to students. I feel the student who the sorcerer turned into a pig had it coming. The sort of lesson I got from this story is: obey and respect your elders and teachers. 

How the River God’s Wedding Was Broken Off. This was an interesting story. This showed how much trickery there was in the past. It also showed how gullible people were back then. They would believe anything that was told and make it into a custom. A man named Si-Men is the main character. He put an end to the innocent killings that was going on. A lesson that could be taken away from this is to not believe everything you see.

Reading Diary A: Chinese Fairy Tales

My favorite stories from unit A of the Chinese Fairy Tales unit by R. Wilhelm are:

The Cave of the Beasts. I put this story here because of its unique ending (but I didn't like it). I didn't see the ending coming at all. A man, his wife, his seven daughters, a wolf, and a fox are the characters. The father does a really bad thing. He plans to get his daughters killed and carries out his plan. They survive and help the father, who comes back, become rich. I didn't really get the point in rewarding a bad behavior. But the story was told beautifully. I liked the dialogues.

Duck eggs picture from: 

The Cave of the Beasts.
Photo by P. Williams.

Why Dog and Cat are Enemies. This was a such an awesome story. This was my favorite because I love cats and dogs. This provides a background into how dogs and cats became enemies. I liked how the story was structured and how other characters were added to add to the description of the story. It was interesting to note how it was the cat that stayed quiet and didn't help the dog out, because dogs are always looked at as the more loyal type. 

The Miserly Farmer. This was a really funny story. It had one great lesson: learn to give to the poor. A farmer declined to give a single pear to a priest. The priest cunningly takes every pear from him through the use of an illusion. The story had a great ending. The way it was told made it my favorite for this unit. 

Reading Diary A: Indian Fairy Tales

My favorite stories from the Indian Fairy Tales unit by Joseph Jacobs are:

The Cruel Crane Outwitted. I like this story because of its ending. The characters include a crane, some fishes, and a crab. The cranes lies to the fishes and takes them to another pond and eats them. He gets greedy and plans to eat the crab. This is where the story gets interesting. The title gave it away, but it was still interesting to see how the crab deceive the crane at its own game. The crane dies at the end, making the story better. It provides an important lesson of greed.

The Cruel Crane Outwitted picture 
from Indian Fairy Tales. Illustrations done by
John D. Batten. 

The Tiger, The Brahman, and the Jackal. This was a great story. I was reading and halfway through I understood what the jackal was up to. A tiger, a brahman, a jackal, and some others are the characters. The tiger should've left with his new freedom, but couldn't mend his ways. Instead, it tried to bit the hand that freed him. The jackal was the smartest one by pretending to be dumb. That was the best part, the tiger thinking the jackal is dumb, but instead, it was all a plan. This was a very nice story to read. 

Harisarman. This was another great story. I am glad I decided to read this unit as all the stories were interesting. This was one of my favorite because it was so different from other stories. Other stories tend to give lessons or just provide sad endings. This was a story about a poor man who lies to feed himself and his family. He deceits a lot of people, but he doesn't get caught. That is why it was not a sad ending. Just the pure luck he had was very interesting to read.

Reading Diary A: Bengali Folktales

My favorite stories from the Bengali Folktales unit by Lal Behari Day are:

A Ghostly Wife. A family of 3 and a ghost are the characters of this story. This is my favorite because I can relate to this story with my grandmother's story. A ghost had gotten inside her and was controlling her. I might just write my grandmother's story using this story so that the similarities can be seen. In Bangladesh or India, these ghost stories actually occur often. Another reason this was my favorite is because it is about a ghost. I love ghost stories or horror movies.

Illustration by Warwick Goble.

Source: A Ghostly Wife

The Ghost who was Afraid of being Bagged. Once again, ghost story = favorite. The characters are a husband and a wife and two ghosts. The ghost thought about teaching the man a lesson, but instead received a lesson himself. The man cunningly used the ghost to do things for him. And through the ghost, he became rich. This was certainly an enjoyable story. 

The Bald Wife. A man and his two wives are the main characters of this story. Some plants along with a sage are the others. I read a similar story before, that's why this caught my attention and is one of my favorite. The elder wife is mistreated by the younger because of her looks. She is made to leave. On her way, she helps the plants and a bull, who gave their blessing to her. After visiting the sage, she becomes very beautiful. The younger wife gets greedy and tries it herself, but becomes uglier. I got two lesson from this story: greed is bad and treat others as you would treat yourself. 

Extra Reading Diary: Aesop (Jacobs)

My favorite stories from the second unit of Aesop's Fables by Joseph Jacobs are:

The Ant and the Grasshopper. Some Ants and a Grasshopper are the main characters. The story reminded me of people who waste all of their money instead of saving some for bad times. And then when they run out of money, they start to rue their luck similar to the grasshopper. I liked how the story was told. The lesson it provided should be heeded by everyone: It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.

The Woodman and the Serpent. A man and his family and a Serpent are the characters of this story. This story shows that no matter how hard you try or trust, bad things tend to stay bad. The man brought the Serpent home and brought it back to life, but it's instinct when alive is to kill things. Hence, Crane provided this lesson: Beware how you entertain traitors. 

The Man and The Snake is Crane's version of The Woodman and the Serpent.

