Why the Camel Rolls in the Ashes

sore loser? A long time ago the names of the animals representing the twelve years of the Mongolian calendar, that is the buddhist calendar, were being chosen and eleven names were called at once. But then there was the question which animal should begin the circle of the twelve years. The camel and the mouse both proposed their names and quarreled about who should be included in the circle. Not wanting to offend either of them, Buddha...

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The Fox and the Grapes by Aesop

One evening in autumn, a mouse and a sparrow sat beneath a grape-vine chatting about this and that. Suddenly, the sparrow chirped to his friend: “Hide yourself, the fox is coming!” And he himself quickly flew up into the vine’s foliage. trying to get to those grapes The fox sneaked closer and closer to the grape-vine, his eyes longingly on the fat, blue, overripe grapes. Carefully he peeked into all direction. Then he pounced, put his...

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Fox and Crane

When fox with her pointed muzzle and bushy tail one day came back from hunting, she met crane with her long legs and narrow, long beak. “Dear Mrs. Crane, what are you searching for that you are bending down again and again?” asked fox. „I turn the sky into my horse, the steppe into my ger and search for insects to turn them into food to fill my belly. Fox, dear old madam, what are you searching for sniffling along?” replied crane. „I’m on...

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The Fox and the Little Birdie

just imagine the fox instead of the confused cows Once upon a time, a little birdie had become friends with a fox and he adored him very much. But the fox had a cunning character and thought all the time, how to outsmart him. One day, the fox said: “Let’s sow wheat, the two of us together. We will share the work equally and the wheat as well.” People say, the birdie agreed. And off they went to the cornfield as it was time to sow the grain....

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The clever little hedgehog

Once upon a time, a Wolf, a Fox, and a Hedgehog lived together on the rolling steppes of Mongolia. One day, a long caravan of camels bearing all manner of goods from faraway lands passed near their home. When the dust raised by the caravan had settled, the three firends discovered a little plum that had fallen from one of the many sacks. The animals had heard about plums, but none had ever seen one, let alone tasted one. They began to discuss...

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The Khulan and the crow and the wolf

In times long ago, a khulan – that is a Mongolian wild ass –, a crow and a wolf lived together as brothers. One day they went in search of a new place to live and the crow said: “There is this place where every one of us would find plenty to eat. But there lives a skilled hunter with his bow and his traps. The traps would be a danger for us.” little khulan all relaxed The wolf thought: “If the khulan would happen to get caught in one of the...

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The Dumb wolf

Once upon a time a wolf was wandering about when he saw a black pudding lying right in his path. The wolf wanted to eat it at once but the black pudding asked: “Mister Wolf, do not eat me! A little further ahead a three-year old mare is stuck in the mud. Why don’t you go there and eat her instead?” hunting a wolf the early modern European way The wolf followed the black pudding’s advice and there really was a mare stuck in the mud. When the...

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