Parables 1
Parables
If you were to consult a modern dictionary for a definition of the word parable you would probably read
that a parable is a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious
principle or moral lesson.
The English word parable comes from the Greek word parabole which literally means 'to place
alongside'. So a parable compares one thing to another.
Christian Parables:
Read the parables “The Talents” and “The Prodigal Son” and answer the questions that follow in
complete sentences.
In Easton's Bible Dictionary this comparison is further explained as being a comparison of earthly things
with heavenly things, making a parable an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. And that is exactly
what Jesus did, in his parables he would compare an aspect of everyday life with a truth about the
kingdom of God.
Jesus often taught in parables, an ancient Eastern literary genre. The prophet Ezekiel, for example, wrote
in parables, such as the eagles and the vine (17:1-24) and the parable of the pot (24:1-14). The word
parable in Hebrew ‫ ָל ָשמ‬is present in both vignettes (17:2 and 24:3). A parable is a story that presents
comparisons to teach an important moral lesson. The root meaning of the word parable means a placing
side by side for the sake of comparison. A parable envisions the whole narrative to generate the spiritual
message, whereas a proverb, metaphor, simile, or figure of speech focuses generally on a word, phrase or
sentence. The Gospel writer identifies a narrative with a spiritual meaning by specifically calling the
lesson a παραβολή (parable). At times the Gospel writer begins the story with the term like, as "The
Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard" (Matthew
20:1).
The Parables are recorded in the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Some parables are
common to all three Synoptic Gospels, such as the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-23, Mark 4:2-20,
and Luke 8:4-15). Matthew relates ten Parables on the Kingdom of Heaven, seven of which occur in
Chapter 13 and are central to his Gospel. Examples of parables unique to each Gospel are the Weeds
Among the Wheat (Matthew 13:24-30), the Laborers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16); the Growing
Seed (Mark 4:26-29); the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37); the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32); Lazarus
and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31); and the Pharisee and the Publican (Luke 18:9-14) .
The word parable does not appear in the Gospel of John. The related word παροιμιαν (figure of speech)
appears in 10:6 and refers to the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-18). Jesus, by calling himself the Good
Shepherd, recalls the imagery of Psalm 23, "The Lord is my Shepherd," and the Prophets (Isaiah 40:1-11,
Jeremiah 23:1-8, Ezekiel 34). By doing so, he fulfills Old Testament prophecy as he identifies himself as
the Messiah. The word παροιμίαν also appears in John 16:25 and provides insight into the message of
Jesus: "I have spoken to you in figures of speech; the hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in
figures of speech, but tell you plainly of the
Parables of Jesus Christ
This is a complete list of the parables of Jesus Christ. A parable is an earthly
story with a spiritual truth. This list of parables is alphabetically arranged.
Parable
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Alert servants
13:33-37
Barren fig tree
13:6-9
Parables 2
Bread of life
Budding fig tree
Children in market
Christian light
Dinner guests
Divided kingdom
Feast invitations
Friend at midnight
Good Samaritan
Good shepherd
Great physician
Grooms attendants
Growing seed
Hidden treasure
Householder
Humbled guest
King's war plans
Laborers in vineyard
Landowner
Leaven
Lost coin
Lost sheep
Marriage feast
Mustard seed
Net of fish
New cloth
New wine
Pearl of great price
Pharisee and tax
collector
Prodigal son
Rich man & Lazarus
Rich fool
Salt without taste
Servant's duty
Sheep and goats
Sign of Jonah
Tares in field (part 1)
Tares in field (part 2)
Ten Minas
Ten talents
Ten virgins
The Sower (part 1)
The Sower (part 2)
Two debtors
Two sons
Unclean spirit
Unjust judge
Unjust steward
24:32-35
11:16-19
5:14-16
13:28-32
12:24-30
3:22-27
9:10-13
9:14-15
13:44
13:52
20:1-16
21:33-46
13:33
22:1-14
13:31-32
13:47-50
9:16
9:17
13:45-46
4:21-23
2:15-17
2:18-20
4:26-29
21:29-33
7:31-35
8:16-18
14:15-24
11:14-23
14:12-14
11:5-13
10:25-37
5:29-32
5:33-35
14:7-11
14:31-33
12:1-12
20:9-18
13:20-21
15:8-10
15:4-7
4:30-32
13:18-19
2:21
2:22
5:36
5:37-39
18:9-14
5:13
9:50
25:31-46
12:38-42
13:24-30
13:36-43
25:14-30
25:1-13
13:3-9
13:18-23
21:28-32
12:43-45
15:11-32
16:19-31
12:16-21
14:34-35
17:7-10
11:29-32
19:11-27
4:3-20
8:4-15
7:41-43
11:24-26
18:1-8
16:1-13
6:31-38
10:1-18
Parables 3
Unmerciful servant
Unprepared builder
Vine and branches
Watching servants
Wise builder
Wise servant
Wise steward
18:21-35
7:24-27
24:45-51
14:28-30
12:35-40
6:47-49
15:1-17
12:42-48
The word prodigal usually means “recklessly extravagant” or “wasteful,” but it can also imply great
generosity. To which son does the word prodigal apply? Could it apply to the father as well?
