Aesop Quotes & Sayings

There was once a Charcoal-burner who lived and worked by himself. A Fuller, however, happened to come and settle in the same neighbourhood; and the Charcoal-burner, having made his acquaintance and finding he was — Aesop

He that is neither one thing nor the other has no friends. — Aesop

Those who seek to please everybody please nobody. — Aesop

The cat always leaves a mark on his friend. — Aesop

None but those who work are entitled to eat. — Aesop

Facts speak plainer than words — Aesop

The Sun is bad enough even while he is single, drying up our marshes with his heat as he does. But what will become of us if he marries and and begets other suns? — Aesop

Better to learn wisdom from other people's misfortunes than from your own. — Aesop

Be content with what nature made you, or run the risk of earning contempt by trying to be what you're not. — Aesop

Others may try to feed our ego, but it is up to us to constrain it. — Aesop

We should look to the mind, and not to the outward appearance. — Aesop

They had then got to a bridge over the river, where — Aesop

It is easy to be brave at a safe distance. — Aesop

The Raven And The Swan
A RAVEN saw a Swan and desired to secure for himself the same beautiful plumage. Supposing that the Swan's splendid white color arose from his washing in the water in which he swam, the Raven left the altars in the neighborhood where he picked up his living, and took up residence in the lakes and pools. But cleansing his feathers as often as he would, he could not change their color, while through want of food he perished. Change of habit cannot alter Nature. — Aesop

Poverty with security is better than plenty in the midst of fear and uncertainty. — Aesop

Those who return evil for good should not expect the kindness of others to last long. — Aesop

Forbear harping on what was of yore, for it is the common lot of mortals to sustain the ups and downs of fortune. — Aesop

The desire for imaginary benefits often involves the loss of present blessings. — Aesop

Tut, man, don't sprawl there. Get up and put your shoulder to the wheel. — Aesop

If you had half as much brains as you have beard, you would have looked before you leaped. — Aesop

Whoever neglects old friends for the sake of new deserves what e gets if he loses both — Aesop

Keep your place in life and your place will keep you — Aesop

The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny. — Aesop

The Boys and the Frogs SOME BOYS, playing near a pond, saw a number of Frogs in the water and began to pelt them with stones. They killed several of them, when one of the Frogs, lifting his head out of the water, cried out: Pray stop, my boys: what is sport to you, is death to us. — Aesop

I can't be friends with a man who blows hot and cold with the same breath. — Aesop

Evil wishes, like chickens, come home to roost. — Aesop

If you are a friend, why do you bite me so hard? If an enemy, why do you fawn on me? — Aesop

A doubtful friend is worse than a certain enemy. Let a man be one thing or the other, and we then know how to meet him. — Aesop

The more honor, the more danger. — Aesop

Put your shoulder to the wheel. — Aesop

Much wants more and loses all. — Aesop

All men are more concerned to recover what they lose than to acquire what they lack. — Aesop

If you are wise you won't be deceived by the innocent airs of those whom you have once found to be dangerous. — Aesop

What's bred in the bone will stick to the flesh. — Aesop

It is foolish to try to imitate the skills of others. — Aesop

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. — Aesop

A liar will not be believed even when he speaks the truth. — Aesop

It is easy to propose impossible remedies. The — Aesop

One story is good, till another is told. — Aesop

It is easy to despise what you cannot get — Aesop

Look and see which way the wind blows before you commit yourself. — Aesop

Betray a friend, and you'll often find you have ruined yourself. — Aesop

A crust in comfort is better than a feast in fear. — Aesop

THE FOX AND THE GRAPES
A hungry Fox saw some fine bunches of Grapes hanging from a vine that was trained along a high trellis, and did his best to reach them by jumping as high as he could into the air. But it was all in vain, for they were just out of reach: so he gave up trying, and walked away with an air of dignity and unconcern, remarking, I thought those Grapes were ripe, but I see now they are quite sour. — Aesop

Be satisfied with what you have. — Aesop

A man who looks to his friends for help will take his time about a thing. — Aesop

It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds. — Aesop

Expect no reward when you serve the wicked, and be thankful if you escape injury for your pain — Aesop

Try as one may, it is impossible to deny one's nature — Aesop

I don't think it's much use your looking for the brains: a creature who twice walked into a lions den can't have got any. — Aesop

It is with our passions, as it is with fire and water, they are good servants but bad masters. — Aesop

Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow. — Aesop

Who acts in haste repents at leisure. — Aesop

It pays to be content with your lot. — Aesop

Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin. — Aesop

To be well prepared for war is the best guarantee of peace. — Aesop

Do not attempt to hide things which cannot be hidden. — Aesop

The haft of the arrow had been feathered with one of the eagles own plumes. We often give our enemies the means of our own destruction. — Aesop

Those who enter through the back door can expect to be shown out through the window — Aesop

