Blessed Almalexia ' s Fables for Afternoon Content . The Crow and the Netch One day a curious crow decided to fly farther than he ever flew before . He flew and flew and finally came upon a creature that he found very strange . " Friend ! " he called as he flew by the creature . " Friend , what is it that you are ? I have never seen a flying beast such as you ! " " They call me a netch , " the good netch replied . " A netch ! A netch ! That ' s quite the catch ! " the crow cackled . " Tell me , netch , how is it that you fly ? " " I ' ve flown these shores since I was born , " the netch replied . " I do not know how . " " Don ' t know , don ' t ' know , oh what a show ! " the crow called out . " Where are your glossy feathers that help you glide ? " " I have no need of feathers to glide , " the netch explained , " but I have a strong , thick hide to protect me . " " A hide ! A hide ! Oh , what a find , " the crow mocked . " Tell me netch , where are your eyes ? " " I need no eyes to sail the skies , as you can plainly see , " the netch once more replied . " No eyes , no eyes , to sail the skies ! " the prideful crow continued . " But it makes you far uglier than I ! " And he began to laugh at the netch ' s misfortune . The crow ' s laughter grew louder and louder , eventually attracting a nearby cliff - racer . The beast swooped down upon the crow , swallowing him whole , and he could mock the netch no more . The netch simply sighed and said , " Mocking others is for naught , for none can change their own weakness . " < nowiki > * * * < / nowiki > The Gifted Guar One day a farmer decided to give his daughter a gift . She had started a family of her own , and he wished good fortune for her . He chose his finest guar and brought it to his daughter ' s new home . His daughter was delighted at this gift , but her husband only glared . " You didn ' t even let us choose ? " the husband asked angrily . " What if this guar is sick , or old , or weak ? I must at least inspect it before it ' s left in our care ! " The daughter tried to calm her husband , but the farmer simply nodded and said , " You may examine this guar as you see fit . " The husband inspected every inch of the guar , even forcing the beast to open its mighty jaws to look at the state of its teeth . " Well , it will have to do , " the husband conceded , though he knew it was a fine guar indeed . The farmer stroked his chin . " You know , I think you ' re right . You should be able to pick whichever guar you wish . I know there ' s plenty for sale in the local market . " The husband simply gaped as his father - in - law walked back home , guar in hand . His wife slapped her husband ' s arm and told him , " You fool ! Never look a gift guar in the mouth ! " < nowiki > * * * < / nowiki > The Child of the Councilor One summer ' s day , a councilor was walking along the market in her splendid regalia , attended by her many servants . She was so splendid that a small mer in the crowd told his mother , " I wish my mother was a councilor , instead of you ! " The little mer never expected the councilor to hear him , nor did he expect her to turn toward him in the crowd . " I have heard your wish , little one , and I accept , " she told the open - mouthed little mer . " You will be my child , and you will have all that you wish . " The little mer was immediately taken to the councilor ' s manor and placed in a room with toys and sweets . He laughed and clapped his hands , playing and eating all he wished . But soon he grew bored and went to speak to a servant . " It ' s no fun playing by myself , " he told the servant . " Can I have someone to play with ? " " The child of the councilor has no equal , " the servant told him . " There is none worthy to play with you . " The little mer had little time to think on this when a scholar came to his room . The scholar looked upon the little mer with scorn and said , " Your lessons should have begun hours ago ! The child of the councilor must know many great things . " The little mer was made to listen to the scholar ' s lectures for hours and hours , and soon his head ached with all that he was to know . Eventually it was time for dinner , but the little mer ' s troubles were not over . " In those clothes ? In that state ? " cried his servant , horrified . " You must be washed and clothed if you are to be presented as the child of the councilor ! " And so the little mer was scrubbed roughly and forced into very uncomfortable clothes . By this point the little mer was almost in tears . He missed his home , and his clothes , and his friends . But most of all he missed his mother , who he had never gone a day without . When the little mer was finally sent to the dining hall , he was met with a surprise . Seated at the dining table was his family , all laughing and smiling . He ran to his mother arms and cried , " I ' m sorry , I ' m sorry ! I want you to be my mother after all ! " The councilor , who was seated at the head of the table , smiled and told the little mer , " You have learned a very important lesson , my child . We often forget to be thankful for what we have , when thinking only of what we want . "