The Prodigal Son
New English Bible
Again he1 said: “There was once a man who had two sons; and the younger said to his father, ‘Father, give
me my share of the property.’ So he divided his estate between them.2 A few days later the younger son
turned the whole of his share into cash and left home for a distant country, where he squandered it in
reckless living. He had spent it all, when a severe famine fell upon that country and he began to feel the
pinch. So he went and attached himself to one of the local landowners, who sent him on to his farm to
mind the pigs.3 He would have been glad to fill his belly with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no
one gave him anything. Then he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s paid servants have
more food than they can eat, and here am I, starving to death! I will set off and go to my father, and say to
him, “Father, I have sinned, against God and against you; I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me
as one of your paid servants.”’ So he set out for his father’s house. But while he was still a long way off his
father saw him, and his heart went out to him. He ran to meet him, flung his arms round him, and kissed
him. The son said, ‘Father, I have sinned, against God and against you; I am no longer fit to be called your
son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! fetch a robe, my best one, and put it on him; put a ring on
his finger and shoes on his feet. Bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us have a feast to celebrate the day.
For this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found.’ And the festivities
began.
“Now the elder son was out on the farm; and on his way back, as he approached the house, he heard
music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what it meant. The servant told him, ‘Your
brother has come home, and your father has killed the fatted calf because he has him back safe and
sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and pleaded with him; but he retorted,
‘You know how I have slaved for you all these years; I never once disobeyed your orders; and you never
gave me so much as a kid, for a feast with my friends. But now that this son of yours turns up, after
running through your money with his women, you kill the fatted calf for him.’ ‘My boy,’ said the father,
‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. How could we help celebrating this happy day?
Your brother here was dead and has come back to life, was lost and is found.’”
Luke 15:12–30
This parable is called “The Talents” because in earlier translations the name of a valuable gold coin, the
talent, was used instead of the phrase “bags of gold.” What does the word talent usually mean today? How
might this parable apply to both meanings of talent?
The Talents
New English Bible
Parables 4
“It is like a man going abroad, who called his servants and put his capital in their hands; to one he gave
five bags of gold, to another two, to another one, each according to his capacity. Then he left the country.
The man who had the five bags went at once and employed them in business, and made a profit of five
bags, and the man who had the two bags made two. But the man who had been given one bag of gold
went off and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. A long time afterwards their master
returned, and proceeded to settle accounts with them. The man who had been given the five bags of gold
came and produced the five he had made: ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you left five bags with me; look, I have made
five more.’ ‘Well done, my good and trusty servant!’ said the master. ‘You have proved trustworthy in a
small way; I will now put you in charge of something big. Come and share your master’s delight.’° The
man with the two bags then came and said, ‘Master, you left two bags with me; look, I have made two
more.’ ‘Well done, my good and trusty servant!’ said the master. ‘You have proved trustworthy in a small
way; I will now put you in charge of something big. Come and share your master’s delight.’ Then the man
who had been given one bag came and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man: you reap where you
have not sown, you gather where you have not scattered; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your gold in
the ground. Here it is—you have what belongs to you.’ ‘You lazy rascal!’ said the master. ‘You knew that I
reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered? Then you ought to have put my
money on deposit, and on my return I should have got it back with interest. Take the bag of gold from
him, and give it to the one with the ten bags. For the man who has will always be given more, till he has
enough and to spare; and the man who has not will forfeit even what he has. Fling the useless servant out
into the dark, the place of wailing and grinding of teeth!’”
