Why Mr. Possum Loves Peace
Joel Chandler Harris | Southern United States
Mr. Possum and Mr. Coon face Mr. Dog, revealing Mr. Possum's ticklish defense and teaching Mr. Coon about different kinds of bravery.
Crows and owls feud over food and space, crows send a spy, gather information, and drive owls away, leading to peaceful coexistence.
A woman had a special Hen that laid one egg daily, so she tried feeding it more to get two eggs, but it stopped laying altogether.
A sow refuses a wolf's offer to watch her piglets, seeing through the wolf's true intentions and protecting her young.
A king's pond frightened the princes with a mistaken turtle monster, but the clever turtle escaped and swam back to safety.
A majestic Mountain with strange noises drew crowds of curious people, but their long wait revealed a humble Mouse instead.
A dog falls into a well, and the gardener, while trying to save him, gets bitten due to a misunderstanding, leaving the dog behind.
A clever jackal in search of an easy meal watches two fighting goats, but his greed leads to a painful lesson.
An ostrich, possessing characteristics of both birds and beasts, seamlessly moved between them, surprising and eventually gaining acceptance from both sides.
Once upon a time, in a big forest, lived two friends: Mr. Possum and Mr. Coon. They liked to walk around the woods at night, enjoying the fresh air and finding yummy fruits and bugs to eat.
One evening, after eating a tasty dinner of fried greens, Mr. Possum and Mr. Coon decided to explore the forest. Mr. Coon walked quickly and steadily, while Mr. Possum ran beside him, both very happy. As they walked, Mr. Coon picked up frogs and tadpoles, and Mr. Possum found sweet persimmons to eat.
Suddenly, they heard Mr. Dog barking far away. Mr. Coon was a bit scared and asked, "What will we do if Mr. Dog finds us, Mr. Possum?"
Mr. Possum smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll stay with you!"
Soon, Mr. Dog came running through the bushes, very fast. He saw Mr. Possum and Mr. Coon and started to attack. Mr. Possum quickly pretended to be very scared and fell down, playing dead. Mr. Dog thought Mr. Possum was really dead and went after Mr. Coon.
But Mr. Coon was strong and ready to fight. He fought Mr. Dog bravely. After a short fight, Mr. Dog realized he couldn't win and ran away into the woods.
When it was safe again, Mr. Possum got up, smiling because he was not hurt at all. They continued their adventure, but Mr. Coon was now thinking that Mr. Possum was a coward for playing dead instead of fighting.
The next time they met, Mr. Coon was not friendly. Mr. Possum felt sad and asked, "Why are you being mean to me, Mr. Coon?"
Mr. Coon said, "I don't want to be friends with cowards who play dead in a fight."
Mr. Possum laughed and said, "Oh, Mr. Coon, you think I was really scared? I was just waiting for the right moment to help you! I'm not afraid of a fight; I just can’t stand being tickled! When Mr. Dog touched my ribs, it tickled me so much that I laughed and couldn't move to help you fight. Believe me, if it weren’t for that, I would have joined the fight and helped you chase him away even faster!"
Mr. Coon was not sure if he believed Mr. Possum, but he was amused. He learned that Mr. Possum had his own way of dealing with danger, and sometimes, what looks like fear can actually be a clever plan.
A Dog, A Sheep, and A Wolf
The Dog borrowed food from the Sheep, forgot the debt, and refused to repay, leading to an unfair court decision against the innocent Sheep.
A Jackdaw and Peacock Feathers
Jackdaw, a plain bird, found and adorned himself with peacock feathers, only to be exposed and ridiculed, returning to his ordinary state in shame.
A Thunny and A Dolphin
A frightened Thunny being chased by a Dolphin cleverly leads them both to the shore, where they both get stranded.
Anansi and the Turtle
Clever spider Anansi tricked the turtle with soup, but the turtle's underwater house left Anansi wet and hungry.
A fowler deceives a curious Blackbird with the promise of a marvelous city but captures it in a net instead.
A lion and bear fought over a goat, exhausting themselves, and a fox took advantage, leaving them with regret.
A confident mule enjoying a carefree break believed he had racing horse lineage, but after a day of labor, he doubted his heritage.
A spider named Anansi gathered all the wisdom in a large pot, but a child's simple suggestion shattered it, spreading wisdom everywhere.
Curious spider Anansi finds a magical rock that puts animals to sleep; he tricks them but is eventually outsmarted.
Anansi, a mischievous spider, tricks Brother Turtle to catch fish for him but learns the value of hard work in the end.
Anansi, a clever little spider, challenges Elephant and Hippo to a tug-of-war. Can his wit win against strength in the jungle?
A Bat, Thorn Bush, and Seagull started a business, but their ship sank, making the Bat hide, Seagull search, and Thorn Bush cling to fabric.