The Boy in the River: An Aesop Fable

Cartoon by Penny (Kendall) McIntire


Once, a boy was bathing in a river. At one point, the boy got out of his depth, and was in great danger of being drowned. A man who was passing along a road heard the boy's cries for help. He went to the riverside and began to scold the boy for being so careless as to get into deep water.

Oh, sir," cried the Boy, "please help me first and scold me afterwards."