Today's fable is a long one (and a really good one IMO) from Potts and Darnell's Aditus Faciliores Graeci, which has notes below each story and vocabulary in the back.
Here is the story, presented in Greek, segmented, and then interwoven with English. The title is linked to the Internet Archive page. I've broken the segmented versions up into the different episodes of the story, which is a perfect example of a "chain tale" (probably my all-time favorite type of folktale!).
Στροῦθός τις δένδρῳ ἐφεζόμενος μυῖαν ἥρπασεν· ἡ δὲ ἀνεβόα, ἔα με ζῆν. ἀποθανεῖ μὲν οὖν, ἔφη ὁ στροῦθος, μικρὸς γὰρ εἶ· ἐγὼ δὲ μέγας εἰμὶ καὶ ἰσχηυρός. ἀποκτείνας οὖν τὴν μυῖαν κατήσθιεν.
ἱέραξ δὲ τις κατιδὼν τὸν στροῦθον τοῦ δείπνου ἀπολαύοντα ῥᾳδίως αὐτὸν ἐδάμασεν. ὁ δὲ στροῦθος ἀνεβόα, μὴ μ' ἀποκτείνῃς· τί γὰρ κακὸν πεποίνκα; ὁ δὲ ἱέραξ, ἀποθανεῖ, ἔφη, ἐπεὶ ἐγὼ μὲν ἰσχύω, σὺ δὲ ἀσθενὴς εἶ.
τότε δὲ αἰετὸς καὶ τὸν ἱέρακα ἥρπασε ταῖς χηλαῖς. ὁ δὲ ἱέραξ, ἀφής με, ἔφη, ὦ βασιλεῦ, σπαράξεις γάρ με ταῖς χηλαῖς. οὔτοι σε ἀφήσω, ἔφη ὁ αἰετὸς. μέγιστος γὰρ καὶ ἰσχυρότατός εἰμι τῶν ὀρνίθων.
μέλλοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ κατέδεσθαι τὸν ἱέρακα θηρευτής τις προσελθὼν ὀϊστὸν ἀφεὶς τοῦ αἰετοῦ ἔτυχεν. ὦ μιαρέ, ἔφη, τί με τῷ ὀϊστῷ ἀποκτεῖναι βούλει; οὐδὲν γὰρ ἄξιον θανάτου πεποίηκα. ὁ δὲ ἀπεκρίνατο, οὐ δῆτα· ἐγὼ γὰρ ἄνθρωπός εἰμι καὶ πάνυ ἰσχυρός. σὺ δὲ ἀσθενής τις καὶ οὐ λόγου ἄξιος.
ἱέραξ δὲ τις κατιδὼν τὸν στροῦθον τοῦ δείπνου ἀπολαύοντα ῥᾳδίως αὐτὸν ἐδάμασεν. ὁ δὲ στροῦθος ἀνεβόα, μὴ μ' ἀποκτείνῃς· τί γὰρ κακὸν πεποίνκα; ὁ δὲ ἱέραξ, ἀποθανεῖ, ἔφη, ἐπεὶ ἐγὼ μὲν ἰσχύω, σὺ δὲ ἀσθενὴς εἶ.
τότε δὲ αἰετὸς καὶ τὸν ἱέρακα ἥρπασε ταῖς χηλαῖς. ὁ δὲ ἱέραξ, ἀφής με, ἔφη, ὦ βασιλεῦ, σπαράξεις γάρ με ταῖς χηλαῖς. οὔτοι σε ἀφήσω, ἔφη ὁ αἰετὸς. μέγιστος γὰρ καὶ ἰσχυρότατός εἰμι τῶν ὀρνίθων.
μέλλοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ κατέδεσθαι τὸν ἱέρακα θηρευτής τις προσελθὼν ὀϊστὸν ἀφεὶς τοῦ αἰετοῦ ἔτυχεν. ὦ μιαρέ, ἔφη, τί με τῷ ὀϊστῷ ἀποκτεῖναι βούλει; οὐδὲν γὰρ ἄξιον θανάτου πεποίηκα. ὁ δὲ ἀπεκρίνατο, οὐ δῆτα· ἐγὼ γὰρ ἄνθρωπός εἰμι καὶ πάνυ ἰσχυρός. σὺ δὲ ἀσθενής τις καὶ οὐ λόγου ἄξιος.
Στροῦθός τις
δένδρῳ ἐφεζόμενος
μυῖαν ἥρπασεν·
ἡ δὲ ἀνεβόα,
ἔα με ζῆν.
ἀποθανεῖ μὲν οὖν,
ἔφη ὁ στροῦθος,
μικρὸς γὰρ εἶ·
ἐγὼ δὲ μέγας εἰμὶ
καὶ ἰσχηυρός.
ἀποκτείνας οὖν τὴν μυῖαν
κατήσθιεν.
Στροῦθός τις ... A sparrow
δένδρῳ ἐφεζόμενος ... perched on a tree
μυῖαν ἥρπασεν ... seized a fly.
ἡ δὲ ἀνεβόα ... The fly shouted,
ἔα με ζῆν ... Allow me to live!
ἔφη ὁ στροῦθος ... The sparrow said,
ἀποθανεῖ μὲν οὖν ... You're going to die in fact,
μικρὸς γὰρ εἶ ... for you are small,
ἐγὼ δὲ μέγας εἰμὶ ... but I am big
καὶ ἰσχηυρός ... and strong.
