Learning to Dance in the Rain

Here are some of my own Aesop-style fables, that I wrote for a class:

The Stalemate Date

A boy and a girl went on a date. The boy wanted to please the girl by taking her anywhere she wanted to go. The girl liked the boy and wanted to appear cooperative and carefree to please him. When the boy asked the girl where she would like to go, she knew exactly where, but only said “I don’t care. Where would you like to go?” The boy insisted that he would like to go wherever she wanted to, but the girl never revealed her desire for fear the boy would not like it. In the end, the date ended with both upset that they could not please the other, and with neither’s wishes fulfilled.

Moral: A girl afraid to share her wish may not have it granted.

The Other Side

A father drove his daughter through a field they had not crossed before. The daughter looked out her window and exclaimed, “Look at the cows!” “Silly girl, those are not cows, those are antelope” the father corrected. Defensively, the daughter responded, “I know what cows are! Those are cows! How can you think they are antelope?” “They are antelope! Look at the way they are jumping!” “Jumping!? They are barely moving!” Frustrated with each other, each turned to look the other way, and discovered that the other was looking on the other side of the road.

Moral: Arguments with loved ones are usually based on misunderstandings.

The Violin

A well meaning child came home from a classical music concert and announced that he wanted very much to play the violin. He had seen a violinist play beautifully and simply, and the boy was confident that he could learn it and perform for others quickly. By assuring his parents that he would study hard, he convinced his parents to purchase the expensive violin and lessons. Very soon the boy tired of the lessons. They took longer than he thought, and he was not yet as good as the violinist he had seen. He stopped practicing, and his parents stopped giving him lessons. The violin went into a closet, right next to a dusty flute, trumpet and saxophone.

Moral: One who gives up too soon will never achieve one’s dreams.

The Movie

Once a boy walked up to a theater with his friends to look for a movie to watch. “Let’s watch that one!” cried one of the friends. The boy looked up at the listing. He knew he should not watch movies with that rating, but he so much wanted to be accepted by the others that he watched it with them anyway. The movie was much worse than he hoped it would be, and he felt awful through the whole movie.

Moral: Base your decisions on principles – not situations.

The Woodpecker and the Duck

A duck waddled through a field one day, when he heard a woodpecker approach him. “A duck is a waste of feathers,” said the woodpecker to the duck. He continued, “You are a bird, but you can’t fly, like me. I can fly high and fast, and I can make such a noise with my beak that people all around can hear me.” The duck made no response, but walked on and had a great day anyway.

Moral: Don’t sweat what you can’t control.

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