Aesop
Aesop
Aesopwas an Ancient Greek fabulist or story teller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as Aesop's Fables. Although his existence remains uncertain and no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages in a storytelling tradition that continues to this day. Many of the tales are characterized by animals and inanimate objects that speak, solve problems, and generally have human characteristics...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionAuthor
brave danger easy far risk
It is easy to be brave when far away from danger.
lest substance
Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.
thinking giving gold
Thinking to get at once all the gold the goose could give, he killed it and opened it only to find-nothing.
common fortune ups-and-downs
Forbear harping on what was of yore, for it is the common lot of mortals to sustain the ups and downs of fortune.
brainy
After all is said and done, more is said than done.
again bald blow buzzing came enemies fly head hot injure kept man notice palm sat time tormented wiser work
There once was a Bald Man who sat down after work on a hot summer's day. A Fly came up and kept buzzing about his bald pate, and stinging him from time to time. The Man aimed a blow at his little enemy, but - whack - his palm come on his own head instead; again the Fly tormented him, but this time the Man was wiser and said: ''YOU WILL ONLY INJURE YOURSELF IF YOU TAKE NOTICE OF DISPICABLE ENEMIES.''
arrow enemies means
The shaft of the arrow had been feathered with one of the eagle's own plumes. We often give our enemies the means of our own destruction.
succeed persuasion failing
Gentle persuasion succeeds where force fails.
giving advice crisis
Give assistance, not advice, in a crisis.
Once a wolf, always a wolf.
suffering cry
Those who suffer most cry out the least.
yield peer-pressure
Yield to all and you will soon have nothing to yield.
too-much
Do not attempt too much at once.
towns temples thieves
If these town gods can't detect the thieves who steal from their own temples, it's hardly likely they'll tell me who stole my spade.