Hercules and the Wagoner
A Farmer was driving his wagon along a muddy country road after a heavy rain. The horses could hardly drag the load through the deep mud, and at last, came to a standstill when one of the wheels sank to the hub in a rut.
The farmer climbed down from his seat and stood beside the wagon looking at it but without making the least effort to get it out of the rut.
All he did was curse his bad luck and call loudly on Hercules to come to his aid. Then, it is said, that Hercules did appear, saying:
“Put your shoulder to the wheel, man, and urge on your horses. Do you think you can move the wagon by simply looking at it and whining about it?
Hercules will not help unless you make some effort to help yourself.”
And when the farmer put his shoulder to the wheel and urged on the horses, the wagon moved very readily, and soon the Farmer was riding along in great content and with a good lesson learned.
Moral of the story
Help yourself first: Waiting for help won’t solve your problems.
Take action: Don’t just talk about your problems; make an effort to solve them.
Questions for the children
- How did the farmer get the wagon out of the rut?
- Why do you think it’s important to take action and help yourself in difficult situations?
Post Note: This story is based on Aesop’s fable, written around 600 BC. In this retelling, we’ve used simpler words to make the story easier for young readers to understand.