Matthew 25:14–31
Reading Check
1.In “The Prodigal Son,” why does the younger son return home?
2.How do the father and older brother react to the return of the younger son in “The Prodigal Son”?
3.In “The Talents,” why is the master angry with the third servant?
Thinking Critically
4.Look up definitions of the word prodigal in a dictionary. Could the parable have been titled “The
Prodigal Father”? Explain.
5.An allegory is a story in which the characters, settings, and events stand for abstract or moral
concepts. On an allegorical level, what might “The Prodigal Son” be saying about any parent’s love
for his or her children? What might it be saying about God’s feelings for those who make mistakes
but repent for their actions?
6.On an allegorical level, what has the servant who hides his gold in “The Talents” really done? If the
master symbolizes God, what does this parable say about God’s expectations of people?
7.Choose one of the two parables, and state its theme, or central insight about life, in a sentence.
Extending and Evaluating
8.How might a person identify with each of the three characters in “The Prodigal Son” at different
times in his or her life? In what ways is the theme of this parable universal—that is, meaningful to
anyone, regardless of culture or religion?
Zen-Buddism Parables:
Read each of the Zen-Buddism parables and decide on what each of the stories means to you.
Write a 3-5 sentence explanation of each parable.
The 10 Very Best Zen Stories
By Myrko | Published: 20. September 2008
Parables 5
Many teachings from Zen-Buddhism are told in short and delightful stories. They are usually designed to
develop the mind and to free it from distortions and so to connect with our spirit.
Some of them are really inspiring and enlightening. It is helpful to the mind to think about them and feel
the deeper meaning. Even if it is not possible to grasp them fully, the beauty and simplicity of the message
usually gets through to us one way or the other.
The following 10 Zen stories are a selection of the ones I found most inspiring and really worth to ponder
about. Some may be instantly understood, some others need to be thought through and recognized in
oneself.
They are about the following topics: life in the present moment, different perspectives, attachment,
resistance, judgment, delusion, beliefs and thought as mental concepts but not truth and unconditional
love. Please feel free to post your interpretation or other stories into the comments.
After reading the first, follow it’s advice to read all the others. :)
1. A Cup of Tea
Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to
inquire about Zen.
Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring.
The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will
go in!"
"Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen
unless you first empty your cup?"
2. The Burden
Two monks were returning to the monastery in the evening. It had rained and there were puddles of
water on the road sides. At one place a beautiful young woman was standing unable to walk accross
because of a puddle of water. The elder of the two monks went up to a her lifted her and left her on the
other side of the road, and continued his way to the monastery.
In the evening the younger monk came to the elder monk and said, "Sir, as monks, we cannot touch a
woman ?"
The elder monk answered "yes, brother".
Then the younger monk asks again, "but then Sir, how is that you lifted that woman on the roadside ?"
The elder monk smiled at him and told him " I left her on the other side of the road, but you are still
carrying her."
3. Finding a Piece of the Truth
One day Mara, the Evil One, was travelling through the villages of India with his attendants. he saw a man
doing walking meditation whose face was lit up on wonder. The man had just discovered something on
the ground in front of him. Mara’s attendant asked what that was and Mara replied, "A piece of truth."
"Doesn’t this bother you when someone finds a piece of truth, O Evil One?" his attendant asked. "No,"
Mara replied. "Right after this, they usually make a belief out of it."
