The Man and the Satyr
A long time ago, a Person met a Satyr in the forest and succeeded in making friends with him. The two soon became the best of comrades, living together in the Person’s hut. But one cold winter evening, as they were walking homeward, the Satyr saw the Person blow on his fingers.
“Why do you do that?” asked the Satyr. “To warm my hands,” the Person replied.
When they reached home, the Person prepared two bowls of porridge. These he placed steaming hot on the table, and the comrades sat down very cheerfully to enjoy the meal.
But much to the Satyr’s surprise, the Person began to blow into his bowl of porridge.
“Why do you do that?” he asked.
“To cool my porridge,” replied the Person.
The Satyr sprang hurriedly to his feet and made for the door.
“Goodbye,” he said, “I’ve seen enough. A fellow that blows hot and cold in the same breath cannot be friends with me!”
Moral of the story
Be consistent: People who say one thing and do another might not make trustworthy friends.
Honesty matters: It’s important to be honest and true to your words.
Questions for the children
- Why do you think the Satyr didn’t want to be friends with the Person anymore?
- Can you think of a time when someone said something but did the opposite? How did it make you feel?
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.
