PAULUZ
BODMER

THE WISDOM OF
THE ANIMALS

COLLECTION OF
PARABLES

1986

Life is absurd, cruel, fool, but magnificent. It does not sneer of men, as he has intelligence, but it does not give men more attention rather than give to the earthworm. To say that men is a cruel game of the nature, a toy, a craze, is a mistake invented by men themselves, as they consider themselves extremely important. We shall first of all recognize that our life is just as difficult as the life of the ants. It is truly, more delicate and more beautiful.

Herman Hesse

I make use of the animals to teach men.

La Fontaine

01) PARTIES

The whole day the sheeps sang and celebrated the birth of one more little sheep.

The whole night the wolves ululated and sang celebrating the birth of one more little sheep.

02) SCINTILLATION

The wise man told after contemplating the sky at crepuscule:

If one day you shine in this life, take care that your sparkle be like the glowworms, because if you shine like a star your clearness will heighten envy, which will do everything to erase your light.

03) UNDERSTANDING

Many affirm that life has no meaning at all

Though, a butterfly said that a simple flower is worth to give meaning to life.

04) SONG

There has been a wonderful summer, said the cicada,
which sang
happily,

I lived intensely
the light of the sun
and heated my heart

I life the day-to-day
and because of this I do not think about tomorrow

The winter of life can wait.

05) CONGRUOUSNESS

When the animals realized that the laws defended the tigers and the lions
they soon became aware that there was no justice in the forest.

06) ADVICE

Between the light of the glowworm and the one of the star above in the sky there is an enormous distance to go for a walk.

But follow your road that they will shed light on your course.

07) OPTION

Those who have money,
instead of being free,
live,
many times,
like birds
imprisoned
in golden cages

08) INSOMNIA

Life is not a dream, said the owl, which passed all night long awaken .

09) COMMAND

The lion ordered the animals that they should search for a well-known artist to restore the statue of justice, which as time goes by, breaks into pieces. Three days later, the monkey appeared and was praised by everyone and was received with all home’s fames:

We believe it is not necessary to remind you that it is important to strengthen the wrap in the eyes of the statue. Like men say, justice is blind, we really want it to be blind, so that it cannot see anything.

So, the monkey, worried with the injustice wave, which went by through the forest, jumped into a tree and hooked in a limb thanked for the compliment.

I am sorry not to attend your invitation, your majesty, but let me say, you should first of all restore the justice and only afterwards, repair this statue.

10) OUTER SHELL

It was a simple mouse, but gave the impression that it was the king of the forest.

11) PRIDE

The snakes, contrarily of men, they worm, but they do not humble themselves.

12) TENDERNESS

In life, the important is to love, even if it is for some instants, said the butterfly.

13) ADVENTURE

Go ahead, like a turtle, because if you are in the wrong way you won’t have gone too far.

14) ALTERNATIVE

A dog lived happily, without caring about his freedom, as he already had his bread, but with the budget cuts, the owner of the house, unintentionally, settled the accounts and sent the dog away. From this moment on, even the dog’s friends turned their back to him (the dog). Tired of wandering in the search for a new job and already unbelieving of all moral, went to search his worst enemy, which, so many times, impeded him of stealing:

Welcome to our gang, replied the fox and honoring your braveness here the missions are more dangerous.

Accordingly, to steal is a matter of point of view.

15) HANKERING

And the birds, which fly high in the sky do not fly so high as the ambitions…

16) REMARK

The silence is a great master, said the mouse, which heard from a long distance the steps of the cat.

17) EXCHANGE

Strange the love of this people, said the birds inside the cage, whom prisoners of life, do not get tired of singing: we exchange this love by the freedom of flying.

18) UNKNOWN

The mice do not understand the reason why men life stirring their values, their friendships, their lovers.

19) TRAIL

If you are lost with your lover,
guide yourself through the lights,
not through the starts which shine at the distant sky, but by the glow worms
which illuminate the wood and wipe off in your heart.

20) REVELATION

The puss, upon seeing the turtle that called for her, which was quite distant, run in her direction and when it got close, listened:

One of my regrets is that I cannot run, with much grace, through the woods and the gardens.