4. The Other Side
One day a young Buddhist on his journey home came to the banks of a wide river. Staring hopelessly at
the great obstacle in front of him, he pondered for hours on just how to cross such a wide barrier. Just as
he was about to give up his pursuit to continue his journey he saw a great teacher on the other side of the
river. The young Buddhist yells over to the teacher, "Oh wise one, can you tell me how to get to the other
side of this river"?
The teacher ponders for a moment looks up and down the river and yells back, "My son, you are on the
other side".
Parables 6
5. Is That So?
The Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbors as one living a pure life.
A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any
warning, her parents discovered she was with child.
This made her parents very angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment
at last named Hakuin.
In great anger the parents went to the master. "Is that so?" was all he would say.
When the child was born, the parents brought it to the Hakuin, who now was viewed as a pariah by the
whole village. They demanded that he take care of the child since it was his responsibility. “Is that so?”
Hakuin said calmly as he accepted the child.
A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth – that the real father
of the child was a young man who worked in the fishmarket.
The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask his forgiveness, to apologize at length, and
to get the child back again.
Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: "Is that so?"
6. Maybe
Once upon the time there was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse
ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.
“Maybe,” the farmer replied.
The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “How wonderful,” the
neighbors exclaimed.
“Maybe,” replied the old man.
The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The
neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.
“Maybe,” answered the farmer.
The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s
leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had
turned out.
“Maybe,” said the farmer.
7. Cliffhanger
One day while walking through the wilderness a man stumbled upon a vicious tiger. He ran but soon
came to the edge of a high cliff. Desperate to save himself, he climbed down a vine and dangled over the
fatal precipice.
As he hung there, two mice appeared from a hole in the cliff and began gnawing on the vine.
Suddenly, he noticed on the vine a plump wild strawberry. He plucked it and popped it in his mouth. It
was incredibly delicious!
8. The Blind Men and the Elephant
Several citizens ran into a hot argument about God and different religions, and each one could not agree
to a common answer. So they came to the Lord Buddha to find out what exactly God looks like.
The Buddha asked his disciples to get a large magnificent elephant and four blind men. He then brought
the four blind to the elephant and told them to find out what the elephant would "look" like.
The first blind men touched the elephant leg and reported that it "looked" like a pillar. The second blind
man touched the elephant tummy and said that an elephant was a wall. The third blind man touched the
elephant ear and said that it was a piece of cloth. The fourth blind man hold on to the tail and described
the elephant as a piece of rope. And all of them ran into a hot argument about the "appearance" of an
elephant.
Parables 7
The Buddha asked the citizens: "Each blind man had touched the elephant but each of them gives a
different description of the animal. Which answer is right?"
9. Right and Wrong
When Bankei held his seclusion-weeks of meditation, pupils from many parts of Japan came to attend.
During one of these gatherings a pupil was caught stealing. The matter was reported to Bankei with the
request that the culprit be expelled. Bankei ignored the case.
Later the pupil was caught in a similar act, and again Bankei disregarded the matter. This angered the
other pupils, who drew up a petition asking for the dismissal of the thief, stating that otherwise they
would leave in a body.
When Bankei had read the petition he called everyone before him. "You are wise brothers," he told them.
"You know what is right and what is not right. You may go somewhere else to study if you wish, but this
poor brother does not even know right from wrong. Who will teach him if I do not? I am going to keep
him here even if all the rest of you leave."
A torrent of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen. All desire to steal had vanished.
10. Nothing Exists
Yamaoka Tesshu, as a young student of Zen, visited one master after another. He called upon Dokuon of
Shokoku.
Desiring to show his attainment, he said: "The mind, Buddha, and sentient beings, after all, do not exist.
The true nature of phenomena is emptiness. There is no realization, no delusion, no sage, no mediocrity.
There is no giving and nothing to be received."
Dokuon, who was smoking quietly, said nothing. Suddenly he whacked Yamaoka with his bamboo pipe.
This made the youth quite angry.
"If nothing exists," inquired Dokuon, "where did this anger come from?"
Bonus 11. Teaching the Ultimate
In early times in Japan, bamboo-and-paper lanterns were used with candles inside. A blind man, visiting a
friend one night, was offered a lantern to carry home with him.
"I do not need a lantern," he said. "Darkness or light is all the same to me."
