“Yuan and the Ape” Did you know that Edgar Allen Poe wrote the first modern detective story, not Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? It is called “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.” Well, in our story, “Murder in Jianhe Lu” a man named Yuan is gagged with a scarf and buried alive. The detective is clued in to the true murderer, an ape, when witnesses all think they overheard a different language being spoken in Yuan’s backyard, and animal hair is found on the body. Moral: If neighbors are going to snoop, they should be more thorough and look, not just listen.
“Just Like Goofy” Goofy, like other Disney characters, is an animal with human characteristics, mannerisms and even clothes. And, just like fables are animal stories meant to tell humans something about themselves, maybe we can all see a bit of our ourselves in Goofy. Moral: Are you a human acting like an animal or an animal posing as a human?
“The Insect All Alone” Most insects in this ‘hood stick with their own kind, living in packs. So, it always seemed odd to see Beetle scuttling the streets alone. He was a loner and answered to no one, despite the pressure of the gangs. When asked what gave him the courage, he just tapped on his armor. Moral: Sticks and stone may break your bones unless you are an insect loner. (Fables)
”The Fox and the Melon“ (Adapted from Aesop) One afternoon a fox was walking through a garden and spotted a big, round melon. "Just the thing to quench my thirst," said he. Taking a few steps back, the fox jumped and landed on the melon, but it just rolled a bit. Again the fox took a few steps back, ran, jumped, and tried to crack the melon open but still failed. Finally giving up, the fox turned up his nose and said, “It's probably unripe anyway," and proceeded to walk away. Moral: It is easy to despise what you cannot have.
“Green or Blue: You Guess” If you were asked to guess the future, where would you look for answers? Perhaps into a clear pool of water. Picture gazing into a green-blue pool and the light is just so to allow you to see a reflection of yourself. Moral: The most accurate predictor of your future is a green-blue mirror.
“The Criminal, ‘The Worm’” When Shanghai Disney was built, the park knew a key to its success was protecting its intellectual property and only allowing official Disney merchandise to be sold inside the park. They were baffled, then, when shortly after the park opened, they caught vendors selling fake goods to park-goers who were waiting in line. They questioned all of their carefully-trained employees, and eventually discovered the criminal: “The Worm” who had dug a tunnel under the park fence and snuck in fake goods overnight. Moral: You can’t worm your way to wealth.
“The Computer and the Raccoon Dog” Raccoon Dog was making his nightly rounds to the neighborhood trash cans when he came across a computer left out on someone’e porch. Seeing the “apple” and thinking it would taste good, he pawed at it. The screen lit up! Surprised, but curious, he became absorbed by a swirling colorful screen saver. In fact, he couldn’t take his eyes off of it, and he died of starvation staring at it. Moral: Digital addiction is real. Raccoons not excepted.
Max Dart's Uncle Hou (the marquis) has a pet monkey. OR "The Marquis and His Monkeys" (Adapted from Aesop) A marquis had some monkeys trained to dance. Being naturally great mimics of men's actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils. When arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers. The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts, and threw them upon the stage. The monkeys, at the sight of the nuts, forgot their dancing and became as indeed they were—monkeys instead of actors. Pulling off their masks and tearing their robes, they fought with one another for the nuts. The dancing spectacle thus came to an end, amidst the laughter and ridicule of the audience. Moral: Marquises might be monkeys underneath their finery, and so might we.
“The Microphone and the Small Dog at the Prison” Pekingese was lost. Not physically, as it is impossible to get lost in prison, where your every movement is controlled. But, lost in purpose. How could life be meaningful when her dreams of fame and fortune had crumbled as her fraud was exposed? Now she was stuck in prison, fearful the other dogs would eat her alive. One day, the warden made an announcement. Local university students would be running a new program, giving prisoners a chance to learn podcasting. Instantly, Pekingese knew this was her destiny. Prison or no, the microphone would drive her forward. Moral: Even prisons provide freedom.
“Flowers Seized from the Small Dog” Pekingese was fulfilling her dreams one by one. After she was released from prison, and her podcast had gone viral, she was now receiving speaking engagement invitations regularly. She should have been happy, but she had a recurring nightmare. She often dreamed that just as her speech had ended, as the audience was applauding and she was being presented with a bouquet, the flowers were seized from her hands, and the cheers turned to boos as Pekingese slunk off the stage. Moral: Seize the day because the night might seize you.
“The Sentence and the Dog” Have you heard of the dog named Martha that ate alphabet soup and could subsequently speak? Not just bark works but speak whole sentences like “The quick brown dog jumped over the lazy fox.” Moral: What you eat may go to your head. OR Old dogs will learn new tricks when fed properly. (Fables)
“The Seedling and the Cat” Mother Cat was known throughout the neighborhood and among her friends as a master gardener. Everyone came to her for advice on when to plant, how to get the best yield and how to protect from pests. It was springtime and Mother Cat was out in the garden, of course, with her seedlings. A neighbor stopped by to chat. But this time the conversation was about teenagers. Mother Cat said, “Children are like seedlings. Give them space to grow.” (Fables)