Why run if I stay twisting? Have you ever hear that when you go slowly you go far.

21) AUDACITY

The glow worm, after realizing that he was the only one that shone in the darkness of the woods, filed himself of greatness and told the animals already sleepy:

I am also a star.

But, as it happens to the languorous people, none cared about what he said. After some time, the light of the glow worm faded.

22) RYHTM

On the night that the star of hope faded, the glowworms lighted their lights and the dream of men continued...

23) REPLICATION

The bird gives to mean a song that enchants, the feathers that adorn, and in their flight the meaning of freedom.

The men give to the bird a golden cage.

24) DILEMMA

The ant works and the buzzer sings.

Choose yourself,
Your own rhythm.

25) TONE

The flute covered itself with vanity when it realized that the animals around itself hear cautiously to its melodies:

I can enchant all and not only the snakes as many think.

Though a bamboo which was close, bent till her and whispered in is ear:

You , alone, cannot touch the simplest of the songs. Thus, pay attention to stay with you heart opened to deserve the caress of the wind.

26) LESSON

In the last room of the corridor two of the colmeia the teacher bee finished its philosophy class when a classmate inquired:

Are we, really, the most useful of the insects?

An the master, with all its wisdom, explained:

Still the bee gives the honey. On the contrary they would have been exterminated.

27) MISTAKE

The butterfly drunk with love, touched your hand thinking it was a flower.

28) DAY DREAM

If your dream is to fly like the birds, said the mouse to the man,

Our dream is to fly like the bats.

29) BANISHED

Torn of its cattle and after wandering a lot through the world, a sheep learned that “birds of a feather flock together” and the astuteness of the fox can be more dangerous than the strength of the lion. Back to his cattle, tried to teach them several precepts:

The cattle needs a leader and not a priest...

But the sheeps, frightened by what they heard, expulsed her of the collectivity.

Go away very far and do not come back any more because the cattle is not a place for a black sheep...

30) SEASON

After staying many years of his life working hard, the ant realized that her muscles grew but did not develop any talent. Knowing of the trip that the buzzer would make around the world, followed by a great orchestra, knocked on the door:

Sorry to bother you, but I would like to travel as your maid.

And the singer, which had already recorded many records, accepted:

One who knows how to work hard, hardly will be able to make tourism, but once in a while will be able to travel as a carrier.

31) CAGE

In the world of the birds to sing can be a tragedy, which turns into a prison.

In the world of the birds, the wisdom consists in flying and shutting up.

32) SHARE

By finishing the great hunting and after separated from the part of the lion, which went out afterwards, the wolf went mad with the share destined to him and was not satisfied with that division:

Look, after so much effort and sacrifice, what touches are scraps and an enormous lack of consideration.

At this moment, the fox, which had already participated some times in this theatre, knew that a little remained to her and resigned , commented:

The share to the weakest is only abundant when it deals with sharing with the losses. Then, I would for sure stay with the part of the lion.

33) TRAPS

The fly fell on the web of the spider.

Men fell on their own web.

34) METAMORPHOSIS

Golden bee, at the touch of your love the flower dreams of becoming honey.

35) PRESUMPTION

Run at night, dawn, when the first stars started to fade and little by little sunrise came. The cock, impatient, before beginning to sing, filled himself with vanity and said to the pork that was close to his branch:

My song awakes the nature.

The dawn is getting close to listen to my song.

And the pork, fat, still a little sleepy, started to grunt quietly as if he did not want to awake anybody:

- Take care that your song does not awake the others and keep in mind, always, when you awake somebody, you run the risk of being devoured by him.

36) HUNGER

Men is an animal that can devour all other animals, including the man himself.

37) WISH

The butterfly who passes take in her wigs a golden dream

The flower waits for the touch of her love.

38) DELATION

The preacher fell on a trap and the sheeps could take him from there. After they departed, the wolf came and devoured the poor in pieces. Dressed up on his clothes and pretended to be the preacher.

A sheep recognized him and was soon devoured.

As time went by the sheeps realized that their friends vanished and the preacher said that they were not there.

When they realized that the preacher was a wolf then they started to come to him and denounce to one another like enemies of the community.