ἀποκτείνας οὖν τὴν μυῖαν ... So having killed the fly,
κατήσθιεν ... the sparrow gobbled her down.
ἱέραξ δὲ τις
κατιδὼν τὸν στροῦθον
τοῦ δείπνου ἀπολαύοντα
ῥᾳδίως αὐτὸν ἐδάμασεν.
ὁ δὲ στροῦθος ἀνεβόα,
μὴ μ' ἀποκτείνῃς·
τί γὰρ κακὸν πεποίνκα;
ὁ δὲ ἱέραξ, ἀποθανεῖ, ἔφη,
ἐπεὶ ἐγὼ μὲν ἰσχύω,
σὺ δὲ ἀσθενὴς εἶ.
κατιδὼν τὸν στροῦθον
τοῦ δείπνου ἀπολαύοντα
ῥᾳδίως αὐτὸν ἐδάμασεν.
ὁ δὲ στροῦθος ἀνεβόα,
μὴ μ' ἀποκτείνῃς·
τί γὰρ κακὸν πεποίνκα;
ὁ δὲ ἱέραξ, ἀποθανεῖ, ἔφη,
ἐπεὶ ἐγὼ μὲν ἰσχύω,
σὺ δὲ ἀσθενὴς εἶ.
ἱέραξ δὲ τις ... But a hawk
κατιδὼν τὸν στροῦθον ... looking down on the sparrow
τοῦ δείπνου ἀπολαύοντα ... as he enjoyed his meal
ῥᾳδίως αὐτὸν ἐδάμασεν ... easily subdued him.
ὁ δὲ στροῦθος ἀνεβόα ... The sparrow shouted,
μὴ μ' ἀποκτείνῃς ... Don't kill me!
τί γὰρ κακὸν πεποίνκα ... What wrong have I done?
ὁ δὲ ἱέραξ ἔφη ... The hawk said,
ἀποθανεῖ ... You will die,
ἐπεὶ ἐγὼ μὲν ἰσχύω ... since I am strong,
σὺ δὲ ἀσθενὴς εἶ ... but you are weak.
τότε δὲ αἰετὸς
καὶ τὸν ἱέρακα ἥρπασε
ταῖς χηλαῖς.
ὁ δὲ ἱέραξ, ἀφής με, ἔφη, ὦ βασιλεῦ,
σπαράξεις γάρ με ταῖς χηλαῖς.
οὔτοι σε ἀφήσω, ἔφη ὁ αἰετὸς.
μέγιστος γὰρ
καὶ ἰσχυρότατός εἰμι τῶν ὀρνίθων.
τότε δὲ αἰετὸς ... And then an eagle
καὶ τὸν ἱέρακα ἥρπασε ... likewise seized the hawk
ταῖς χηλαῖς ... in his talons.
ὁ δὲ ἱέραξ ἔφη ... And the hawk said,
ἀφής με, ὦ βασιλεῦ ... Let me go, O king!
σπαράξεις γάρ με ... for you will tear me to pieces
ταῖς χηλαῖς ... with your talons.
ἔφη ὁ αἰετὸς ... The eagle said,
οὔτοι σε ἀφήσω ... I will not let you go,
μέγιστος γὰρ εἰμι ... for I am mighty
καὶ ἰσχυρότατός ... and the strongest
τῶν ὀρνίθων ... of all the birds.
μέλλοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ
κατέδεσθαι τὸν ἱέρακα
θηρευτής τις προσελθὼν
ὀϊστὸν ἀφεὶς
τοῦ αἰετοῦ ἔτυχεν.
ὦ μιαρέ, ἔφη,
τί με τῷ ὀϊστῷ ἀποκτεῖναι βούλει;
οὐδὲν γὰρ ἄξιον θανάτου πεποίηκα.
ὁ δὲ ἀπεκρίνατο,
οὐ δῆτα·
ἐγὼ γὰρ ἄνθρωπός εἰμι
καὶ πάνυ ἰσχυρός.
σὺ δὲ ἀσθενής τις
καὶ οὐ λόγου ἄξιος.
μέλλοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ... As he (the eagle) was about
κατέδεσθαι τὸν ἱέρακα ... to gobble down the hawk,
θηρευτής τις προσελθὼν ... a hunter approached
ὀϊστὸν ἀφεὶς ... and let loose an arrow
τοῦ αἰετοῦ ἔτυχεν ... which hit the eagle.
ὦ μιαρέ, ἔφη ... You scoundrel, said the eagle,
τί με ἀποκτεῖναι βούλει ... Why do you want to kill me
τῷ ὀϊστῷ ... with your arrow?
οὐδὲν γὰρ πεποίηκα ... I have done nothing
ἄξιον θανάτου ... worthy of death.
ὁ δὲ ἀπεκρίνατο ... The hunter answered,
οὐ δῆτα ... Not so —
ἐγὼ γὰρ ἄνθρωπός εἰμι ... for I am a human,
καὶ πάνυ ἰσχυρός ... and exceedingly strong.
σὺ δὲ ἀσθενής τις ... But you are someone weak,
καὶ οὐ λόγου ἄξιος ... and not worth speaking about.
And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too :
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