Aesop's Fables

What are Fables?

Fables are short stories which illustrate a particular moral and teach a lesson to children and kids. The theme and characters
appeal to children and the stories are often humorous and entertaining for kids of all ages. Fables can also be described as
tales or yarns which have a message in their narrative such as a parable might have. Fables can often pass into our culture as
myths and legends and used to teach about morals to children and kids.

The Characters of Fables?

The characters of fables and tales are usually animals who act and talk just like people whilst retaining their animal traits. This
theme is especially appealing to children and kids.

Aesop's Fables

Aesop's famous fables and scripts provide great entertainment for children and kids. The fables, or stories, are all very short so
keep the attention of children and Aesop's fables feature familiar animals loved by children and kids.

When were the first of Aesop's great Book of fables written?

It is not known exactly when the first Book of Aesop's fables were written as the fables were originally handed down from one
generation to the next just like a myths, tales and legends. It is, however, believed that Aesop lived from about 620 to 560 B.C.

Who is Aesop?

Who is Aesop? Aesop is the name of the man credited with the authorship of a collection or book of fables. Aesop was a slave
who many believe lived in Samos, a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea but others say he came from Ethiopia. The name of
his first owner was Xanthus. It is believed that he eventually became a free man. In Aesop's biography Planudes describes
Aesop an ugly, deformed dwarf, and the famous marble statue at the Villa Albani in Rome depicts Aesop accordingly.

Who is Aesop and where was he born?

There are many possibilities relating to Aesop's place of birth, although he certainly spent much of his life living in Greece at
the court of King Croesus in Athens. Suggestions for Aesop's place of birth include Thrace, Greece, Phrygia, Ethiopia and
Samos.

Who is Aesop and what did he look like?

His very name, Aesop, may however give us a clue to his country of origin. The name Aesop is derived from the Greek word
Aethiop which means Ethiopia! And Aesop was described by Maximus Planudes (c.1260-c.1330), the Byzantine scholar who
wrote a biography of Aesop and a prose version of Aesop's fables, as follows "His visage was of black hue". In Aesop's
biography Planudes describes Aesop an ugly, deformed dwarf, and the famous marble statue at the Villa Albani in Rome
depicts Aesop accordingly.

When were Aesop's famous fables first translated into English?

Aesop's fables were first printed in English by William Caxton in 1484, from his own translation made from the French. Aesop's
fables were not believed to have been written as Children's literature and the book of fables were originally used to make
thinly disguised social and political criticisms. The similarity to parables or allegories can be seen in most of the short tales in
Aesops Book of Fables.
Aesop's fables?

Many of Aesop's fables in this compilation from the book have in fact since been found on Egyptian papyri known to date
between 800 and 1000 years before Aesop's time. This clearly cast doubts on the authorship of many of the fables attributed
to Aesop and the Aesop's Fables book. Many of the fables were possibly merely compiled by Aesop from existing fables, much
in the same way that the Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes were but a new compilation of existing rhymes!

The Morals, Sayings and Proverbs featured in Aesop's fables

Each one of Aesop's fables has a lesson, or moral, to teach to children - just like a parable or allegory. A moral is added at the
bottom of each of Aesop's fables. Many of the Morals, Sayings and Proverbs featured in Aesop's fables are well known today.
Some of the most famous morals are as follows:

Moral - "Appearances often are deceiving." - Aesop's fables: The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Moral - "Familiarity breeds contempt." - Aesop's fables: The Fox and the Lion

Moral - "Slow and steady wins the race." - Aesop's fables: The Hare and the Tortoise

Moral - "One person's meat is another's poison." - Aesop's fables: The Ass and the Grasshopper

Moral - "Things are not always what they seem." - Aesop's fables: Bee-Keeper and the Bees

Moral - "Never trust a flatterer."- Aesop's fables: Fox and the Crow

Moral - "Beware the wolf in sheep's clothing." - Aesop's fables: The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Moral - "Little friends may become great friends." - Aesop's fables: Lion and the Mouse

The Morals, Sayings and Proverbs featured in the Book of Aesop's fables ensure that they still have meaning for us today.
Androcles Fable The Fisherman and the Little Fish

Avaricious and Envious Fable The Four Oxen and the Lion Fable

Belling the Cat Fable The Fox and the Cat Fable

Hercules and the Waggoner Fable The Fox and the Crow Fable

The Ant and the Grasshopper Fable The Fox and the Goat Fable

The Ass and the Lapdog Fable The Fox and the Grapes Fable

The Ass and the Charger The Fox and the Lion Fable

The Ass, the Fox, and the Lion The Fox and the Mask Fable

The Ass in the Lion's Skin Fable The Fox and the Mosquitoes Fable

The Ass's Brains Fable The Fox and the Stork Fable

The Bald Man and the Fly Fable The Fox, the Cock, and the Dog Fable

The Bat, the Birds, and the Beasts Fable The Fox Without a Tail Fable

The Belly and the Members Fable The Frog and the Ox Fable

The Boys and the Frogs The Frogs Desiring a King Fable

The Buffoon and the Countryman Fable The Goose With the Golden Eggs Fable

The Bundle of Sticks Fable The Hare and the Hound

The Camel and the Arab The Hare and the Tortoise Fable

The Cat Maiden Fable The Hares and the Frogs Fable

The Cock and the Jewel The Hare With Many Friends Fable

The Cock and the Pearl Fable The Hart and the Hunter Fable

The Crow and the Pitcher Fable The Hart in the Ox Stall Fable

The Dog and the Shadow Fable The Horse and the Ass Fable

The Dog and the Wolf Fable The Horse and the Stag

The Dog in the Manger Fable The Horse, Hunter, and Stag Fable

The Dog Invited to Supper The Jay and the Peacock Fable

The Dogs and the Hides The Labourer and the Nightingale Fable

The Dove and the Crow The Lion and the Boar

The Eagle and the Arrow Fable The Lion and the Mouse Fable

The Fisher Fable The Lion and the Statue Fable

The Fisher and the Little Fish Fable The Lion in Love Fable
The Lion's Share Fable The Sick Stag

The Lion, the Fox, and the Beasts Fable The Stag at the Pool

The Man and His Two Wives Fable The Swallow and the Other Birds Fable

The Man and the Satyr Fable The Thief and the House-Dog

The Man and the Serpent Fable The Tortoise and the Birds Fable

The Man and the Wood Fable The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse Fable

The Man and the Wooden God Fable The Tree and the Reed Fable

The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey Fable The Trees and the Axe

The Milkmaid and Her Pail Fable The Trumpeter Taken Prisoner Fable

The Mischievous Dog The Two Crabs Fable

The Miser and His Gold Fable The Two Fellows and the Bear Fable

The Monkey and the Dolphin The Two Frogs

The Mountains in Labour Fable The Two Pots Fable

The Mouse, the Frog, and the Hawk The Vain Jackdaw

The Nurse and the Wolf Fable The Vine and the Goat

The Old Hound The Wind and the Sun Fable

The Old Man and Death Fable The Wolf and the Crane Fable

The Old Woman and the Wine Jar Fable The Wolf and the Horse

The One-Eyed Doe Fable The Wolf and the Kid Fable

The Ox and the Frog The Wolf and the Lamb Fable

The Peacock and Juno Fable The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing Fable

The Serpent and the File Fable The Woodman and the Serpent Fable

The Shepherd's Boy Fable The Young Thief and His Mother Fable

The Sick Lion Fable