39) SPECTACLE

The magic of love, said the rabbit which went out of the top hat, does not belong to the magic of the circus but to its golden dream.

40) VISION

The eagle in its flight saw the rabbit, which was escaping to its hiding place:

I do not know why you scorn my friendship. I can raise you to know my nest. From up there you will better see the horizon and the shine of the stars.

But the rabbit, scared, muttered>

I prefer to stay in my earth and feel the smell of the flowers. From here I see better your claws.

41) IMPRESSIONS

The turtle, after wandering a lot, stopped in the middle of the way and full of envy listened to the nightingale’s voice:

- I have lived many years but I do not know the sensation of singing.

Fortunately, said the bird:

- You will neither know the sensation of being in a cage.

42) FABLE

The fox pretended to be a lamb but it happens that neither one nor the other play tricks on anybody anymore.

43) CRISIS

Arriving at home, the small donkey was received by his wife, which, afflicted, soon asked him:

- Then, have you finally get a job?

- Oh, yes, answered the small donkey almost sleeping:

- I am grateful to the man who got a carrier job for me.

44) FALSENESS

The cat said that the love story that she had finished to tell was pure truth.

But the mouse, in a moment of lucidity realized that there is not a larger lie than a truth that has an author. Thus, continued to stay in his earth where the claws of the cat do not reach him.

45) AFFECTION

In the bird’s neb there is a straw to the nest. In the bird’s nest there is a kiss to the bird’s neb.

46) PRECAUTION

The wolf came smiling when some one asked him:

- Where does your joy come from?

- From what people is telling about the lion, which is useless, even to be our king.

But the fox which listened to everything, intervened in this story and reminded:

Pay attention to the animals and to the men who speak badly of the others. It will not be long and they will be speaking badly of you, as well.

47) SYNTHESIS

The reality is a mouse that erodes your heart.

The fantasy is a bee that transforms your love in honey.

48) FINANCES

Many delude themselves saving money thinking that one they will buy happiness.

And it was exactly this that the elephant did. All he won, with the sweat of his face, deposited at the financing company of the monkey, who paid interest every time higher.

But the prosperity lasted for a while and the financing company went bankruptcy.

Well dressed, the monkey took off the tie and jumping from branch to branch, escaped from everybody.

The elephant and the others never saw the color of their money anymore.

49) FRAUD

The forest became light in gaiety, as they had no elections for quite some time.

There were three candidates: the money, which defended law, the lion, which was in favor of the organization and the wolf, promised anything.

The sheeps danced cheerfully as they could vote freely.

The foxes were attentive: they knew that promised are never accomplished.

When the plea ended and the results were known, they put the crown on the lion’s head.

One says, but these are only gossips, that the monkey was the most voted.

50) HARMONY

The buzzer sings. The butterfly takes from flower to flower the golden pollen.

The glowworm lightens the darkness. The man plays in a bamboo flute, the melody of the winds.

But keep in mind, only in the heart of the person who loves, the spring arises.

51) REALITY

There was no more sincerity in the forest. The animals looked at each other untrusting and all they said was useless. They did exactly the contrary of what they talked about. The ostrich, tired of some many lies, put her head in the earth not to hear anything else.

The panic reigned when some animals went out together searching for the truth. Sometime afterwards, surprisingly they found the truth in a section of the tree, screwed up, torn, downtrodden by the elephants and gnawed by the mice.

On the forest, every man for himself, but now the animals knew that the majority had no salvation.

52) AMBITION

One of men’s dreams was to fly like
the birds:

But men wanted to fly not as a common bird, but like a robbery bird.

In this society to reach the top of the social scale, the conception of flight and many people include the peck of the studs and the claws of the eagles.

53) LAMENT

The song of the birds come from the cages

The song of men come from a larger prison.

54) CREDIT

One day the monkey arrived flattering and with an educated voice, said:

I am calling on you and at the same time I am going to ask you a favour: as I receive my payment at the end of the month, can you lend me some money till then?

And the solicit small donkey lended.

It happens that at the end of the month he had to go to his friend’s house and upon his arrival he also asked for a favour:

- Can you return to me the money I lent you?

