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A young clerical student, returning home on a cold Good Friday evening, experiences a profound revelation about human connection through time after sharing the biblical story of Peter's denial with two widows. What begins as a tale of despair transforms into a powerful realization about the unbroken chain linking past suffering to present emotions, ultimately restoring the student's sense of meaning and purpose.

• Setting of desolate Russian countryside with winter returning unexpectedly on Good Friday
• Student's initial pessimism about unchanging human suffering throughout history
• Encounter with two widows by their campfire where he retells Peter's denial of Jesus
• Unexpected emotional response from the women to the ancient biblical story
• Student's revelation about the continuity of human experience across centuries
• Final epiphany that "truth and beauty" have guided human life from biblical times to present
• Transformation from despair to seeing life as "enchanting, marvelous and full of lofty meaning"

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In this final installment of Aesop's fables, we present "The Wolf and the Lamb," a timeless tale about power, false accusations, and the arbitrary nature of tyranny. The story culminates with the profound dying words of the lamb: "Any excuse will serve a tyrant."

• A wolf spots a lamb drinking from a spring downstream and decides to make it his supper
• The wolf falsely accuses the lamb of muddying his drinking water
• When the lamb points out this is impossible since water flows downstream, the wolf claims the lamb insulted him a year ago
• The lamb explains this couldn't be true as it's only six months old
• Undeterred, the wolf declares "If it was not you, it was your father" before attacking
• Before dying, the lamb delivers the moral: "Any excuse will serve a tyrant"
• This is the 14th and final Aesop's fable in our series

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This podcast challenges categorization as a sleep aid, positioning itself instead as a space for practicing boredom together through Aesop's fables. Ron reads "The Woodman and the Serpent," a tale about kindness betrayed and the nature of wickedness.

• Clarification that this podcast is not designed to help listeners fall asleep
• Exploration of the difference between boredom and sleep as mental states
• Reading of Aesop's "The Woodman and the Serpent" fable
• Discussion of the moral "no gratitude from the wicked"

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Ron Reads presents Aesop's fable "The Dog in the Manger," exploring the timeless lesson about selfishly preventing others from enjoying what we ourselves cannot use. This brief yet profound tale reminds listeners of the human tendency to begrudge others' happiness even when it costs us nothing to share.

• A dog takes a nap in an ox's manger, lying comfortably on the straw
• When the hardworking ox returns and tries to eat, the dog aggressively prevents it
• The dog has no use for the straw but barks and attempts to bite the ox
• The frustrated ox eventually leaves hungry, unable to enjoy its rightful meal
• The moral: "People often grudge others what they cannot enjoy themselves"

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A classic Aesop's fable brings timeless wisdom about reciprocity and treating others as we wish to be treated. The Fox and the Stork demonstrates that what goes around comes around through a simple tale of dinner invitations gone wrong.

• Fox invites Stork to dinner but serves soup in a shallow dish the Stork cannot eat from
• Stork remains gracious despite leaving hungry from the Fox's trick
• Stork invites Fox for a return dinner and serves food in a narrow-necked jar
• Fox cannot reach the food with his snout, experiencing the same frustration
• Stork delivers the moral: "One bad turn deserves another"
• Aesop's fable demonstrates how treating others poorly often results in similar treatment

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Ron stumbles through an introduction before reading Aesop's fable "The Fox and the Cat," a tale about a boastful fox with numerous escape plans and a practical cat with just one reliable strategy.

• Fox boasts about having "a hundred ways of escaping enemies"
• Cat admits to having only one escape strategy
• When hounds approach, the cat immediately climbs a tree to safety
• Fox gets caught while contemplating his many options
• Moral: "Better one safe way than a hundred on which you cannot reckon"

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In Aesop's fable The Fox and the Grapes, a fox spots a bunch of ripe grapes hanging high on a vine. Hungry and eager, he jumps repeatedly to reach them but fails each time. Frustrated, he walks away, convincing himself that the grapes were probably sour and not worth having. The story illustrates how people may belittle what they cannot attain to cope with disappointment.

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Ron reads Aesop's classic fable "The Fox and the Crow," sharing the timeless tale of a cunning fox who uses flattery to trick a vain crow into dropping her cheese. The story delivers the ageless wisdom to beware of those who use excessive praise to manipulate others for their own gain.

• A fox spots a crow with cheese in its beak sitting on a tree branch
• The fox flatters the crow extensively about her appearance and presumed beautiful voice
• When the crow opens her mouth to sing and prove her talents, she drops the cheese
• The fox snatches the fallen cheese and delivers the moral: "Do not trust flatterers"
• Ron reads this classic tale in his signature straightforward style

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Ron delivers another intentionally boring reading of Aesop's "Hercules and the Wagoner," a classic fable about self-reliance and the importance of taking action before seeking divine intervention.

• A wagoner gets his cart stuck in deep mud and immediately prays to Hercules for help
• Instead of rescuing him, Hercules tells the wagoner to get up and put his shoulder to the wheel
• The fable concludes with the famous moral: "The gods help them that help themselves"
• Ron maintains his trademark monotone delivery throughout the short reading
• The episode clocks in at under three minutes, perfect for a quick dose of ancient wisdom

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Ron narrates Aesop's fable "The Jay and the Peacock," exploring themes of authenticity and the folly of pretending to be something you're not.

• A jay finds peacock feathers in a yard and attaches them to his tail
• The jay struts toward the peacocks, attempting to blend in with them
• The peacocks quickly discover the deception and pluck away the stolen feathers
• When the jay returns to his own kind, they reject him for his pretentious behavior
• The moral: "It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds"

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