| 2024Aesop001-7LOC | ||
| LOC = Library Of Congress | ||
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The Æsop for Children Fables from 001 to 007 |
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| Aesop's
Fables are like a treasure trove of stories told by a guy named Aesop,
who lived in ancient Greece a long time ago, around 620 to 564 BCE.
These stories have traveled through time in lots of different ways,
popping up in books, movies, and even cartoons today. Back then, Aesop didn't write down his stories. They were passed along by people telling them to each other. It wasn't until about 300 years after Aesop's time that someone wrote them down. During those years, people added more stories to the collection, some even coming from places outside of Greece! People in different countries and languages liked Aesop's stories so much that they wrote them down in Latin, Greek, and even in their own languages. When printing was invented, Aesop's Fables were some of the first books printed, spreading his stories far and wide. Originally, these stories were meant for grown-ups and talked about all sorts of stuff like religion, society, and politics. But as time went on, they became super popular for teaching kids important lessons too. You might even find Aesop's stories in your school books! Artists also liked Aesop's stories, and they made paintings and sculptures about them. Some stories even turned into plays and songs! Over time, people have changed how they understand these stories, finding new meanings and ways to tell them. So, Aesop's Fables have been around for a really long time, teaching lessons and entertaining people all over the world! |
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| About the
Æsop for Children Aesop for Children contains the text of selected fables, color pictures, video, and interactive animations, and will be enjoyed by readers of any age. “Aesop's Fables”—also called “the Aesopica”—are a collection of stories designed to teach moral lessons credited to Aesop, a Greek slave and story-teller thought to have lived between 620 and 560 BCE. Aesop's fables are some of the most well known in the world and have been translated in multiple languages and become popular in dozens of cultures through the course of five centuries. They have been told and retold in a variety of media, from oral tradition to written storybooks to stage, film and animated cartoon versions—even in architecture. The fables remain a popular choice for moral education of children today. Younger scholars will be able to trace the origin of aphorisms such as “sour grapes” and “a bird in the hand.” This interactive book is presented by the Library of Congress, adapted from the book “The Aesop for Children: with Pictures by Milo Winter,” published by Rand, McNally & Co in 1919. This work is considered to be in the public domain in the United States. Milo Winter’s pictures have been transformed for this interactive book, and now readers can interact with the charming illustrations to see and hear them move: a choosy heron eyes the fish swimming at his feet, a fox swishes his tail, a mouse chews a rope and frees a lion. |
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| List of the Fables Retold by Veeraswamy Krishnaraj | ||
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001. The Frog and the Ox
1. An ox was grazing in the meadow, felt thirsty, went to a lake to
quench its thirst, and accidentally stepped on a flotilla of frogs.
2. Almost all of them jumped out of danger and escaped the crush of the
cloven hooves of the ox. One
frog, caught under the ox’s foot, was crushed to death.
3. The siblings croaked and cried out of desperation. Soon the mother
came hearing the hullaballoo and panic calls of the brood. The froglets
came forward telling the mother that the big
beast killed their brother and
it was the biggest they ever saw in their lives.
4. The mother blew the belly up to impress the froglets and to match the
size of the bull. They all said, ‘’The beast was bigger.’’ 5. The mother blew up some more, and then some more. The froglets chorused, ‘’Even bigger.’’ This went on back and forth. The mother inflated herself to exhaustion and burst into smithereens.
Lessons. If you tried to ape others, you come to ruin. Know your
limitations. Do not attempt the impossible. |
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002 Belling the cat
1.
The Mice convened a gathering to strategize a way to escape their
nemesis, the canny Cat. They desired a method to detect her
approach, giving them time to flee. Their lives were overshadowed by
fear of her claws, restricting their movements night and day.
2.
They tossed around numerous strategies, but none seemed
satisfactory. Finally, a youthful Mouse stood up and spoke:
3.
"I propose a straightforward solution which I believe will be
effective.
4.
"We simply need to place a bell around the Cat’s neck. The sound of
the bell will alert us whenever she is near."
5.
The idea struck the Mice as remarkably ingenious, something they
hadn’t considered before. Amid their celebration, however, an
elderly Mouse stood and voiced a concern:
6.
"The young Mouse’s idea is commendable. But I must pose a critical
question: Who will bell the Cat?"
Lesson: Proposing a solution is one thing, implementing it
is another entirely. |
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003 The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse
1.
Once, a Town Mouse visited her country-dwelling cousin. For lunch,
the Country Mouse offered wheat stalks, roots, and acorns,
complemented with a splash of cold water for a drink. The Town Mouse
ate sparingly, sampling just a bit of each item and subtly
indicating through her behavior that she was eating the
humble meal merely out of politeness.
2.
After eating the not so sumptuous meals, the two mice spent time
chatting; the Town Mouse spoke about her urban life while the
Country Mouse listened attentively. That night, they slept
comfortably in a snug nest in the hedgerow, and the Country Mouse
dreamt of living in the city, surrounded by the luxuries her cousin
had described. The next morning, when the Town Mouse invited her to
visit the city, the Country Mouse eagerly accepted.
3.
Upon arriving at the Town Mouse's grand urban mansion, they
discovered remnants of a lavish banquet on the dining room table.
Tempting treats like sweetmeats, jellies, pastries, and exquisite
cheeses were spread out before them. Just as the Country Mouse was
about to taste a piece of pastry, a loud meow and scratching at the
door startled them. Terrified, they quickly hid and remained silent
for a long while. When they finally dared to return, servants burst
in to clean up, closely followed by a large house dog.
4.
The Country Mouse quickly gathered her carpet bag and umbrella from
the Town Mouse’s den.
5.
