aadoa (アードア)
An excursion in Philosophy, History, Economics, Mythology, and other Subjects
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The Farmer and the Snake (The Frozen Serpent)
On a cold winter’s day, a kind-hearted farmer comes across a snake stiff and half-dead with cold. Moved with pity, the farmer lifts the frozen serpent and places it in his bosom (or brings it home by the hearth) to warm it back to life. Revived by the warmth, the snake immediately bites the farmer…
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The Dog in the Manger
In an old stable, a dog finds a manger full of hay where the oxen feed. Being neither hungry for hay nor in need of the manger, the dog nevertheless curls up atop the pile of feed, claiming it as his resting spot. When the tired, hungry oxen return from plowing and approach the manger…
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The Donkey in the Lion’s Skin
A vain and foolish donkey finds a discarded lion’s hide. Draping the lion’s skin over himself, the donkey imagines he can now pass as the king of beasts. Indeed, as he walks through the fields, other animals and even people flee in terror, believing a fierce lion is on the prowl. Enjoying this newfound respect…
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The Lion’s Share
A lion joins a partnership with other animals—often a fox, a wolf, and a smaller beast like a jackal or ass—to hunt. Together, they succeed in bringing down a large prey (such as a stag). When it comes time to divide the meat, the lion arrogantly assigns himself the first portion because he is king;…
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Belling the Cat (The Mice in Council)
A community of mice is terrorized by a marauding house cat that pounces on them stealthily. Desperate to find a solution, the mice convene a council to discuss how to protect themselves. Many ideas are debated. Finally, a young mouse proposes a bold plan: hang a bell around the cat’s neck. That way, the bell…
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The Bundle of Sticks (The Old Man and His Sons)
An aging father with several quarrelsome sons seeks to teach them a final lesson before he dies. He gathers his sons and sets a bundle of sticks (or in some versions, a bundle of arrows) before them. He first asks each son to try to break the bundle when it’s tightly bound together. Despite their…
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Androcles and the Lion
Set in classical times, this story (often included in Aesop’s corpus though of later origin) tells of Androcles, a fugitive slave in ancient Rome, and a lion. Androcles escapes his cruel master and flees into the wilderness. There, he encounters a lion in pain, groaning and unable to walk. Instead of fleeing, Androcles bravely approaches…
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The Dog and its Reflection
The 17th-century engraver Wenceslaus Hollar depicts the greedy dog dropping its real bone while lunging at the illusion in the water. A dog crossing a stream with a piece of meat in its jaws looks down and sees what appears to be another dog in the water, carrying a larger piece of meat. Not realizing…
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The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
A town mouse, accustomed to the luxuries and bustle of urban living, once visited his cousin, a country mouse, who lived a simpler life in the fields. The country mouse humbly served rustic fare—plain grains and acorns. Finding this provincial meal and quiet life dull, the town mouse boasted of the refined delicacies and sophistication…
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The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs
A poor farmer and his wife possess an extraordinary goose that lays a solid gold egg each day. Initially, this marvel brings them steady wealth. But greed soon overtakes prudence: impatient to have all the treasure at once, the couple decides to kill the goose and cut it open, believing it must contain a great…
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The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
A cunning wolf, unable to catch enough prey due to vigilant shepherds, devises a deceit: it dons the fleece of a sheep to blend into the flock. Disguised as one of the herd, the predatory wolf can prowl among the sheep without alarming them. Yet the ruse proves its own undoing—accounts differ on the ending.…
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The Lion and the Mouse
A mighty lion and a humble mouse cross paths in this tale of unexpected reciprocity. The lion, king of the savanna, initially captures the tiny mouse and, amused by the little creature’s pleas, decides magnanimously to spare its life. The grateful mouse squeaks that it will return the favor someday, which the lion finds laughable—how…
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The Fox and the Grapes
A hungry fox spies a cluster of ripe grapes hanging high on a vine. The grapes look delicious, and the fox eagerly leaps to snatch them, but they hang just out of reach. After repeated failures to obtain the fruit, the fox scoffs, “Oh, you’re probably sour anyway!” and trots off, convincing himself that he…
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The Tortoise and the Hare
A hare, swift and self-assured, and a tortoise, slow but steadfast, agree to race one another. Bolting ahead easily, the hare becomes so overconfident in his lead that he stops to nap midway. The plodding tortoise, meanwhile, never pauses and eventually passes the sleeping hare to reach the finish line first. This fable’s popular moral,…
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The Boy Who Cried Wolf
This fable, numbered 210 in the Perry Index of Aesop’s tales, concerns a young shepherd boy who repeatedly deceives villagers by shouting that a wolf is attacking the flock. Twice the alarmed villagers rush to help, only to find the boy’s cries were a prank. When eventually a real wolf appears and the boy desperately…
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The Ant and the Grasshopper
In this classic tale, a hard-working ant labors all summer to store food, while a carefree grasshopper sings and plays. When winter arrives and the grasshopper finds itself starving, it begs the ant for food—but the ant reproaches its idleness and refuses to help. The straightforward moral is that diligent preparation and industry are rewarded,…
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The Phoenix: Mythical Bird of Immortality in History and Culture
Introduction Few mythical creatures have captured the human imagination as enduringly as the phoenix – the legendary bird that dies only to be reborn from its own ashes. Originating in classical antiquity but echoing themes from various world cultures, the phoenix has come to symbolize death and resurrection, cyclic renewal, and immortality. This in-depth exploration…
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Herodotus: The Gold-digging Ants of a far-away land called India
Hear then, O reader, a tale that the Persians who trade with the far-flung Indians relate, and that I, Herodotus of Halicarnassus, record as it was told to me—whether it be wholly true the gods alone may know, for I myself have not beheld these wonders with my own eyes. How the Gold Lies in…
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The story of the riddle of the twin winds breathing
Long after the moon had set over Eurotas and Sparta’s spears lay stacked in frustration, word rode south that the Arcadians of Tegea were laughing again—another Spartan expedition broken on their stony fields. Kings grew grim; elders clutched their cloaks as if war-rent cloth could hide the taste of failure. At last the two royal…
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Eponymous Laws describing Bureaucracy
Pournelle’s Iron Law of Bureaucracy – In any large organization, the faction devoted to protecting the bureaucracy itself eventually gains control, sidelining the people focused on the mission. Parkinson’s Law – “Work expands to fill the time (and resources) available.” Bureaucracies therefore grow even when workloads don’t. Parkinson’s Law of Triviality (the “bike-shed effect”) –…
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Fifty Laws defining the underlying structure of Reality
1 – 10 • Murphy 11 – 20 • Everyday Mischief and Mishaps 21 – 30 • Work, Management, and Bureaucracy 31 – 40 • Internet and Media 41 – 50 • Technology and Engineering