The monkey, finding that an audacious attitude, reminded the small donkey that to pay debts, some times, requires a lot of sacrifice when someone pays what they owe us makes us a great favour; knocked the door on his face.

As time went by, the small donkey forgot everything and keeps on lending money till today…

55) TENTATION

The insects are attracted by the light.

Men are attracted by the stars.

All is dream in the world of lights which lighten and wipe off.

56) PARTNERSHIP

After many questions and steps, some animals decided to establish a companionship, whose main purpose was the overall happiness and individual happiness. Thus, every one brought what they had: the Lion brought the strength, the fox the smartness, the little dove brought the cypress of peace, others came with love and truth, the cow gave the milk, the bee brought the honey, etc.;

After everything was solved they signed the terms of the contract and tired of so many discussions and jabbers, went to sleep.

The readers who are still awake may have the feeling of the epilogue of this story.

57) EQUALITY

The sheep went to the lion’s house and after waiting a lot finally he was listened:

-Your Majesty, is it true that we are all equal before law?

And the lion, although thinking this question was inopportune , clarified:

Of course it is true. Any one of you can be hunted by me at any moment.

58) CARE

The butterfly touched the flower and smiled:
she knows that an instant of happiness is worth while

59) DARKNESS

At nightlight, a brilliant glowworm saw, on a branch of a tree, a thoughtful bat e talked to him:

- My light can illuminate your way.

And the bat, tired of facing obstacles in his life, found that funny:

- To get oriented in the darkness of this world one needs more than a blinker....

60) KING

The mice met and after hearty discussions decided to elect man as king of their species.

And the man, with all his vanity, accepted the throne.

But soon after he felt he was the top of the list, he started to persecute the mice.

61) TRAP

On the day that the animals realized than men attack from a distance and by the back, they felt menace of extermination.

But the fox is the only animal that still thinks she is more deceitful than men.

62) STORIES

At dawn, two little birds talked about their lives:

- Why are you staying in this cage?

- Because of my innocence. I entered into here to escape from the cat.

- And you, why do you live as prisoner?

- Because of Vanity. I wanted to enchant men with my song...

63) JUSTIFICATION

They threw water in the glowworm, thinking he would put fire on the Forest.

This happens with everybody that start to shine.

Everything is a motive to fade your light.

64) UNEMPLOYMENT

In the anthill of life there is a lot of people
unemployed.

In the of life there is a lot of people unemployed.

65) CARNIVAL

A man dressed like a bird wanted
to fly and escape from the everyday, where he, daily, is devoured by another men.

While he jumped and sang a cat appeared and devoured him during his private party.

66) INSTINCTS

In a flash of the forest the fox, the snake and the Lion got together.

The snake put her poison in everything she said.

The lion repeated that he was the king and that he should be obeyed.

The fox did not say anything. Just stared at them and listened to them.

- Few are the ones that go far with their own steps.

67) WEIGHT

Skivvies, there are men that carry in their hearts burdens of vanity heavier than those that you skivvy carry in your loin.

68) PREMISE

The turtle, after walking through the roads of life, decided to speak about her experiences and within other things remarked:

- Few are the ones that go far with their own steps.

69) PROTEST

The owl, indignant,
told the animals:

We have to be authentic and not live by playing a role.

Society, the laws and men do not allow us to think.

They want us to be different, of their kind, without personality and without the right to shout, yell.

Like lambs grassing under a starred sky.

70) THEOREM

The old monkey, considered the wisest animal of the Forest and to whom the animals came to receive advice, one day revealed:

- I mixed lie with truth and saw that both are nothing but a great illusion.

71) MEETING

The animals were meeting to deal of community issues.

The young sheep started saying that there were a lot of wrong things wrong in the world of animals.

The strongest do not stand to listen to these things for much time.

They asked him to shut up saying that he wanted to subvert the order.

72) DOCTRINE

The mouse said to his pairs:

- The best of all masters is the cat, who does not get tired of persecuting us.

It is him, really, that teach us to live...

73) PRISON

In men’s civilization, the song of the birds come from the cages.

Prisoner song,
With freedom
Strangled in the chest,
His message is a pain cry.

