Famous fables and the lessons they teach us all

Famous fables and the lessons they teach us all
Who was Aesop?

Aesop in the modern age
La Fontaine’s influence on Aesop’s legacy
'The Tortoise and the Hare'

Storytelling has, since ancient times, been an invaluable tool for imparting wisdom in a way that's both entertaining and digestible. Through metaphor and allegory, some of the greatest stories ever told have been less about the actual characters and events they depict, but rather the lessons and morals that lie just beneath the surface. One of the oldest and most prolific storytellers, the Greek fabulist known as Aesop set the standard for teaching lessons through simple stories. Many of the more than 700 fables that are credited to him are still told and referred to today, and, despite being written in ancient Greece, the lessons they teach us are just as useful today as they were back then.

Intrigued? Read on to learn about some of the Greek master's most fascinating fables.

Who was Aesop?
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While it is still uncertain whether an individual named Aesop ever actually existed, there are fragments of biographical information scattered throughout a number of historical works from ancient Greece, including some written by the likes of Aristotle and Plutarch. But while some of the alleged events of Aesop’s life seem plausible, others seem as tall as the tales he spun himself.

Who was Aesop?
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Assuming Aesop really did exist, it is generally accepted he was a slave on the Greek island of Samos around 620 BCE. From here, the story becomes a bit more fanciful, with some accounts claiming that, despite his profound ugliness, his cunning and cleverness helped him become a free man, and then a respected friend and advisor of numerous Greek kings and leaders. He might have met his end after being thrown off a cliff in Delphi in 564 BCE.

Aesop in the modern age
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More than a millennium after the alleged death of Aesop, in the 1600s, his stories were still well known throughout the world, if not a little tired. The 17th century saw a renewed interest in fables and fabulism, and one French writer in particular, Jean de La Fontaine, breathed new life into many of the beloved fables of old.

La Fontaine’s influence on Aesop’s legacy
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While it’s unlikely La Fontaine ever wrote an original story, he revitalized many ancient fables, including many of Aesop’s, by rewriting them in more contemporary rhythm structures, introducing rhymes and presenting these old stories in a new and exciting light, causing the fable of Aesop to be consumed with enthusiasm once more. Now, read on for an overview of some of the most famous fables credited to Aesop.

'The Tortoise and the Hare'
©Public Domain
One of the most popular and enduring of Aesop’s fables is the timeless tale of 'The Tortoise and the Hare,' in which a tortoise challenges an arrogant hare to a footrace. Numerous lessons are taught in this story, including the adage that slow and steady wins the race.

The Tortoise and the Hare'
©Public Domain
Once the race begins, the hare, who had been obnoxiously boastful about his speed, flies ahead of the tortoise as fast as he can. At a certain point, the hare becomes so confident in his impending victory that he takes a nap to give the tortoise a fighting chance. Once the hare awakens, he realizes, much to his despair, that the tortoise is about to cross the finish line. Try as he might to catch up, in the end, the swift hare loses to the slow tortoise.

The Fox, the Flies, and the Hedgehog'
©Public Domain
Aesop’s story of a wounded fox, a swarm of flies, and a charitable, if not naive, hedgehog is thought to be a piece of allegorical political satire, critiquing the Greek people’s eagerness to replace one evil politician with another who could only be as, if not more, evil as the first.