Once upon a time, a stag was being chased by hunters. He was scared and needed a place to hide. He found a barn where oxen lived. He asked the oxen if he could hide among them. The kind oxen agreed and hid him under piles of straw.
Soon after, the barn keeper walked in to feed the oxen. He was a simple man who didn't notice anything unusual. He fed the oxen and left, not noticing the hidden stag. The stag felt relieved, thinking he was safe now.
However, one wise ox warned him, "Don't be so sure. The barn keeper doesn't notice much, but our master is very observant. He sees everything."
As soon as the words left the ox's mouth, the master walked into the barn. He looked around, checking on his animals and their surroundings. He noted small things that were not right. Then, while examining the straw closely, he felt the antlers of the stag. He uncovered the stag and caught him.
In the end, the stag realized that it wasn't enough to fool the less observant, because there will always be someone who pays closer attention to details.
Once upon a time, a stag was running away from hunters. He was very scared and needed a place to hide. He found a barn where some oxen lived. The stag asked the oxen if he could hide with them. The kind oxen agreed and covered him with straw.
Soon after, the barn keeper came in to feed the oxen. He was a simple man and didn’t notice anything strange. He gave the oxen their food and left, without seeing the hidden stag. The stag felt safe and thought he had escaped the hunters.
But one wise ox said, "Don’t be so sure. The barn keeper may not notice much, but our master sees everything."
As soon as the ox said this, the master came into the barn. He looked around carefully, checking his animals and their surroundings. He noticed small things that weren’t right. While he was looking at the straw, he felt the stag’s antlers. The master uncovered the stag and caught him.
In the end, the stag understood that it’s not enough to fool someone who doesn’t notice much. There is always someone who pays close attention to details.
Once upon a time, a stag was running away from hunters. He was very scared and needed a place to hide. He found a barn where some oxen lived. The stag asked the oxen if he could hide with them. The kind oxen agreed and covered him with straw.
Soon after, the barn keeper came in to feed the oxen. He was a simple man and didn’t notice anything strange. He gave the oxen their food and left, without seeing the hidden stag. The stag felt safe and thought he had escaped the hunters.
But one wise ox said, "Don’t be so sure. The barn keeper may not notice much, but our master sees everything."
As soon as the ox said this, the master came into the barn. He looked around carefully, checking his animals and their surroundings. He noticed small things that weren’t right. While he was looking at the straw, he felt the stag’s antlers. The master uncovered the stag and caught him.
In the end, the stag understood that it’s not enough to fool someone who doesn’t notice much. There is always someone who pays close attention to details.
In a far-off land, where hay was all the rage and cows were considered high society, a stag found himself in a hoof-pounding predicament. He was being chased by hunters with a sense of direction as reliable as a spinning top.
"Excuse me, hunters," the stag yelled back, "haven't you heard of GPS?"
With his heart thumping, he spotted a barn, filled with oxen who looked like they knew how to have a good laugh.
"Hello, fellows!" the stag panted. "Mind if I join the party? I've got some hunters chasing me, and I don't fancy being a wall decoration!"
The oxen chuckled, and one said, "Sure, but mind the straw, it's a bit tickly!"
The stag hid under the straw, making sure his antlers didn't look like something extra decorative.
The barn keeper shuffled in soon after, scratching his head and looking like he'd misplaced his own nose. He fed the oxen and scratched his head some more before wandering off again.
"Phew! That was close," the stag sighed.
But one wise old ox wagged his tail and warned, "Don't get too comfy. The master's coming, and he can spot a misplaced straw in a haystack!"
As soon as the ox said that, the master strode into the barn, eyes twinkling like he was ready for a game of 'I Spy.'
He looked here; he looked there; he looked everywhere. Then, his eyes landed on something. He reached down and felt the stag's antlers.
"Ah-ha!" he exclaimed. "Now, this isn't part of the latest barn fashion!"
Popping out of the straw, the stag said, "Well, you've got me! How about we skip the catching part and go straight to tea?"
And so, our stag friend learned a valuable lesson: you can fool some people, but there's always someone who's a little sharper! Next time, he promised to think twice before playing hide-and-seek with the master of 'I Spy!'
Deep in the woods, where the tall trees stood,
A stag was on the run, as fast as he could.
With hunters behind, and danger in sight,
He sought a safe haven, away from the fright.
By the meadow's edge, where the grass was so fine,
Stood a sturdy old barn, where the moonlight did shine.
Within it, the oxen chewed on their hay,
The stag pleaded with them, “Please let me stay!”
With hearts that were kind, they agreed to his plea,
And under the straw, as hidden could be,
The stag took a breath, his heart rate did slow,
Feeling safer than ever, under hay's warm glow.
The barn keeper came, with food in his hand,
Oblivious to the stag, in the hay where he'd land.
He fed all the oxen, then left with a stride,
The stag sighed with relief, in his straw-tucked hide.
But a wise old ox, with a twinkle in his eye,
Whispered softly to the stag, “Oh my, oh my,
Our keeper might miss, what lies at his feet,
But our master, dear stag, is not so easy to cheat.”
Just then, the master entered the room,
His eyes scanned the barn, piercing the gloom.
With a gaze that was sharp, and a touch so fine,
He found the stag's antlers, hidden in the twine.
Though hidden he was from a keeper's blind gaze,
The master's keen eye saw through every haze.
Though some might be fooled, and not see the signs,
Others, like the master, see between the lines.
A male deer with large antlers.
People who catch or kill animals for food.
Large, strong animals that work on farms.
Dry plant stems used for animal bedding.
A person who takes care of animals or things.
Not understanding much; plain in thinking.
The person who owns and controls a place.
The area around something or someone.
The branched horns on a male deer’s head.
Being careful to notice important details.
A male deer with large antlers.
People who catch or kill animals for food.
Large, strong animals that work on farms.
Dry plant stems used for animal bedding.
A person who takes care of animals or things.
Not understanding much; plain in thinking.
The person who owns and controls a place.
The area around something or someone.
The branched horns on a male deer’s head.
Being careful to notice important details.
Why did the stag go to the barn?
What did the oxen do to help the stag?
Why didn’t the barn keeper notice the stag?
What did the wise ox warn the stag about?
How did the master discover the stag?
A lion spares a tiny mouse who promises to return the favor one day. How could such a small mouse possibly help a lion?
Steady and patient, a slow tortoise dares to race against a confident hare. Who will cross the finish line first?
A king's elephant and a dog form a friendship, are suddenly separated, but they are reunited by the king and live happily.
When a farmer brings a bundle of sticks to his sons, they stop arguing. How did a simple bundle of sticks teach them?
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?
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?
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