But men say that they arrest the birds for love and in exchange of the song they give him a little amount of water and a piece of bread.

74) DEFENCE

The animals were scared, running without direction, for the simple fact that someone having said that truth walked naked through the forest.

As night was approaching, the animals formed a group in a place next to the river and exchanging ideas.

After a lot of discussion, at the crack of dawn, the own, with her brilliant eyes tranquilized the attendants:

- Like it happened to us, men transformed truth into a fable.

75) HYPOCRISY

Once the fox found a snake in the way.
Everybody knows that speaking about falsity, both animals act the same..

Thus, they exchanged glances and rapidly moved away from one another.

76) HAPPINESS

Night approaches…
In men’s heart
The first starts start to appear.

The owl that is awake sends a message:
- happiness is inside ourselves.

But men go to look for it in distant places.

77) DIALOG

The bee flew from one garden to the other.

The butterfly jumped from a flower to another flower. And while they searched for happiness, they finally met each other:

I wanted to know how to manufacture honey, said the butterfly, to feel that I am useful in this world.

And I wanted to have golden wings, answered the bee, to adorn life.

78) CHIMERA

The butterfly passed in the spring of life and leaves traces in the heart of the flower, which sprouts in the road and in the dreams of your wounded heart .

79) CONTRADICTION

Gathered in the middle of the forest, the animals were silent.

They meditated about men.

Even the explanation of the monkey that human beings are different did not convince the animals.

They kept thoughtful till dawn when the cock sang breaking the silence.

They could not understand why an animal can say something and do another thing.

80) TRIUMPH

To achieve success in life, that is the great obstacle that men place as goal.

Thus, instead of doing good to others, they try to exceed them.

ON the top of their ambitions they would like to be like eagles, that live in the top of the mountains.

Though it is enough a slight blowing of the Wind to knock them down.

They are nothing but simple sheets that without effort, are led by the winds.

They forget that in life, the important is not to win but to live.

81) FLASHING

Once the animals said that the glow worm shined more than a star.

And this animal, full of vanity, smiled to the world.

But, after a little moment the light of the glow worm faded.

82) FLOCK

Happiness is a bird that once in a while, touches people’s hands.

Many people after catching happiness let it escape.

Others free it so that it keeps on flying.

83) OPPORTUNISM

The chameleons were on the wall, which was a comfortable and neutral place.

Suddenly there came the storm, knocking down the wall, smashing everybody.

They had forgotten that in some moments of our life the walls become fragile.

84) SPLENDOR

The light that illuminates the earth, said the owl, comes from the sun, makes the night come into dawn.

But people, answered the glowworm, love the stars that shine in the autumn sky.

The sun is the reality of life and other stars are the dream.

85) VALUE

After a lot of discussion and even some insults, the monkey brought a scale, which he had found at the deep of a yard.

The animals began to thin. From one side they put the quantity and from another side they put the quality.

They verified that the dish of the quantity was heavier and then they thought that it was worth more.

This is what happens nowadays: the animals likewise the persons do not content themselves with what they owe and always try to owe more.

86) SUPPOSITION

The fox meditated about the strength of the powerful people.

After seeing a lion arrested in a trap being devoured by the mice, he was doubtful.

To her, the strength of the powerful is relative..

But her astuteness told her that she would not be the one that would prove this theory.

87) NOTE

The buzzer, trying to approach the ant, reminded her:

-My song can put joy in your heart!

And the ant, which thinks like many other people, disagreed:

- First one must eat brad and then listen to symphonies.

88) ATTITUDE

What do men look for through the world? Asked the own, which walked towards the stars:

- From illusion to illusion, the own answered, I look for happiness, which seems to be every day more distant.

You do not have to go too far, said the own:
- Happiness is inside you, you just have to awake it.

89) MITOLOGY

To fly like the birds that is the greatest men’s dream and also one of their concepts of liberty.

Through Icaro’s wings, this dream started to gain height when the wax melted and men fell.

But the dream went on. Except that now, after they invented the fire guns, the flight of the birds lost its connotation of freedom and became a simple target.

90) EMPEROR

When the lion died the animals asked men to take the throne

Due to his dental arcade the animals though that men was not made to eat meat.

