Twistales

Once when a bull was being pursued by a lion, he fled into a cave where a wild goat was living. The goat was a grouchy creature and began attacking the bull by butting him with his horns. “If I put up with this now,” the bull said, “don’t suppose it’s because I’m afraid of…

An old man who had travelled a long way with a huge bundle of sticks became so tired that he threw his bundle down on the ground and called upon death to release him from his miserable existence. Death came straight to his side and asked him what he wanted. “Please, good sir,” he said,…

After discovering a hare in some bushes, a dog pursued her for a long time, biting her with his teeth if he would take her life and also licking her as if he were playing with another dog. Not knowing what to make of this, the hare stopped running and said, “wish you a show…

Once a boy put his hand into a bottle containing a lot of hazel nuts and figs. He grabbed as many as his fist could possibly hold, but when he endeavoured to pull his hand out, he was hampered because the neck was too narrow. Unwilling to lose any of his treasure, but unable to…

A wolf followed a flock of sheep for a long time and made no attempt to attack them. However, the shepherd had his suspicions, and for a while he was always on his guard against him, knowing that the wolf was a known enemy of the sheep. But when the wolf stayed close to the…

An ass who was carrying a statue in a religious procession was driven through a town, and all the people bowed in deep reverence as the statue passed them. As a result the ass, who thought that they were actually worshipping him, became very much taken with himself and refused to budge another step. But…

There was once a blacksmith who had a little dog. While he hammered away at his metal, the dog slept. But whenever he sat down to have dinner, the dog woke up. “You sluggard!” cried the brazier, throwing him a bone. You sleep through the noise of the anvil, but wake up at the first…

A herdsman, who had lost a calf, went roaming through the forest intent on finding it. After a long and fruitless search, he made a vow to the God, that he would sacrifice a goat to them if they would help him discover who stole his calf. Not long afterwards, as he reached the summit…

Some bees had built their comb in the hollow trunk of an oak tree. However, the drones claimed that they had done all the work and the comb belonged to them, not the bees. They brought their case to court before judge wasp, who knew something about both parties and thus addressed them as follows:…

A kid who had strayed from the herd was pursued by a wolf. When he saw that there was no hope of escape, he turned around and said to the wolf, “I must admit, indeed, that I am your victim, and since my life will now be very short, let it be a merry one.…