5-Minute Aesop’s Fables: Bedtime Stories for Kids Copyright © 2026 by HarperCollins Focus LLC.
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Timeless Tales to Calm and Inspire
Ilanit Oliver
Illustrated by Rachel Foo
Contents The Lion and the Mouse.................................................................................. 6 The Tortoise and the Hare...................................................................... 12 The Fox and the Goat..................................................................................... 18 The Ant and the Grasshopper.................................................................. 24 The Fox and the Crow.................................................................................... 30 The Two Goats.................................................................................................... 36 The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse.................................... 42 The Fox and the Grapes............................................................................. 48 The Mice in Council.................................................................................... 54 The Fox and the Stork................................................................................... 60 The Heron and the Fish................................................................................ 66 The Peacock and the Crane....................................................................... 72 The Fly and the Ant......................................................................................... 78 The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing................................................................... 84 The Crow and the Pitcher........................................................................... 90 The Flea and the Bull..................................................................................... 96
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The Hares and the Frogs.......................................................................... 102 The Owl and the Cricket.......................................................................... 108 The Wolf and the Crane............................................................................. 114 The Lion and the Bear............................................................................... 120 The Fox and the Toad................................................................................... 126 The Jackdaw and His Feathers............................................................. 132 The Horse and the Stag.............................................................................. 138 The Leopard and the Fox........................................................................... 144 The Frogs and Their Rulers.................................................................... 150 The Porcupine and the Snakes............................................................. 156 The Flea and the Lion................................................................................ 162 The Wild Boar and the Fox...................................................................... 168
5
I
The Lion and the Mouse
t had been a gloomy morning in the forest. Large clouds hung above the trees, and darkness settled below them.
By afternoon, it began to rain heavily. The ground was wet and muddy.
Lyle Lion was not a fan of cloudy days. He liked rainy days
even less. Lyle especially hated getting mud between his toes. Gross! he thought as he stepped into a big puddle. I’m a
lion...King of the Woodlands! I should not have to step in such yucky mud!
Lyle headed back to his cozy den much earlier than usual. This was lucky for Lyle.
It was rather unlucky for Matty Mouse. He was hiding in the
corner of what he now noticed was a lion’s den.
How am I going to get out of here alive? wondered Matty.
Thankfully, Lyle soon closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
He dreamed he was a king. He wore a beautiful golden crown. Plates of delicious meat were set in front of him.
Lyle was so happy in his dream. He never wanted to wake up. Matty knew this was his best chance to escape. The little
mouse quietly climbed across the branches inside the den. 6
He really did not want to wake the sleeping lion. He took one
step, then another. He just had to make it over the lion’s head to be free!
Suddenly, the leaf under Matty’s feet snapped. He slipped.
He bopped Lyle right on the forehead before sliding down the lion’s nose!
Lyle startled awake. His face felt strange. He looked down. There is a mouse on my nose! he thought. Gross! 7
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Lyle’s eyes widened. He was getting angry. “What are you
doing here, mouse?!” he roared. “This is my den, and I am King!”
Matty’s knees buckled.
“Yes, Your Highness,” he squeaked. “Please don’t hurt me!”
Lyle smirked and held Matty’s tail in his sharp claws. “Give
me one reason not to eat you for waking me up.”
Matty thought quickly. “If you let me go, I will help you one
day. I promise.”
Lyle laughed. “You? A tiny mouse? Help me? That’s silly!”
Then he thought a moment more. While it is a silly idea, I
have nothing to lose!
“Fine,” he said. “Go away now. I want to go back to sleep.”
Matty thanked the lion. Then he scurried off as fast as his
little mouse legs could go.
h
A few months later, Matty was playing when he heard a soft
roar. He thought he knew who was roaring.
Matty walked closer to the sound. He heard a sad cry. He
peeked out from behind the trunk of a giant tree and saw a lion caught in a hunter’s net.
But it wasn’t just any lion. It was Lyle! “Pssst!” Matty called out.
Lyle lifted his head. He saw a tiny mouse.
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“Hey, I know you...” Lyle said.
Matty did not stop to talk. He ran to the net and began
chewing the rope. Matty could reach where Lyle could not. Bit by bit, the rope snapped. When the last rope broke, Lyle fell to the ground with a loud THUD!
“I can’t believe you helped me,” Lyle said, shocked.
“I did,” Matty replied proudly. “I told you I would. Even a tiny
mouse can help.”
Moral: Even the smallest friend can be a big help.
11
The Tortoise and the Hare
T
ori Tortoise loved going on her morning walk. She
followed the path from her house all the way to the pond,
where she always stopped for a dip. She thought it was the perfect way to start the day.
One morning, the sun was shining brightly in the clear sky.
Tori smiled as she walked down the path. She thought about swimming in the cool pond. She hoped her friend Frances
Frog would be there. Tori was excited to tell Frances all about the new book she got for her birthday. It was called 100 Jokes
to Shake Your Shell with Laughter.
Suddenly someone yelled “BOOO!” in her ear. Tori jumped
and turned around. A large hare stood over her.
“Ha-ha-ha-ha,” laughed Harold Hare. “I got you! You’re sooo
slow, and I’m sooo fast!”
Tori thought that was a very mean thing to say. Her shell
was heavy. Her legs were short. That made her a slow walker.
