Reading Notes, Part A: Aesop for Children

Here are my favorite stories from Aesop Children by Milo Winter:

The wolf and the kid: The character of the wolf is a classic in children stories but it was interesting how the author portrayed a different character than the stereotypical cunning wolf. The kid here was able to fool the wolf to where he deviated from his purpose and lost. I like this morale a lot since it is true. They say winners of the marathon are always focusing on the finish line as opposed to what’s around them while running.  

The Ass and His Driver: First of all the name of “Ass” caught my attention as I did not know what that meant. The morale of the story is universal and true in our world today. With technology and knowledge being easily acceptable, people tend to engage more in debates and give their ideas. Unfortunately, the misuse of technology can be far more misleading than what people think. My mother for example sends comes up with weird life hacks and homemade cures for every common sickness because she watched a video on Facebook or YouTube. This makes the person think they know enough to where they stop listening. At the end of the day it costs nothing to listen to what others have to say, especially if they are more knowledgeable or experienced.

(The Plane Tree)

The Plane Tree: What an amazing story! This story is short and concise but has great value and meaning. The moral is that “our best blessings are often the least appreciated”. I agree with this and have been trying to adjust my attitude in life to be “Half full cup not half empty” since life is all about perspective. The other day I was complaining to my family that I did not get to travel to Europe this winter (Which is something we do every winter as a family). I felt annoyed all this break that I could’ve been in Europe exploring and spending time with family and friends but instead I was in -10 degrees Celsius cold in Canada. However, I stopped at a moment and actually thought how blessed I was to even have the luxury of being across the world from where I really am. Not to forget that I am healthy, and have the basic needs of life (Food, water and Shelter). We tend to neglect what we have because of so many temptations that are surrounding through media and marketing. These temptations trick us into wanting to have them just for the sake of possession and feel good factor. This moral is truly something I am going to hold on and would want to elaborate more on later!