"I know you do not need a lantern to find your way," his friend replied, "but if you don’t have one,
someone else may run into you. So you must take it."
The blind man started off with the lantern and before he had walked very far someone ran squarely into
him. "Look out where you are going!" he exclaimed to the stranger. "Can’t you see this lantern?"
"Your candle has burned out, brother," replied the stranger.
“The 10 Very Best Zen Stories." Personal Development and Spirituality - AwakeBlogger. Web. 30 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.awakeblogger.com/2008/09/the-10-very-best-zen-stories/>.
Chinese Parables:
Read each of these Chinese stories and with a partner, discover the moral teaching found within.
Each student should write a 2-3 sentence explanation of the lesson to be learned from the story.
Blind Man and the Sun
Once upon a time, there was a blind man who does not know what the Sun is. So he asks other people to
explain.
Parables 8
One man said, "The Sun is shaped like a copper plate." So the blind man banged on a copper plate, and
listened to its clanging sound.
Later when he heard the sound of a temple bell, he thought that must be the Sun.
Another man said,"The Sun gives out light just like a candle." So the blind man hold a candle to feel its
shape.
Later when he picked up a flute, he thought that this must be the Sun.
Yet we know that he Sun is vastly different from a bell or a flute; but a blind man does not understand the
differences, because he has never seen the Sun and only heard it described.
Su Shi, Song Dynasty
Complete Works of Su DongPo
The Sky is Falling
(so worried the man from Qi.)
Once there was a man from Qi, who was worried about falling sky and sinking earch.
A friend, worried about his worrying, came to calm him.
He said to the man, "The sky is all air, nothing but air. As you inhale and exhale, and breathe air into
the sky all day long, there is no need to worry about falling sky."
The man then asked, "So the sky is just air. Then what about the Sun, the Moon and the stars falling
from the sky?"
He replied, "These are only twinkling objects of air. Even if they fall, they won't hurt you."
The man continued, "What about sinking earth?"
He replied, "The earch is made up of solid blocks of earth, which filled up all spaces. There are no
empty spaces. If you stamp you feet on the ground all day, the earth will not sink."
Hearing this, the man is very happy. The friend is very happy.
-Lie Zi, Han Dynasty
Pot Calling Kettle Black
Mencius said to King Hui, "Let's use fightings of a battle as an exemple. After a fierce
engagement, the soldiers threw down their armnament and retreated.
Some soldiers retreated 50 paces; other 100 paces. Those retreating 50 paces laughed at those
who retreated 100 paces. What do you say?"
The King replied, "No. Even if one does not retreat 100 paces, it is retreating nevertheless."
-Conversation with King Hui of Liang, Chap.3
Mencius
Flute Player
Safety in Numbers
Whenever King Xuan of Qi had musicians playing the yu, a wind instrument with reed, he will
have three hundred of them playing together. Knowing this, a student from Nanguo applied for a
job. The king accepted and paid him the same salary as the others.
After the death of King Xuan, King Min became the ruler of Qi. He liked to have the musicians
playing solo. the student from Nanguo fled.
-Han Fei Zi
Rain Ruined the Wall
Parables 9
There was a rich man from Song, whose house wall was ruined by heavy rain.
His son said, "If we don't repair the wall at once, thieves may come at night." And his neighbor's
father told him the same thing.
Sure enough, thieves came at night, and he suffered heavy losses.
The rich man thought his son was very smart; but he was suspicious of his neighbor's father.
[HanFei Zi:] Both men said the same thing. Yet he thought well of one and ill of the other person.
Knowing the facts is easy. Knowing how to act based on the facts is difficult.
Discourse on "What's Difficult",
Chap. 12 by Han Fei Zi,
Stealing a Bell with One's Ears Plugged
(A faulty logic)
During the last days of State of Fan (Chu Dynasty), there was a thief who came upon a bell. He wanted to
steal it, but it was too heavy to cart away. So he decided to break the bell into pieces. When he hit the bell
with the hammer, the bell rang loudly.
Not wanting others to hear the noises, he covered up his ears.
