Aesop's fables generally communicate some kind of moral message, often through the depiction of animals, who speak or otherwise take on human characteristics.
Stories for Kids || Aesop's Fables || The Man, the Boy, & the
Donkey

The Man, the Boy, & the
Donkey

A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market. As they were walking along by its side a countryman passed them and said: ‘You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?’

So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way. But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said: ‘See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides.’

So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. But they hadn’t gone far when they passed two women, one of whom said to the other: ‘Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along.’

Well, the Man didn’t know what to do, but at last he took his Boy up before him on the Donkey. By this time they had come to the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point at them. The Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at. The men said: ‘Aren’t you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey of yoursu and your hulking son?’

The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do. They thought and they thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied the donkey’s feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to their shoulders. They went along amid the laughter of all who met them till they came to Market Bridge, when the Donkey, getting one of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop his end of the pole. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and his fore-feet being tied together he was drowned.

‘That will teach you,’ said an old man who had followed them:

‘Please all, and you will please none.’

The Fox and the Goat - Stories for Kids : Aesop's Fables - The Fox and the Goat

Aesop's fables generally communicate some kind of moral message, often through the depiction of animals, who speak or otherwise take on human characteristics.
Stories for Kids || Aesop's Fables || The Fox and the Goat

The Fox and the Goat

By an unlucky chance a Fox fell into a deep well from which he could not get out. A Goat passed by shortly afterwards, and asked the Fox what he was doing down there.

‘Oh, have you not heard?’ said the Fox;‘there is going to be a great drought, so I jumped down here in order to be sure to have water by me. Why don’t you come down too?’

The Goat thought well of this advice, and jumped down into the well. But the Fox immediately jumped on her back, and by putting his foot on her long horns managed to jump up to the edge of the well. ‘Good-bye, friend,’ said the Fox,‘remember next time,

‘Never trust the advice of a man in difficulties.’