I’d venture to guess that most of us are book people. While I consider myself a book person, I tend to overlook or avoid short stories, fables, etc. I don’t know why, but I do. But every once in a while one crosses my path and it sticks with me.
Today I’m sharing three very short stories or fables with you 🙂
The longest is roughly 1,000 words and the shortest is a few paragraphs.
The Grasshopper & the Ants
You’ve probably heard this one. It’s from Aesop’s Fables. The ants are a tad harsh in the end, but I like to balance this lesson with my last short story on this list 😉
You can read it here.
The Boarded Window by Ambrose Bierce
I read this story when I was in middle school or high school and I really loved it. I’ve tried (and failed) to get into Poe- I think Bierce is more my style. Plus, he just disappeared and died somewhere. No one really knows what became of him…
Anyway, you can read The Boarded Window here.
And last but not least…
The Tiger & the Fox
I really love this story, but I don’t know much about it. I believe it’s by Massud Farzan from The Tale of the Reed Pipe. I think it’s of Islamic origin? Anyway- I love it.
A fox who lived in the deep forest of long ago had lost its front legs. No one knew how: perhaps escaping from a trap. A man who lived on the edge of the forest, seeing the fox from time to time, wondered how in the world it managed to get its food. One day when the fox was not far from him he had to hide himself quickly because a tiger was approaching. The tiger had fresh game in its claws. Lying down on the ground, it ate its fill, leaving the rest for the fox.
Again the next day the great Provider of this world sent provisions to the fox by this same tiger. The man began to think: “If this fox is taken care of in this mysterious way, its food sent by some unseen Higher Power, why don’t I just rest in a corner and have my daily meal provided for me?”
Because he had a lot of faith, he let the days pass, waiting for food. Nothing happened. He just went on losing weight and strength until he was nearly a skeleton. Close to losing consciousness, he heard a voice which said: “O you, who have mistaken the way, see now the truth! You should have followed the example of that tiger instead of imitating the fox.”
What are some short stories or fables that you love?
Life as Louise 
Man, it’s bee a while since I’ve read short stories/fables! I used to read Aesop’s Fables as a kid all the time. Great selection!
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Thank you! I rarely read short stories, usually because I forget them and they never make an impact. But these ones come back to me from time to time.
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I’ll have to go & read all of these.
I’ve not really thought about it if I have any short stores in my memory banks. Interesting topic!!!
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I feel like childhood and high school were filled with short stories. These are just the few that stuck with me 🙂
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I also overlook those things. I always want more more more from short stories. That being said I’ve read a few good ones in the past year or two from Nickolas Butler and Roxanne Gay. I haven’t read a fable forever. I used to like them when I was young.
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I need to check out Roxanne Gay’s stories.
Fables are interesting… They teach such a black and white lesson for children, but then we get older and realize things are actually more grey than that… (A realization I had while looking these up again.)
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I am generally not a huge fan of short stories because I am greedy and want more. 😀 That said, I do enjoy fables even though it has been a long time since I read one. I love the one you shared and it’s lesson we all need to remember, especially now. I’m going to read the other two you mentioned – thanks for sharing!
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The fox and tiger one is one of my favorites. Sometimes I need a good short story to get me back in the reading mood. Though I agree with you- I tend to want more in a story!
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i….. hate short stories. haha. the only ones i have ever liked are ones that go with other books – like the lunar chronicles. i just always want more!
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Hahahaha. I understand that 🙂 I don’t read many short stories, but I did love the ones from TLC, too!
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thanks for sharing these. my favorite is one by jhumpa lahiri called a temporary matter in the collection interpreter of maladies.
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I’ve never heard of that but I will look it up! Thank you!
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I love it! I LOVE LOVE LOVE short stories, essays, myths, fables, legends, etc. LOVE THEM. I have a whole book of mermaid ones… of course. But I love the YA short story anthologies that I read. One was about faith in different cultures and it was a favorite in high school. I loved My True Love Gave to Me. and I just got the summer one from the library! EEP! I loved on in high school called “The Most Dangerous Game”. and The Yellow Wallpaper in college. I read a Truman Capote one about xmas in 2015 and it just ripped me up inside but it was flawless. Excited to check these out! 🙂 Great post idea!! XO – Alexandra
Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things
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I read “The Most Dangerous Game” in high school. Chilling! I also read “The Lottery” and really enjoyed it. I will have to check out the ones you listed! Thank you!
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awww i forgot all about short stories too! thanks for the reminder and linking to them – i’m excited to read more!
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I feel like they’re something quick and entertaining that can be completed in one sitting. (I guess some people read entire books in one sitting but that isn’t me… ha.)
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I had never read The Tiger & the Fox, I loved that! I have a hard time reading short stories for some reason. Books of short stories usually don’t appeal to me, but I loved Roxane Gay’s Difficult Women. I think you would love it!
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I definitely need to check out Roxanne Gay’s book! It’s been on my radar for a while but I haven’t read it yet! Thank you!
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I haven’t read a short story in forever! I had to read The Boarded Window in high school. Might have to re-read it this weekend!
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I remember it sending chills down my back when I first read it. I think short stories get overlooked sometimes and there are some great ones out there!
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I haven’t read any short stories or fables in like, forever! Definitely going to have to read some soon! Thanks for the reminder.
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I’m a fan of them because I can read one or two in one sitting. I’m not one of those people that can do that with full length books.
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I do love short stories and admire people who write really good ones.
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Me too! There are some amazing ones out there and it’s so impressive that someone can tell such a enthralling story in just a few paragraphs or pages.
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I LOVE short stories–they were my favorite things to use in student teaching middle school English…kids who are daunted by the length of whole books usually give short stories a try. 😉 And these are such great ones! I’d never read The Boarded Window!
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I was one of those kids who loved short stories. I love/d full-length books, too, but I thought short stories were awesome to read quickly and discuss in class.
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I love Aesop’s Fables!!! I have a book of several of them from when I was younger than I kept for Zoe. It has been a long time since I have read any short stories, but those are classics!
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I’ve seen some really adorable and beautiful versions of Aesop’s fables published for kids. I don’t remember ever having a book of them (maybe I did?) but when we have kids we’ll get one for their room 🙂
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what do you take the meaning of the fox one to be?
I love short story cycles.which are one book of short storys based around say a street or a village so are interconnected in some way. meave binchey does it wonderfully. I’m reading the shore at the moment by sarah taylor and each chapter is a different year or decade spanning a time in someones life. and all the people live on this one mystical shore. its brilliant.but you can still read each chapter as its own each individual short.
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I take the tiger/fox story as a lesson in sharing and excess and charity and shame. I don’t think the fox is ever meant to be ashamed for being in need of assistance, but the man who tries to mimic the fox, when he is more than capable of behaving like the tiger, is the one who should be ashamed. I think that it means that if we have a choice to behave like the tiger or the fox, we should be like the tiger.
I’ll look into those stories/books! Thanks!
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