Modern Fables

Dear friends, some exciting news: My book of fables, Wandering Spirits, was selected as a National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist! I’m honored and delighted that my hard work has been recognized in this way.And now onto today’s fresh fable…Word’s WorthA merchant sat inside his shop, waiting for visitors. Most days, no one came. Sales were slow.He grew impatient, and wondered if there was a better way.“If the people won’t come to me, then I must go to them,” he thought. “I will simply ask them what they want to buy, and then build it. I’ll be sure to sell that way!”The merchant laughed with excitement. “I can’t believe I never thought of this before!”He scoured the village asking people what they wanted.A mother told him she could use a new pot.A farmer told him he could use a new plow.A student told him she could use a new pen.To each of them, he asked, “If I built it for you, would you buy it?”One after the other, they would nod, smile, and give him their word. “Certainly!”By the time he finished his rounds of research, the merchant was filled with confidence. He leapt into action, hiring craftsmen throughout the lands to build pots, plows and pens.He returned to the village with a wheelbarrow full of inventory and a spring in his step. He looked at the villagers with eager eyes, salivating like a wolf ready to feed on its prey.On the road, he ran into the student. When he offered her a pen to buy, she shook her head. “I can’t afford that! I’m just a poor student.” The merchant raised a finger to protest, hoping to offer a discounted price. But the student took off and yelled, “Late for class!”Next, the merchant visited the farmer. When he showed him the plows, the farmer looked out at his crops and said, “Maybe next year, when the yield is stronger.”Finally, he visited the mother. She was sweeping the floors of her deck. When he greeted her, she did not even look up at him, keeping her eyes on the ground. “No, thank you!”The merchant was furious. “I had this pot made just for you! You told me you needed it.”“I never said I needed it,” replied the mother. “I said I wanted it. Now if you don’t mind, I’m quite busy,” She shooed the merchant away and resumed sweeping with a half-broken broom.The merchant returned to his shop, having learned the most expensive lesson of his life:Trust the money, not the mouth.Subscribe for more free fables:If you liked this fable, you might also enjoy these:And if you’re looking to dive deeper into longer, richer tales, then be sure to check out my new book of fables, Wandering Spirits: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brownfox.substack.com

A young hare races alongside her best friend, a tortoise.They are both daughters of legends — the tale of their fathers’ infamous race has been told throughout the lands.The day arrives when the young friends must follow in the footsteps of their fathers and race each other on the big stage. They anxiously wait at the starting line, giving each other a warm smile.Bang!The young hare takes off to an early lead. She looks back and sees her friend lagging far behind. She settles into a rhythm, and her mind begins to wander. The memory of her father’s painful loss flashes in her mind. Her father always warned her to avoid his mistake: He had stopped for too long, and that cost him the race. She promised her father that she wouldn’t suffer the same fate.When the hare hits a fork in the race, she makes a quick decision and keeps going. Sometimes, she takes a wrong turn, but quickly adjusts her course.The hare keeps moving, no matter what.The tortoise, by contrast, stalls on each fork. Her own father always reminded her of the secret to his success: “Slow and steady wins the race.”She promised him she would take his advice to heart and carry on his legacy.When the young tortoise hits a fork in the race, she never rushes, taking her time with each choice. Sometimes, she gets caught in a thought, and spends an hour choosing a single turn.The tortoise keeps thinking, no matter what.As the tortoise ponders another turn, the hare crosses the finish line. The hare wins the race handily, despite making many wrong turns along the way.The tortoise takes the loss in stride, learning a lesson of her own. Someday, she tells herself, she will pass on her own advice:“Slow and steady wins the race, but overthinking freezes you in place.”Subscribe for more free fables:If you liked this tale, you might enjoy the other fables in the Modern Fables section of this Substack:And if you’re looking to dive deeper into longer, richer tales, then be sure to check out my new book of fables, Wandering Spirits:Lastly, if you’re local to the San Francisco Bay Area, I have a book event coming up that I’d love for you to join! I’ll be doing a live reading from my book at Lamorinda Arts Council’s upcoming Art Embraces Words event at the Lafayette Library this Saturday, May 18th at 2pm PST.I’ll be presenting a gallery of illustrations from the book alongside my live reading. I’ll have books available to sign, as well as limited edition Wolf’s Way stickers. Come say hi! I hope to see you there. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brownfox.substack.com

There once lived a newt who knew it all. Or so he thought.The newt was preparing for a dangerous journey through the winter forest. It was a rite of passage for all young newts.His elders tried to prepare him for the treachery of the forest, and the trickery of winter. But the newt wouldn’t listen. He had spent his youth immersed in books of all kinds. This filled him with confidence that he could face any challenge.“Remember to—” the elders would begin.“I know,” the newt would interrupt. “I’ve read more than all of you combined. I need no guidance.”Eventually, the elders went silent.The newt turned and left his elders behind. He began his long journey alone. Soon, the winter joined him.When the foxes appeared, the newt knew to burrow and hide, but all he could do was freeze in place. He got bit on his leg, and escaped within an inch of his life.When nightfall brought bitter cold winds, the newt knew he had to warm up, but his trembling hands couldn’t start a fire.When his food ran low, the newt knew he needed to ration his supplies, but his belly yelled loudly. He couldn’t resist, and ate everything he had.Soon, the newt had run out of food and warmth. Predators lurked nearby.The newt knew his end was nigh. Or so he thought.An elder newt appeared, embraced the young newt, fed him, and protected him.The newt looked up at the elder. “I’m sorry. I thought I knew—”“I know,” said the elder newt.In the morning, the newt took the rations the elder gave him, and continued his journey.“Will you be alright?” asked the elder.“I will,” said the newt. “In the summer, I had knowledge. But the winter made me wise.”He stepped forward a new newt.If you liked this fable, you’ll love my book of modern fables, Wandering Spirits!This fable was written, illustrated and narrated by me, Salman Ansari. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, I’d greatly appreciate if you shared it with a friend, parent, or child who might enjoy it too. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brownfox.substack.com