She looked at the rude hare’s long legs. She thought, He thinks he’s better than everyone else.
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Tori decided to ignore him. She wanted him to go away.
He did not go away. Instead, Harold said, “I could carry you
wherever you’re going. I’m sure you want to get there before the sun goes down.”
Tori was tired of his teasing.
She looked at Harold. “How about you and I race? I bet I
will win!”
“Ha-ha-ha-ha,” laughed Harold.
Tori wasn’t bothered. “If I win, you have to promise to stop
teasing me.”
Harold grinned. “What do I get when I win?” “You won’t,” said Tori.
“In that case,” Harold said, “let’s race!”
Harold asked his friend Felix Fox to be the judge. Felix also
set the path for them to follow. Then Tori and Harold stepped up to the starting line.
Felix yelled, “On your marks. Get set. Go!”
They were off! Tori started walking slowly and steadily.
Harold ran quickly and was soon out of sight.
Harold knew that Tori was far behind him. I’m going to win!
he thought. There’s no way a tortoise could beat a hare. Even if I stop to rest, I’ll still beat Tori to the finish line!
So Harold stopped. He closed his eyes. He thought about
crossing the finish line. He imagined everyone cheering for him.
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15
Harold was so relaxed that he fell asleep.
After a while, Tori came along walking slowly and steadily.
She passed the spot where Harold was sleeping and continued forward.
When Tori passed the finish line, Harold was still not around. “Tori Tortoise is the winner!” Felix cried.
Tori cheered so loudly that the sound woke up Harold. The race! he remembered.
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Harold sprinted toward the finish line—but Tori was
already there, surrounded by cheering friends.
Harold’s ears drooped. He had never lost a race before. “Congratulations,” he panted when he reached her—
and he meant it.
Moral: Slow and steady wins the race.
17
O
The Fox and the Goat
ne afternoon, Franky Fox was looking for food in the woods. He was not watching where he was going.
Suddenly, he slipped
and fell into a deep well. Franky was known for
playing tricks on others. Not all animals would want to help him.
Franky looked around
the well. There was no way out. He tried to
climb all the way up, but it didn’t work.
The wall was wet and slippery. His claws couldn’t hold on.
“Oh no, that was silly
of me,” Franky said to himself.
18
There were two goats in a nearby field. Gideon Goat was
playing hide-and-seek with his friend George. They agreed they could hide in the field, the barn, and the woods. It was Gideon’s turn to find George.
“George!” Gideon called out as he walked
around. “George!”
There was no answer. Only the
leaves rustled in the wind. After a long while, Gideon became
lost and thirsty. He remembered
there was a well close by. He looked around until he found it. To his surprise, there was a fox inside the well. “Hello down
there,” Gideon
called. “I’ve been running around all morning, and I’m so
thirsty! Is the water good?”
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A sneaky idea popped into the fox’s head. “It’s the best water
I’ve ever tasted,” Franky said.
Gideon stomped his hooves in excitement. “Perfect! I’m so
thirsty.”
“Please, come down and relieve your thirst,” Franky said. Gideon couldn’t wait. He jumped right into the well. At the bottom, there was only a muddy puddle. “There’s no water!” Gideon said.
“It must have dried up,” Franky said, “but I know where to
get some more outside.”
Gideon looked around and noticed that there was no way out. “Mr. Fox, how do we get out?” Gideon asked.
“If only I knew,” Franky replied. “There is no exit!” Gideon did not understand. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Franky said. “But now that you are here, I have an
idea.”
Franky explained his idea to Gideon. Gideon would put his
front legs against the wall. Then Franky would run up his back and out of the well.
“Great idea,” Gideon said. “Then you’ll help me get out.” Franky smiled.
They got ready. Then Franky ran up Gideon’s back and out
of the well. He landed safely on the ground. Then, he looked down at the goat who was still stuck.
“Now how do I get out?” Gideon asked.
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“There is no way out,” Franky said.
“But you said you would help me!” Gideon cried.
“No,” Franky said, “you only thought I would help you.
That was foolish. Why would you jump into a well without
knowing how to get out?” Then Franky ran off into the woods. Gideon heard someone calling his name.
“Gideon!” called George as he walked through the woods.
“Are you here?”
That’s right! Gideon remembered. We’re still playing the
game!
“George! George!” Gideon called back. “I’m stuck in the well!
Come help me!”
George helped his friend out of the well. As they walked
home together, Gideon told George the whole story.
The next day, the goats placed a wooden ladder inside the
well, just in case.
Moral: Look before you leap.
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ABOUT the AUTHOR Ilanit Oliver is a pseudonym of Orli Zuravicky, founder of
OZ Creative Co., which specializes in children’s books and content.
She is a veteran children’s book author and publishing professional
with more than 20 years of experience creating, writing, and editing fiction and nonfiction content for kids. Orli lives in New York with her adorable dog, Austen (named for Jane, of course!).
ABOUT the ILLUSTRATOR Rachel Foo is a Malaysian illustrator from a quiet town known
for its beansprouts. She holds a BFA in Animation and began her career working with independent game development studios in
Australia. It was during this time that she discovered her passion for visual storytelling. Since then, she has collaborated with a range of publishers, creating illustrations for picture books, board books, and school readers.
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