Aesop’s Fables

Aesop’s Fables, whether composed by a single raconteur or a consortium of bards, has enshrined and even branded the name of Aesop for generations of readers. “The firm foundation of common sense, the shrewd shots at uncommon sense, that characterize all the Fables,” wrote G.K. Chesterton, “belong not to him but to humanity.”

As legend has it, the storyteller Aesop was a slave who lived in ancient Greece during the sixth century B.C. His memorable fables have brought amusing characters to life and driven home thought-provoking morals for generations of listeners and modern-day readers. This collection presents nearly 300 of Aesop’s most entertaining and enduring stories — from “The Hare and the Tortoise” and “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse” to “The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs” and “The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing.” Populated by a colorful array of animal characters who personify every imaginable human type — from fiddling grasshoppers and diligent ants to sly foxes, wicked wolves, brave mice, and grateful lions — these timeless tales are as fresh and relevant today as when they were first created.

Full of humor, insight, and wit, the tales in Aesop’s Fables champion the value of hard work and perseverance, compassion for others, and honesty. They are age-old wisdom in a delicious form, for the consumption of adults and children alike.