Source: The Man and The Snake (Crane).

The Wind and the Sun. I heard of this story when I was little, hence, it is on this list. It was fun to read and recall from childhood. I like how it was the Sun who suggested how they should resolve their dispute knowing that he would win as the only way to have someone take off their clock is making them warm not cool. 

The Man and His Two Wives. I liked this story as the ending was really funny as the two wives made their husband bald trying to make him look better. Hence, the lesson: Yield to all and you will soon have nothing to yield.

Reading Diary A: Aesop (Jacobs)

My favorite stories from Aesop's Fables by Joseph Jacobs are:

Androcles and the Lion. A person named Androcles, a Lion, and The Emperor are the main characters. I heard of this story before and I liked it then, and I still like it now. The story started out as a typical story where the Lion seemed like eating the others, but the ending provided some nice moments where the Lion and his friend got along and both got freed. I liked how after doing a good thing, both of them were rewarded. 

The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing. The lesson here caught my attention the first time I read it: Appearances are deceptive. The story is really short, and it has two characters: a Lamb and a Wolf. 

Belling the Cat. This is a famous old story. Main characters are the mice and mentions of the Cat. I liked this especially because of what happens. Suggesting is easy, but implementing is the harder part and takes more deliberation. Hence, the lesson: It is easy to propose impossible remedies. 

Mice in Council is Crane's version of Belling the Cat.
Source: Mice in Council (Crane).

The Lion and the Mouse. This story is fun and has a great lesson: Little friends may prove great friends. Another lesson could be added here: Appearances are deceptive. A mouse and a Lion are the characters. The Lion doubts the little guy, but the little guy ends up saving him. 

The Hares and the Frogs. Hares, Frogs, and some Horses are the characters. The lesson is what makes this story great: There is always someone worse off than yourself. This lesson is perfect for those people who thinks lowly of themselves. 

The Hare With Many Friends. Great lesson: He that has many friends, has no friends. Hare, goat, ram, and calf are the main characters. This caught my attention because in this day of modern technology, this is especially true. 

Reading Diary B: Aesop (Winter)

My favorite stories from the second unit of Aesop for Children, illustrated by Milo Winter are:

The Cat, the Cock, and the Young Mouse. The characters are the mouse and its mother. Others characters are a cock and a cat. I loved the innocent way the young mouse told the story to his mom. The lesson was very powerful: Do not trust alone to outward appearances. In other words, do not judge a book by its covers. Which is very widely known.

The Peacock and the Crane. The Peacock and the Crane are the two characters. The setting is in a field. I liked the lesson the story provided even though it was such a short story. The lesson was: The useful is of much more importance and value, than the ornamental. I liken this to those people who waste money on useless things rather than useful things. 

The Fighting Bulls and the Frog. The main characters are two Bulls and some Frogs. The story is super short but has a lesson that can be liken to the state of our society. The lesson is: When the great fall out, the weak must suffer for it. Our society is currently divided into the rich, the poor, and the middle. And when the rich falls, the poor must suffer. 

The Mouse and the Weasel. Two characters: the Mouse and the Weasel. The setting is inside a corn basket. The lesson is stated everywhere over and over again. That is why I liked it because people nowadays need this lesson more than any others. The lesson is: Greediness leads to misfortune.

The Goatherd and the Wild Goats. A Goatherd and some Goats are the characters. This was my favorite because I have some friends who complained about this experience: It is unwise to treat old friends badly for the sake of new ones. They had other friends who had done this to them and then they expect to come back and be treated the way they were before.

Page 13 was by far my favorite of all the pages! Hence, I picked an image from Page 13.

The Fighting Bulls and the Frog from Aesop (Winter). 

Reading Diary A: Aesop (Winter)

My favorite stories from Aesop for Children, illustrated by Milo Winter are:

The Wolf and the Kid. The little kid is a Billy Goat. Other characters are the Wolf and the Shepherd Dogs. The setting was in a field during an evening. I liked how the kid started doing a dumb thing, but recovered and got saved by being smart. The lesson was very powerful: Do not let anything turn you from your purpose.

The Wolf and the Kid picture from Aesop (Winter).

The Gnat and the Bull. A Gnat and a Bull are the characters. The picture does great justice to the story as it puts the Gnat into perspective in regards to the size comparison. The lesson is: The smaller the mind the greater the conceit.

The Gnat and the Bull picture to show the size difference.
Source: Aesop (Winter). 

The Farmer and the Stork. A Stork and a Farmer are the main characters. A group of Cranes are the minor characters. It is a fantastic lesson and it is heard again and again from different places: You are judged by the company you keep. The Stork tries to tell the Farmer that he is from a good family, but since he was caught with the party cranes, he is told that he will receive the same punishment. 

The Travelers and the Purse. Two men are the main characters and a mob of people are the minor characters. This lesson is widely known and it applies more in today's society: We cannot expect any one to share our misfortunes unless we are willing to share our good fortune also.

The Ass, the Fox, and the Lion. The title consists of the characters. Does not provide a setting. It is short but delivers as powerful message as the rest of them: Traitors may expect treachery. The Fox expected to save its own skin by feeding the Ass to the Lion, but to the Lion, there were two meals for the taking.