Appearance
Aesops Fables
We may never really know the true identity of Aesop the Man. But his legacy lives on in these fables,the morals of which can still find relevance in today's society.For those of you, whom are easily offended some of the fables bring up racial differences that may upset you.In particular fable 361:~ The Black man in the river, but then you would be merely taking things out of context of the time in which it was written.I found fable 136:~ The man and his daughter particularly sad and unpleasant, but it does remind you of the bad side of Human Nature.These fables express what being Human is all about, the bad and the good.I never tire of re-reading this book, and I think you won't either.
Aesops Fables
The major advantage of this translation is it is a large collection. Other unexpurgated translations only have about half. I also appreciate Gibbs' readable style and her arrangement of the fables into subject matter. I knocked off one star mainly because these are not the best stories I've read, but they are interesting in a certain way.
Aesops Fables
I was given a similar book over 55 years ago. The book was a gift from my grandfather when I was 7 years old. It was lost many years ago, and now I relive both those days and the moralistic views of Aesop that had such a profound effect on that young boy's outlook on life. This is a book for the children of all generations, for it is timeless in its everlasting tales. But as an adult, it also functions to remind us that sometimes we need to refresh our outlook on life.
Aesops Fables
"The Fox and the Crane" is one of my favorite Aesop's fables. I am surprised it is not better known. Glad it's used as the cover for this edition.Whenever I see Westerners trying to use chopsticks to pick up food from a plate, it reminds me of this delightful fable. I of course act like the fox and laugh at the silly attempts. It seems funny to me when people borrow ideas halfway, only based on hows and whats without any understanding of the whys.Chopsticks is designed to shove food from the bowl into the mouth and plates work best when food is delivered to the mouth by forks or fingers. Different tools are designed for different purposes to accommondate different arrangements.Strange enough, crane is revered by the Chinese and the Japanese and is the embodiment of elegance and other lofty spiritual concepts. Fox on the other hand embodies different meanings.I bet this is news even to Aesop.
Aesops Fables
Aesop's fables short tales in which animals act almost as if they were human , rounded off with a good 'moral' are the first instance of , and perhaps the most memorable of the fable form in literature. Only Orwell it seems to me in ' Animal Farm' does something far surpassing the original.But Aesop is a classic , and one often used as first literature for children. I have never found the morals very deep or profound or the stories the most moving in the world, but this does not change the fact that they are part of Western mankind's fundamental vocabulary in literature and story.
Aesops Fables
I'm sorry but referencing Rumi? I don't think you ever even read it. Judging from the interpretation that this silly Aesop fable has anything at all to do with of - The Mouse and The Frog, Rumi's Mathnawi , the author completely misses the point and takes a very lazy view of the meaning of this great poetic work. The Mouse and The Frog is a powerful LOVE STORY not a tale of ~revenge presented by this author. READ THE ORIGINALS YOURSELVES, PEOPLE!