Once upon a time, in a beautiful, green forest, there lived a handsome deer. He had a strong and powerful body, and his most treasured possessions were his big, branching antlers. Every time he stopped by a clear and peaceful pond to drink water, he would look at his reflection and be amazed by his magnificent antlers. But he also noticed his thin, spindly legs in the reflection, and it made him feel sad and embarrassed. He thought his legs were not as pretty as his antlers.
One day, while the deer was drinking from the pond and admiring his antlers, he heard the loud and scary growls of hunting dogs. He got frightened and quickly started running to save his life. Surprisingly, his thin legs, which he had always thought were not nice, helped him escape. They carried him swiftly through the forest, away from danger.
All of a sudden, he came to a part of the forest where the branches of the trees were tangled together, making it difficult to pass through. There were also vines hanging low on the ground. As he tried to go through, his beautiful and wide antlers got stuck in the branches and vines. He tried pulling and jerking, desperately trying to free himself, but his antlers were firmly trapped.
Meanwhile, the barking of the hunting dogs was getting louder and closer. While struggling to get free, the deer realized that the things he had once felt proud of, his magnificent antlers, are now causing him trouble. On the other hand, the things he had always felt ashamed of, his thin legs, had actually been his greatest help.
Once upon a time, in a green forest, there lived a handsome deer. He had a strong body, and his favorite part of himself was his big, branching antlers. Whenever he stopped by a clear pond to drink water, he would look at his reflection and admire his antlers. But he also saw his thin legs in the water and felt sad. He thought his legs were not as nice as his antlers.
One day, while the deer was drinking from the pond and looking at his antlers, he heard the loud barking of hunting dogs. He got scared and quickly started running to save himself. His thin legs, which he had always disliked, helped him run fast through the forest.
Suddenly, he reached a part of the forest where the trees and vines were close together, making it hard to pass. As he tried to move forward, his big antlers got stuck in the branches and vines. He pulled and struggled to free himself, but his antlers were trapped.
The barking of the dogs was getting louder and closer. While trying to escape, the deer realized that the thing he was most proud of, his antlers, was now causing him trouble. But the legs he didn't like had been his greatest help.
Once upon a time, in a green forest, there lived a handsome deer. He had a strong body, and his favorite part of himself was his big, branching antlers. Whenever he stopped by a clear pond to drink water, he would look at his reflection and admire his antlers. But he also saw his thin legs in the water and felt sad. He thought his legs were not as nice as his antlers.
One day, while the deer was drinking from the pond and looking at his antlers, he heard the loud barking of hunting dogs. He got scared and quickly started running to save himself. His thin legs, which he had always disliked, helped him run fast through the forest.
Suddenly, he reached a part of the forest where the trees and vines were close together, making it hard to pass. As he tried to move forward, his big antlers got stuck in the branches and vines. He pulled and struggled to free himself, but his antlers were trapped.
The barking of the dogs was getting louder and closer. While trying to escape, the deer realized that the thing he was most proud of, his antlers, was now causing him trouble. But the legs he didn't like had been his greatest help.
Once upon a time, in the greenest forest you could ever imagine—seriously, it looked like someone painted it with a giant green crayon—there was a deer. This deer was really strong, and oh boy, did he love his big antlers! They were so fancy, they could be on the cover of "Forest Fashion Magazine!"
So, Mr. Strong Deer would walk to the shiny pond, take a sip of water, and then—POW!—look at himself in the water. "Wow, look at those antlers! I'm like a rock star!"
But hold on! Every time he looked at his awesome antlers, he also saw his skinny legs. "Aw, twigs. Why can't you be as cool as my antlers?" he would say, feeling a bit sad.
Now, one day, while he was looking at himself and thinking how great he looked, he heard a really loud growl. Hunting dogs! "Oh no, gotta run!" he thought.
Guess what? Those skinny legs went super fast. "Zoom, zoom!" They were like race car engines. The deer ran past trees, jumped over rocks, and was faster than anyone in a running race. Those skinny legs were awesome!
But then, wait a minute! The deer had to stop. The trees up ahead were all mixed up and twisty. Vines were everywhere, and branches were crisscrossing. His fancy antlers got stuck! "Hey, let me go! This is an emergency!"
He tried really hard to get out, but those antlers were stuck, stuck, stuck! And the barking from the dogs was getting closer. It was not the nice "Let's play!" kind of barking.
Right then and there, Mr. Strong Deer thought, "Hmm, my fancy antlers are not so great now. But my skinny legs? They're actually super cool!"
Amidst trees tall and leaves so wide,
Lived a deer, with great pride.
His antlers vast, branching and high,
Shimmered under the open sky.
Each time by the pond's gentle side,
His antlers' beauty he'd not hide.
But his slender legs, so lean and slight,
Made him wish they were out of sight.
One sunny day, while lost in thought,
A danger nearby the deer had caught.
Growls of hunting dogs, fierce and loud,
He knew he must flee, break free from the crowd.
His legs, so thin, took flight with grace,
Leading him to a safer place.
But soon he found a tangled mess,
Trees and vines, a forest's dress.
His grand antlers, wide and proud,
Were caught in branches, wrapped in a shroud.
He tugged and pulled, to no avail,
The dog's barks close, on his tail.
In that moment, truth did gleam,
That not all is as it may seem.
For what he loved, now held him tight,
And what he hid, had saved his plight.
Feel happy about how something looks or works.
The image you see in something shiny.
The loud sound a dog makes.
Searching for animals to catch or kill.
Didn’t like something or found it unpleasant.
Moving or happening in a short time.
Caught and unable to move or escape.
Tried very hard to do something difficult.
Understood something clearly for the first time.
The best or most important part of something.
Feel happy about how something looks or works.
The image you see in something shiny.
The loud sound a dog makes.
Searching for animals to catch or kill.
Didn’t like something or found it unpleasant.
Moving or happening in a short time.
Caught and unable to move or escape.
Tried very hard to do something difficult.
Understood something clearly for the first time.
The best or most important part of something.
What did the deer like the most about himself, and why?
How did the deer feel about his legs when he looked at his reflection in the water?
What happened when the deer heard the barking of hunting dogs?
Why did the deer get stuck while trying to escape from the dogs?
How did the deer’s opinion about his antlers and legs change by the end of the story?
While the grasshopper dances through summer, the ant works hard, gathering food. Which one will survive when winter arrives?
A thirsty crow finds a pitcher with water too low to reach. What clever trick will he use to get a drink?
A king's elephant and a dog form a friendship, are suddenly separated, but they are reunited by the king and live happily.
The powerful North Wind and the gentle Sun try to make a traveler take off his cloak to prove who is stronger. Which one will succeed?
Steady and patient, a slow tortoise dares to race against a confident hare. Who will cross the finish line first?
A lion spares a tiny mouse who promises to return the favor one day. How could such a small mouse possibly help a lion?
When a farmer brings a bundle of sticks to his sons, they stop arguing. How did a simple bundle of sticks teach them?
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Enjoy 25 selected fables for life, in print. Every purchase supports free stories for children, parents, and teachers worldwide at fablereads.com
Learn More
