 |
| The mouse frees the lion (Wikimedia) |
Note: Who doesn't know--and love--the fables of Aesop? These simple tales contain a wealth of wisdom. Plus, they're entertaining!
Get Ready: Do you believe that only "the great" can be useful to others? What about the humble people, with lowly positions in society?
 |
| "The Fox and the Crow" (Gutenberg) |
Note: The fox has the reputation of being clever--even sly! But as two of these stories show, that's not always true.
Get Ready: What other animals are associated with personality traits--like "bees are industrious" or "owls are wise"?
 |
| The Brahmin, the Jackal, and the Tiger (l to r) (Wikipedia) |
Note: See how a lowly jackal proves wiser than a priest in this story from the Indian Panchatantra collection of fables.
Get Ready: Is it better to be strong, or clever?
 |
| The Heron as king (Wikipedia) |
Note: Many writers have used stories to comment on the social or political situations of their day. Aesop, the ancient Greek fabulist, was one such writer. Perhaps it was his life as a slave that had sensitized him to issues of justice and equity.
Get Ready: What (if anything) makes a "good king"?
 |
| A 1687 illustration of the fable (Wikipedia) |
Note: The Greek author Aesop is famous for his fables, stories with a moral attached at the end. Though they often feature talking animals, they sometimes instead highlight the foolish behavior of real human characters.
Get Ready: Does a liar ever tell the truth? How can you be sure?
 |
| Manuscript of another tale in the Panchatantra (Wikipedia) |
Note: India has its own collection of fables, similar to those attributed to Aesop in Greece. The Panchatantra stories seem to have been written down sometime between 200 BCE and 300 CE. One of best known is "The Monkey and the Crocodile."
Get Ready: Can you ever trust a crocodile?
 |
| A woodcut of Aesop (Wikipedia) |
Note: A freed Greek slave has remained famous through the ages for his moral teachings, often put in the mouths of animals. Meet Aesop!
Get Ready: Do you think that telling stories is a good way to teach moral lessons? Is there a better way?
.png){kind=link}
