Laura+Miller++Aesop's+Fables


 * Fables of Aesop and Others **
 * Translated into English **
 * with instructive applications and one hundred and ninety-eight illustrations **

** by Samuel Croxall, D.D. **
 * Philadelphia: **
 * Thomas Cowperthwait & Co. **

** 1848 **

Fables Author Portrait Text and Image Comparison

[|fable]
 * Background**: //Aesop's Fables// is a collection of well known stories that have been told for generations. Even today parents read their children //Aesop's Fables//. Little is known about Aesop and his background. Aesop was a Greek fabulist and it is believed that he was a slave who lived in Samos during the 6th century B.C.. He was later freed by his master. It is believed that Aesop's fables were preserved through Babrius, Phaedrus, Planudes Maximus and La Fontaine, who were other fabulists. Perhaps it was Aesop's background in being a slave that led him to tell such moral tales. Here is an illustration of Aesop, in German clothes, in the //Nuremberg Chronicles// in 1493:[|Aesop]

Aesop did not write his fables specifically for children. However, they slowly began to be read to children, particularly in the Victorian period. During the Victorian period, a genre for children had started to grow. During the Victorian period, parents were concerned with maintaining their children's innocence. Thus, moral tales, proved to be very instructive. Perhaps this was the publisher's idea when he/she added the application at the end of each fable, which helps to explain the moral message of the fable. Children's prayer books were common during the 18th century. It can be speculated that the publisher created a new and innovative idea, adding an application and treating children's stories like prayers, in that they could be applied to children's every day lives. The publisher makes it clear in the frontispiece that the book includes instructive applications, a strategy that would have been smart during the 18th century, as parents were looking for books that wold both teach and entertain their children.

//Aesop's Fables// clearly reflect ideas of Aristotle, who was influenced by Aesop. Aristotle believed that there is a "Blend of impluse and knowledge, which tends to keep man steady in the face of danger" (Woodbridge 94). Aristotle believed that human nature was prone to evil and that knowledge was a key variable in maintaining this evil nature. Clearly, Aristotle would agree with parents during the 18th century who believed that reading these fables would maintain their children's innocence and good natures. Aristotle believed that alothough evil nature was innate in human beings their good potential could be highlighted. He states, "So each thing is drawn to seek its good to be what it might be, to realize its powers...and so turn the possible into those numberless illustrations of the actual" (Woodbridge 98). Thus, through continual reading and repetition of //Aesop's Fables//, children could learn how to be ethical and moral.


 * Works Cited: Woodbridge, Frederick James Eugene. //Aristotle's Vision of Nature//. New York: Columbia University Press, 1966.

- "They who are governed by reason, need no other motive than the mere goodness of a thing to excite them to the practice of it" (xi). - "As fables took their birth in the very infancy of learning, they never flourished more than when learning was its greatest height" (xiv). - Fables were meant for "the use and instruction of children; who being, as it were, mere blank paper, are ready indifferently for any opinion" (xvi).
 * Quotes From the Introduction:**





**Physical Qualities:** The book is small and hand held measuring about 10'' wide, 15" long, and 2 1/2" thick. Its small size was most likely intentional on the part of the publisher. The small size of the book would have made it more easily accessible to a child. The Paper is made of woodpulp. Unfortunately, the book does not retain its original cover.



Some Fables include but are not limited to: - The Hunted Beaver= It is necessary to sacrifice in order to save oneself - The Old Man and Death= People wish for death but then when it comes they wish they had more time - The Lion in Love= Love causes blindness and gets rid of reason which has consequences - The Lioness and the Fox= Quality over quantity - The Peacock and the Magpie= Ruler should have a good mind and not be vain - The Parrot and his Cage= Those who are sheltered will not do well in the real world - The Shepherd's Boy= Do not lie because it will ultimately lead to unhappiness - The Serpent and the Man= If you have wronged someone they will not forgive you - The Hare and the Tortoise= Idleness and neglect cause loss, while wit and diligence pay off - The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing= Often mistake evil for good and must assert our beliefs even when others question them - The Horse and the Ass= Refusing to help someone will not benefit you in the long run - The Ant and the Grasshopper= Laborious work pays off in the end
 * Content: Fables/Themes**