By logic, not wanting others to hear the noises is understandable.
To accomplish this by covering one's own ears, so one cannot hear himself, is absurd.
-LuShi ChunQiu
Tao Te Ching:
Read the following Tao Te Ching sayings and answer the questions that follow. You may work
with a friend.
The Tao Te Ching is a brief collection of sayings and poetry that teach the nature of Taoism. Laotzu wrote
the Tao Te Ching after leaving China during the decline of the Chou dynasty. In the Tao Te Ching, or
“Classic of the Way of Power,” Laotzu intended to provide guidance to rulers who wished to govern
wisely. The Tao Te Ching has been translated more often than any other book in history except the Bible.
At the heart of the Tao Te Ching is a central figure, “the Master.” According to the translator of this
version, the master is a man or a woman “whose life is in perfect harmony with the way things are” and
who has become one with “the Tao, the Truth, the Life.” According to Laotzu, water symbolizes, or stands
for, a model of Tao, for the fluid nature of water best expresses the nature of Tao.
In the centuries following the writing of the Tao Te Ching, various Chinese thinkers and teachers have
interpreted and reinterpreted Laotzu’s philosophy. Many of these writers use anecdotes, or brief stories,
to convey their different approaches to Taoist philosophy. Chuang-tzu, for example, tends to point
directly to the Tao, or the Way, which he sees at work in the universe. Lieh-tzu, on the other hand,
emphasizes the folly of those who don’t see beyond the obvious to the underlying patterns that govern all
action.
Laotzu
translated by Stephen Mitchell
2
When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.
Being and non-being create each other.
Parables 10
Difficult and easy support each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low depend on each other.
Before and after follow each other.
Therefore the Master
acts without doing anything
and teaches without saying anything.
Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn’t possess,
acts but doesn’t expect.
When her work is done, she forgets it.
That is why it lasts forever.
8
The supreme good is like water,
which nourishes all things without trying to.
It is content with the low places that people
disdain.
Thus it is like the Tao.
In dwelling, live close to the ground.
In thinking, keep to the simple.
In conflict, be fair and generous.
In governing, don’t try to control.
In work, do what you enjoy.
In family life, be completely present.
When you are content to be simply yourself
and don’t compare or compete,
everybody will respect you.
29
Do you want to improve the world?
I don’t think it can be done.
The world is sacred.
It can’t be improved.
If you tamper with it, you’ll ruin it.
If you treat it like an object, you’ll lose it.
There is a time for being ahead,
a time for being behind;
a time for being in motion,
a time for being at rest;
a time for being vigorous,
a time for being exhausted;
a time for being safe,
a time for being in danger.
The Master sees things as they are,
without trying to control them.
She lets them go their own way,
and resides at the center of the circle.
Taoist Anecdotes
translated by Moss Roberts
To Every Thing There Is a Season
King James Bible
To every thing there is a season.
And a time to every purpose under the
heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck
up that which is planted;
5A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to
build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time
to gather stones together;
10A time to embrace, and a time to
refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to cast
away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to
speak;
15A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace.
—Ecclesiastes 3:1–8
Parables 11
Wagging My Tail in the Mud
The hermit poet Chuang-tzu was angling° in the River Pu. The king of Ch’u sent two noblemen to invite
Chuang to come before him. “We were hoping you would take on certain affairs of state,” they said.
Holding his pole steady and without looking at them, Chuang-tzu said, “I hear Ch’u has a sacred tortoise
that has been dead three thousand years, and the king has it enshrined in a cushioned box in the ancestral
hall. Do you think the tortoise would be happier wagging its tail in the mud than having his shell
honored?” “Of course,” replied the two noblemen. “Then begone,” said Chuang-tzu. “I mean to keep
wagging my tail in the mud.”
The Butterfly
Chuang-tzu said, “Once upon a time I dreamed myself a butterfly, floating like petals in the air, happy to
be doing as I pleased, no longer aware of myself! But soon enough I awoke and then, frantically clutching
myself, Chuang-tzu was I! I wonder: Was Chuang-tzu dreaming himself the butterfly, or was the butterfly
dreaming itself Chuang-tzu? Of course, if you take Chuang-tzu and the butterfly together, then there’s a
difference between them. But that difference is only due to their changing material forms.”