As time went by they started to realize that men’s hunger was larger than lion’s hunger.

91) STYLE

The truth of men, told the monkey with blue eyes, has several versions, and each version has its own owner.

And what is worse, he added is that walk around trying to sell it at any price.

92) MEETING

The bats met and
Besides other matters decided that they would suck men’s blood.

But the bats did not know that men themselves had already sucked men a long time ago

93) FABLE

Firstly they told me that the wolves are
deceitful and devour other animals.. They also mentioned the story of “Red Hat” and how she was almost devoured.
Afterwards, they took me to the Zoo and then I saw the wolf of the forest, though in a cage, solitary.
Finally, I grew up and then I realized that I started to see wolves every day, but not on the forest, otherwise in the streets with men’s face.

94) EXTINCTION

The forest animals with the few items that remain to them, contemplate astonished the work of destruction of men, who, now, vested with splendor of witches trainee, call progress

95) TUNING

The buzzer spent all day singing

Spent al her life singing
And lived…

Whereas, human being twirled up

96) CONTRAST

Animals differ from men because they are irrational. Though there are men that differ from the animals because they manage to arrive to the lack of rationality that the animals do not have.

97) PATIENCE

The turtle, little by little goes far
Men in a rush arrive nowhere

98) ABANDONMENT

The butterfly of the yearning
landed in the flower when the
butterfly of love stretched its wings and flew

99) MEMORIES

Dear glowworm, blink
of my childhood dreams

100) THE MAGIC OF LIFE

Once upon a time there was a river, which, after crossing the mountains, let its waters rest near a clearing in the Forest, where the animals met to exchange ideas.

The turtle, which was the last animal to arrive, nevertheless it gave its message, that in the road of life, few are the ones that go far with their own steps.

It was a special day. In spring, the animals started to perceive, that in the wind that blew there was something more than the perfume of the flowers … Perplexed, they tried to figure out what was happening, even some animals said, that truth walked naked through the forest.

       After a lot of argue, and daybreak was coming, the OWL, with her brilliant eyes, croaked to the presents:- likewise, men transformed the truth in a fable.

       At dawn, surprisingly, a transparent package was sawn at the edge of the river, containing human rubbles. The small donkey coming closer, got disappointed because he did not suppose that men, who had found a carrier job for him, carried such heavy packages. Then he started to bray and kick the package, smashing it – Afterwards, to have fun, he stepped on jealousy, on delation, on selfishness, on vanity, on intolerance, on envy and on many other infamies.

The BUZZARDS, WHO croaked nervously, got bristled when they learned that this kind of residue was not swallowed by them. Some animals still insisted that they should devour all that, but they had no stomachs able to be sacrificed. And as they felt light and with their peaceful conscience kept on flying and flatting chasing lost. On the other hand, the mice, screeching, tried to understand but could not explain why men live stirring their values, their friendships, their lovers. The majority of the animals, though, preferred to deviate from there and go to the other edge of the river.

Meanwhile, high in a branch, a little bird sang:

       Bem-te-vi, Bem-te-vi,
       I will tell you what I saw
       Bem-te-vi, Bem-te-vi,
       in spring,
       all is not milk and honey

       Then, for a word to the wise is enough, by hearing such a song, men realized that their weaknesses were exposed. They met quickly and arrived to the conclusion that they needed to hide those defects. They tried to throw the package on the crystalline waters, but the LION did not let them contaminate the river. Take this out of here!, said your majesty, while he growled and showed his teeth. So, each one that was there had to carry one piece and the clearing, where the animals met, came back to its own rhythm.

       As people do not have a place to bury these diseases, they keep them inside themselves. That is the reason why one generally finds in one another, which many carry in their hearts, a little of these human weaknesses.

       A week later, the animals met again to exchange ideas and goods. When the monkey started to talk saying that it is though the defects that animals become human and that thinking thoroughly life has no meaning a certain pessimism born among them. But, like a thought blown by the wind, a butterfly, breathing the wings, came closely and softly murmured:

A single flower is enough
To give meaning to life

And, the hummingbird kissed the flower and spring smiled...

[Animais]