Aesop and his Fables Written by Lin Donn Illustrated by Phillip Martin

Aesop’s Fables Aesop was an ancient Greek storyteller who lived around 620 BCE.  He was also a slave. He lived in ancient Rome, in the home of a wealthy Roman family.   Legend says … Aesop’s Roman master was so delighted with Aesop’s fables that he granted Aesop his freedom!

It is said that he was sent to Delphi with a large sum of gold for distribution among the citizens. Aesop didn’t like their covetousness so he refused to divide the $, and sent it back to his master, King Croesus (CREE-sus) of Lydia.

The Delphians, enraged at this treatment, framed him with stealing a golden cup from Apollo’s temple and was executed.

Aesop’s Fables There are no records to prove that Aesop ever wrote anything down. Fortunately, after his death, people did write down every fable they could remember.   Over the centuries, Aesop's fables have been rewritten and illustrated and translated into nearly every language in the world.

Aesop’s Fables Today, we still enjoy these wonderful stories created over 2,500 years ago!  Each is a very short story, and each has a moral.   Like this one …

The Fox and the Goat One day, a fox fell down a well. He tried to climb out, but the well was too deep. A goat wandered by. He peered down curiously. “What are you doing in a well?” asked the goat.

The Fox and the Goat (continued) “I’m warning you, goat,” snarled the fox. “This is my water! Go away.” “You can’t keep all the water for yourself,” the goat snorted. The goat jumped in the well.

The Fox and the Goat (continued) The fox jumped on the goat’s back and leaped out of the well. He ran off without a care for the goat who was stuck in the well.

The Moral What did you learn from this story? What was the lesson it taught you?

Don’t always believe what you hear from someone in trouble. The Moral of This Story is: Don’t always believe what you hear from someone in trouble.

The characters The Fox should be always cunning, the Hare timid, the Lion bold, the Wolf cruel, the Bull strong, the Horse proud, and the Ass patient.

Aesop’s fables may be short, but offer a wise lesson in the end Aesop’s fables may be short, but offer a wise lesson in the end. It is up to us to discover ourselves what is hidden behind the images presented by the author. http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=winter&book=aesop&story=_front