The Ibis
A rascally young ibis, once he had learned to run and fly, never stopped. He was constantly in search of food and ate everything he found.
But one morning the young ibis stayed in the nest. He had a temperature and a terrible stomach ache.
His mother was frightened and ran to him immediately, looked at him, felt him with her beak and claws, and said: “I see. You have eaten something you should not, because you are so greedy, and it has made you ill.”
With these words the mother ibis flew to the pond and filled her crop with water. Returning to the nest she gave him some water to relieve the discomfort.
The Clematis
In the shade of the hedge, the clematis twined its arms around the trunks and branches of the hawthorn.
When it reached the top it looked around and saw another hedge bordering the other side of the road.
“Oh how I should love to go over there,” said the clematis. “That hedge is bigger and more beautiful than this one.”
And a little at a time, stretching out its arms, it crept closer and closer to the opposite hedge. At last it reached it, caught one of the branches and began happily to wrap itself there.
But shortly after, travellers walking along the road were suddenly faced with this branch of clematis blocking their way. They seized it in their hands, tore it from the hedge and flung it into the ditch. In its greed the clematis had not seen the danger.