Every man carries two bags about him, one in front and one behind, and both are full of faults. The bag in front contains his neighbors' faults, the one behind his own. Hence it is that men do not see their own faults, but never fail to see those of others. — Aesop

Yield to all and you will soon have nothing to yield. — Aesop

Sometimes the slow ones blame the active for the delay. — Aesop

We can easily represent things as we wish them to be. — Aesop

After all is said and done, more is said than done. — Aesop

The quarrels of friends are the opportunities of foes. — Aesop

Plodding wins the race. — Aesop

Zeal should not outrun discretion. — Aesop

Little friends may prove great friends. — Aesop

Please all, and you will please none. — Aesop

A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety. — Aesop

Affairs are easier of entrance than of exit; and it is but common prudence to see our way out before we venture in. — Aesop

Conceit may bring about one's own downfall. — Aesop

The Fox And The Crow
A CROW having stolen a bit of meat, perched in a tree and held it in her beak. A Fox, seeing this, longed to possess the meat himself, and by a wily stratagem succeeded. "How handsome is the Crow," he exclaimed, in the beauty of her shape and in the fairness of her complexion! Oh, if her voice were only equal to her beauty, she would deservedly be considered the Queen of Birds!" This he said deceitfully; but the Crow, anxious to refute the reflection cast upon her voice, set up a loud caw and dropped the flesh. The Fox quickly picked it up, and thus addressed the Crow: "My good Crow, your voice is right enough, but your wit is wanting. — Aesop

Men often bear little grievances with less courage than they do large misfortunes. — Aesop

I don't mind having to die now, for I see that he is the cause of my death is about to share the same fate. — Aesop

THE BEAR AND THE TRAVELLERS Two Travellers were on the road together, when a Bear suddenly appeared on the scene. Before he observed them, one made for a tree at the side of the road, and climbed up into the branches and hid there. The other was not so nimble as his companion; and, as he could not escape, he threw himself on the ground and pretended to be dead. The Bear came up and sniffed all round him, but he kept perfectly still and held his breath: for they say that a bear will not touch a dead body. The Bear took him for a corpse, and went away. When the coast was clear, the Traveller in the tree came down, and asked the other what it was the Bear had whispered to him when he put his mouth to his ear. The other replied, He told me never again to travel with a friend who deserts you at the first sign of danger. — Aesop

We often despise what is most useful to us. — Aesop

Better poverty without a care than wealth with its many obligations. — Aesop

Those who cry the loudest are not always the ones who are hurt the most — Aesop

No argument, no matter how convincing, will give courage to a coward — Aesop

Appearances are often deceiving. — Aesop

Do not count your chickens before they are hatched. — Aesop

No one believes a liar even when he tells the truth — Aesop

You will only injure yourself if you take notice of despicable enemies. — Aesop

The more you want, the more you stand to lose — Aesop

Bad as any government may be, it is seldom worse than anarchy. — Aesop

The strong and the weak cannot keep company. — Aesop

The Flies And The Honey-Pot
A NUMBER of Flies were attracted to a jar of honey which had been overturned in a housekeeper's room, and placing their feet in it, ate greedily. Their feet, however, became so smeared with the honey that they could not use their wings, nor release themselves, and were suffocated. Just as they were expiring, they exclaimed, "O foolish creatures that we are, for the sake of a little pleasure we have destroyed ourselves." Pleasure bought with pains, hurts. — Aesop

Don't let your special character and values, the secret that you know and no one else does, the truth - don't let that get swallowed up by the great chewing complacency. — Aesop

Fools take to themselves the respect that is given to their office. — Aesop

Self-help is the best help — Aesop

If you allow men to use you for your own purposes, they will use you for theirs. — Aesop

Exclaimed, O foolish creatures that we are, for the sake of a little pleasure we have destroyed ourselves. — Aesop

The safeguards of virtue are hateful to the evil disposed. — Aesop

My sons, if you are of one mind, and unite to assist each other, you will be as this faggot, uninjured by all the attempts of your enemies; but if you are divided among yourselves, you will be broken as easily as these sticks. — Aesop

The hero is brave in deeds as well as words. — Aesop

The Astronomer
AN ASTRONOMER used to go out at night to observe the stars. One evening, as he wandered through the suburbs with his whole attention fixed on the sky, he fell accidentally into a deep well. While he lamented and bewailed his sores and bruises, and cried loudly for help, a neighbor ran to the well, and learning what had happened said: Hark ye, old fellow, why, in striving to pry into what is in heaven, do you not manage to see what is on earth? — Aesop

An Ass put on a Lion's skin and went
About the foreset with much merriment,
Scaring the foolish beasts by brooks and rocks,
Till at last he tried to scare the Fox. But Reynard, hearing from beneath the mane
That Raucous voice so petulant and vain,
Remarked. O' Ass, I too would run away,
But that I know your old familiar bray'.
That's just the way with asses, just the way. — Aesop

If we really want something done, it is best to do it ourselves. — Aesop

Labour is the source of every blessing. — Aesop