—Chuang-tzu
The Missing Axe
A man whose axe was missing suspected his neighbor’s son. The boy walked like a thief, looked like a
thief, and spoke like a thief. But the man found his axe while he was digging in the valley, and the next
time he saw his neighbor’s son, the boy walked, looked, and spoke like any other child.
—Lieh-tzu
The Lost Horse
A man who lived on the northern frontier of China was skilled in interpreting events. One day for no
reason, his horse ran away to the nomads across the border. Everyone tried to console him, but his father
said, “What makes you so sure this isn’t a blessing?” Some months later his horse returned, bringing a
splendid nomad stallion. Everyone congratulated him, but his father said, “What makes you so sure this
isn’t a disaster?” Their household was richer by a fine horse, which the son loved to ride. One day he fell
and broke his hip. Everyone tried to console him, but his father said, “What makes you so sure this isn’t a
blessing?”
A year later the nomads came in force across the border, and every able-bodied man took his bow and
went into battle. The Chinese frontiersmen lost nine of every ten men. Only because the son was lame did
the father and son survive to take care of each other. Truly, blessing turns to disaster, and disaster to
blessing: the changes have no end, nor can the mystery be fathomed.
--Liu An
1. In passage 2 from the Tao Te Ching, what is the Master’s approach to acting and teaching? What
happens when she forgets her work?
2. In passage 2, point out one paradox, or apparent contradiction. What truth about life does Laotzu
reveal in these lines?
3. In passage 8, in what two ways is water like the Tao? What must one do to gain people’s respect?
4. In passage 29, how does Laotzu advise readers to approach the world? How is the Master used as
an example of this approach?
5. In passage 29, what does Laotzu mean when he says the world cannot be improved? How does the
Parables 12
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
rest of the passage support this idea?
How does Chuang-tzu defy society’s expectations in “Wagging My Tail in the Mud”?
What does “Wagging My Tail in the Mud” reveal about Chuang-tzu’s character? How does the tale
reflect Taoist beliefs about the need to be true to oneself?
What is Chuang-tzu’s purpose in imagining himself a butterfly in “The Butterfly”?
What does Lieh-tzu’s tale “The Missing Axe” teach about how people tend to judge others?
What point is being made in “The Lost Horse” about distinguishing good and bad fortune?
Aesop’s Fables:
Read each of these fables by Aesop and discover the moral teaching. Write a sentence that
explains the lesson to be learned from the story.
The Farmer and His Sons
A FATHER, being on the point of death, wished to be sure that his sons would give the same attention to
his farm as he himself had given it. He called them to his bedside and said, "My sons, there is a great
treasure hid in one of my vineyards." The sons, after his death, took their spades and mattocks and
carefully dug over every portion of their land. They found no treasure, but the vines repaid their labor by
an extraordinary and super abundant crop.
The Farmer and the Stork
A FARMER placed nets on his newly-sown plowlands and caught a number of Cranes, which came to pick
up his seed. With them he trapped a Stork that had fractured his leg in the net and was earnestly
beseeching the Farmer to spare his life. "Pray save me, Master," he said, "and let me go free this once. My
broken limb should excite your pity. Besides, I am no Crane, I am a Stork, a bird of excellent character;
and see how I love and slave for my father and mother. Look too, at my feathers-- they are not the least
like those of a Crane." The Farmer laughed aloud and said, "It may be all as you say, I only know this: I
have taken you with these robbers, the Cranes, and you must die in their company."
