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What are Fables?
Fables are short stories which illustrate a particular moral and
teach a lesson to children. The theme and characters appeal to
children and the stories are often humorous and entertaining. 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.
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.
Aesop's Fables
Aesop's famous fables and scripts provide great entertainment for
children. The fables, or stories, are all very short so keep the
attention of children and Aesop's fables feature familiar animals
loved by children. |
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When were the first of Aesop's
great fables written?
It is not known exactly when the first of Aesop's fables were
written as the fables were originally handed down from one
generation to the next just like a myth or a legend. It is, however, believed that Aesop lived
from about 620 to 560 B.C.
Where were Aesop's fables
written?
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. 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 fables were originally used to make thinly disguised social and
political criticisms. the similarity to parables or allegories can
be seen in most of these short tales.
Aesop's fables?
Many of Aesop's fables in this compilation 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. 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 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 are as follows:
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"Appearances often are
deceiving." - Aesop's fables: The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
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"Familiarity breeds
contempt." - Aesop's fables: The Fox and the Lion
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"Slow and steady wins
the race." - Aesop's fables:
The Hare and the Tortoise
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"One person's meat is
another's poison." - Aesop's fables: The Ass and the Grasshopper
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"Things are not always
what they seem." - Aesop's fables: Bee-Keeper and the Bees
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"Never trust a
flatterer."- Aesop's fables: Fox and the Crow
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"Beware the wolf in
sheep's clothing." - Aesop's fables: The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
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"Little friends may
become great friends." - Aesop's fables: Lion and the Mouse
The Morals, Sayings and
Proverbs featured in Aesop's fables ensure that they still have
meaning for us today.
Free, online, printer
friendly, book of Aesop's fables
All of the famous fables by Aesop are featured on this site. They
are printer friendly and the favourite of these children's fables
can be chosen and printed to create a tailor made book of childrens
fables by Aesop |