As she left, the Country Mouse declared, "Though you have your
luxuries and delicacies, I prefer my simple, rustic fare and the
peace and security of country life."
Lesson: Poverty with security is better than plenty in the midst
of fear and uncertainty. |
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004. The Fox & the Grapes 1. One day, a grey Fox spotted a beautiful and juicy cluster of ripe grapes dangling from a vine that wound up a tree. The grapes looked perfectly ripe, tempting the Fox to drool. 2. The grapes were hanging from a high branch, prompting the Fox to jump to reach them. On his first attempt, he missed by a great margin. He then backed up a bit and took a running leap, but still fell short once again. Despite repeated attempts, he couldn't grasp the grapes. 3. Finally, the Fox sat down, looking at the grapes with revulsion, its snooty snout up in the air and sporting a wry face. 4. "What a fool I am," he muttered to himself. "I'm exhausting myself for sour grapes that probably aren't worth the effort." 5. With that, he walked away, his departure marked by a palpable air of contempt. There are many who pretend to despise and belittle that which is beyond their reach. Comment: ''Foxes are great climbers They have sharp claws, which allow them to grip onto the bark of the tree or fence without slipping off. Foxes also use their tails as a counterweight when climbing up. By doing this, foxes can easily climb up into tall trees. Foxes may also climb over your fence if they smell something they can eat in your garden.'' Why did this grey Fox not climb up on the tree to which the grape vine was clinging and then eat the juicy grapes? Sour grapes This grey Fox must have been debilitated to climb the tree. |
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005. The Wolf & the Crane 1. A gluttonous Wolf gorged fast, resulting in a bone getting stuck in his throat, preventing him from regurgitating or swallowing the bone. He salivated profusely from the obstruction. 2. Seeking a solution, he approached a Crane, confident that her long neck and bill could dislodge and extract the bone. 3. "I will reward you generously if you pull that bone out for me," the Wolf promised. 4. Though apprehensive about putting her head into a Wolf's throat, the Crane, driven by her own grasping nature, complied with the Wolf's request. 5. Once the bone was removed, the Wolf made a quick exit without fulfilling his promise. 6. "What about my reward?" the Crane anxiously inquired. 7. In response, the Wolf snarled, questioning her need for further reward after he had allowed her to withdraw her head safely without snapping it . The moral: serving the wicked brings no reward. |
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006.The Lion & the Mouse 1. A Lion was sleeping soundly after a hearty meal in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him by happenstance, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across the Lion's sensitive nose. Roused from his deep sleep, the Lion reflexively laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her. 2. "Spare me, Your Royal Highness!" begged the poor Mouse. "Please let me go and someday I will surely repay you." 3. The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally let the Mouse go. 4. Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the coils of a hunter's net. Unable to free himself, he roared so loud that the forest resonated with the sound. The Mouse knew the voice and quickly found the Lion rolling and writhing in the net in vain. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it until it parted, and soon the Lion was free. 5. "Your Highness! You laughed when I said I would repay you," said the Mouse. "Now you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion." A kindness is never wasted. |
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007 The Gnat & the Bull 1. A Gnat flew over the meadow with much buzzing for so small a creature and settled on the tip of one of the horns of a Bull. After he had rested a short time, he was ready to fly away. But before he left, he begged the Bull's pardon for having used his horn for a resting place without his express permission. 2. " Dear big and brawny Bull! You must be very glad to have me go now," he said. 3. "It's all the same to me," replied the Bull. "I did not even know you were there." We are often of greater importance in our own eyes than in the eyes of our neighbor. The smaller the mind the greater the conceit. Commrnt: The tip of the horn is insensitive but can cause injuries to man and animals. Besides the horn may be in the way of the eyesight of the animal. Tipping of the horns under these circumstances helps the animal, other animals and man. Tipping = shaving of the insensitive part of the horn. |
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3.
The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse
12.
The Two Goats
14.
The Heron
21.
The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
30.
The Fisherman & the Little Fish
33.
The Young Crab & His Mother
34.
The Dog, the Cock, & the Fox
42.
The Shepherd Boy & the Wolf |
52.
The Ass Carrying the Image
53.
A Raven & a Swan
54.
The Ass & the Load of Salt
59.
The Ass, the Fox, & the Lion
60.
The Birds, the Beasts, & the Bat
61.
The Lion, the Bear, & the Fox
67.
The Peacock
71.
The Dog & his Master's Dinner
72.
The Vain JackDaw & his Borrowed
Feathers
78.
The Rabbit, the Weasel, & the Cat
82.
The Ass & the Grasshoppers
83.
The Mule
84.
The Cat, the Cock, & the Young
Mouse
89.
The Two Pots
90.
The Goose & the Golden Egg
91.
The Fighting Bulls & the Frog
94.
The Sick Stag
95.
The Goatherd & the Wild Goats
96.
The Spendthrift & the Swallow
99.
The Astrologer |
102.
The Fox & the Crab
104.
The Bull & the Goat
106.
The Man & the Lion
111.
The Miser
115.
The Quack Toad
117.
The Mischievous Dog
119.
The Cat & the Fox
121.
The Old Lion
124.
The Porcupine & the Snakes
125.
The Fox & the Monkey
127.
The Eagle & the Kite
128.
The Stag, the Sheep, & the Wolf
131.
The Bees & Wasps, & the Hornet
132.
The Lark & Her Young Ones
134.
The Ass & His Shadow
135.
The Miller, His Son, & the Ass
136.
The Wolf, the Kid, and the Goat
138.
Jupiter & the Monkey
139.
The Lion, the Ass, & the Fox
140.
The Lion's Share
144.
The Cock & the Fox |