The Fox and the Goat
A FOX one day fell into a deep well and could find no means of escape. A Goat, overcome with thirst, came
to the same well, and seeing the Fox, inquired if the water was good. Concealing his sad plight under a
merry guise, the Fox indulged in a lavish praise of the water, saying it was excellent beyond measure, and
encouraging him to descend. The Goat, mindful only of his thirst, thoughtlessly jumped down, but just as
he drank, the Fox informed him of the difficulty they were both in and suggested a scheme for their
common escape. "If," said he, "you will place your forefeet upon the wall and bend your head, I will run
up your back and escape, and will help you out afterwards." The Goat readily assented and the Fox
leaped upon his back. Steadying himself with the Goat's horns, he safely reached the mouth of the well
and made off as fast as he could. When the Goat upbraided him for breaking his promise, he turned
around and cried out, "You foolish old fellow! If you had as many brains in your head as you have hairs in
your beard, you would never have gone down before you had inspected the way up, nor have exposed
yourself to dangers from which you had no means of escape."
The Ant and the Dove
AN ANT went to the bank of a river to quench its thirst, and being carried away by the rush of the stream,
was on the point of drowning. A Dove sitting on a tree overhanging the water plucked a leaf and let it fall
into the stream close to her. The Ant climbed onto it and floated in safety to the bank. Shortly afterwards
a bird catcher came and stood under the tree, and laid his lime-twigs for the Dove, which sat in the
branches. The Ant, perceiving his design, stung him in the foot. In pain the bird catcher threw down the
twigs, and the noise made the Dove take wing.
Parables 13
The Ant and the Grasshopper
In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content.
An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"
"I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same."
"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; we have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant
went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found
itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had
collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew:
The Ass in the Lion's Skin
AN ASS, having put on the Lion's skin, roamed about in the forest and amused himself by frightening all
the foolish animals he met in his wanderings. At last coming upon a Fox, he tried to frighten him also, but
the Fox no sooner heard the sound of his voice than he exclaimed, "I might possibly have been frightened
myself, if I had not heard your bray."
The Birds, the Beasts, and the Bat
THE BIRDS waged war with the Beasts, and each were by turns the conquerors. A Bat, fearing the
uncertain issues of the fight, always fought on the side which he felt was the strongest. When peace was
proclaimed, his deceitful conduct was apparent to both combatants. Therefore being condemned by each
for his treachery, he was driven forth from the light of day, and henceforth concealed himself in dark
hiding-places, flying always alone and at night.
The Crow and the Pitcher
A CROW perishing with thirst saw a pitcher, and hoping to find water, flew to it with delight. When he
reached it, he discovered to his grief that it contained so little water that he could not possibly get at it.
He tried everything he could think of to reach the water, but all his efforts were in vain. At last he
collected as many stones as he could carry and dropped them one by one with his beak into the pitcher,
until he brought the water within his reach and thus saved his life.
Parables 14
Parable Group Project
You will work in groups of 3 to create a booklet of lessons. Your booklet must have each of the following,
rewritten in modern form and illustrated. You may not use any of stories, parables, sayings, that are
included in this packet. You can find additional stories on the internet at home and bring them to class to
work on your rewrites.
Group Members:
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Christian parable
Zen-Buddism parable
Chinese parable
Tao Te Ching poem
Tao Te Ching anecdote
Aesop’s fables
# entries & points
1 story
20 points
1 story
15 points
1 parable
15 points
1 poem
10 points
Points earned
2 anecdotes
10 points each
2 stories
10 points each
Where to find the originals:
 Christian parables: look at the list above and find one that sounds interesting that you can
modernize.
 Zen-Buddism parables: http://www.ashidakim.com/zenkoans/zenindex.html has a good list
 Chinese parables: http://chineseculture.about.com/library/extra/story/blyrh.htm
 Aesop’s fables: http://www. aesopsfables.com
 Tao Te Ching: http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/core9/phalsall/texts/taote-v3.html
How to DO this:
Come up with a theme for your book. Be sure that each entry speaks to this theme. You may create a
book that talks about responsibility or respect or pride or caring…you come up with the theme and then
find that entries that help you get across that theme. The final product should resemble a multi-cultural
guidebook for children that will help them to understand proper behavior/expectations regarding the
theme your group chose.



Be sure to illustrate each entry
Be sure to modernize the original, but don’t go so far that it cannot be recognized as a rewrite of
the original
Create a book jacket, give the book a title, illustrate your theme, include your names as authors.