T he F ables of A esop Edited by Joseph Jacobs #■
THE FABLES OP ÆSOP
EDITED BY JOSEPH JACOBS
WITH ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS by RICHARD HEIGHWAY
DOVER PUBLICATIONS. INC. MINEOLA. NEW YORK E ditor o f T his Volum e: Ja n et Ba in e Kopito
PROF. F. J. CHILD OF HARVARD
Published in Canada by General Publishing Company, Ltd., 895 Don Mills Road, 400-2 Park Centre, Toronto, Ontario M3C 1W3. Published in the United Kingdom by David & Charles, Brunei House, Forde Close, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 4PU.
Bibliographical Note This Dover edition, first published in 2002, is a revised republication of the edition published by Macmillan, London, in 1894.
Library o f Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Aesop’s fables. English. The fables of Aesop / edited by Joseph Jacobs, p. cm. — (Dover juvenile classics) Rev. publication of the edition published by Macmillan, London, 1894. Summary: An illustrated collection of more than eighty fables from Aesop. ISBN 0-486-41859-6 (pbk.) 1. Fables, Greek—Translation into English. [1. Fables. 2. Folklore.] I. Jacobs, Joseph, 1854-1916. II. Aesop. III. Title. IV. Series. PZ8.2.A254 Fab 2001 398.24'52—dc21 2001042086
Manufactured in the United States of America Dover Publications, Inc., 31 East 2nd Street, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 (■------=>@ @ C
LIST OF FABLES
PAGE 1. The Cock and the Pearl . . . . 2 2. The W olf and the Lamb . . . . 4 3. The Dog and the Shadow . . . . 7 4. The Lion’s Share . . . . . 8 5. The W olf and the Crane . . . . 1 0 6. The Man and the Serpent . . . . 1 2 7. The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse . . 15 8. The Fox and the Crow . . . . 1 9 9. The Sick Lion . . . . . 23 10. The Ass and the Lap-Dog . . . . 2 4 1 1 . The Lion and the Mouse . . . . 2 6 12. The Swallow and the other Birds . . . 2 8 13. The Frogs desiring a King . . . . 31 14. The Mountains in Labour . . . .3 6 15. The Hares and the Frogs . . . . 38 16. The W olf and the Kid . . . . 4 0 17. The Woodman and the Serpent . . *43 18. The Bald Man and the Fly . . . . 4 7 19. The Fox and the Stork . . . . 5 0 20. The Fox and the Mask . . . . 52 ÆSOP’S FABLES L IS T OF FA BLES ix PAGE PAGE 2 1. The Jay and the Peacock . . . -55 52. The Four Oxen and the Lion . . .122 22. The Frog and the Ox . . . *57 53. The Fisher and the Little Fish . . .124 23. Androcles . . . 60 54. Avaricious and Envious . . . .127 24. The Bat, the Birds, and the Beasts . . 6 2 55. The Crow and the Pitcher . . . .129 25. The Hart and the Hunter . . 65 56. The Man and the Satyr . . . • I 3I 26. The Serpent and the File . . . 67 57. The Goose with the Golden Eggs . . .134 27. The Man and the Wood . . . . 6 8 58. The Labourer and the Nightingale . . .138 28. The Dog and the W olf . . * 7° 59. The Fox, the Cock, and the Dog . . .140 29. The Belly and the Members . . • 72 60. The Wind and the Sun . . . .142 30. The Hart in the Ox-Stall . . • . 7 4 61. Hercules and the Waggoner . . . 145 3 1. The Fox and the Grapes . . . • 7^ 62. The Miser and his Gold . . . .146 32. The Peacock and Juno . . . *79 63. The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey . . 149 33. The Horse, Hunter, and Stag . . . 8 0 64. The Fox and the Mosquitoes . . . 15 2 34. The Fox and the Lion . . . . 83 65. The Fox without a Tail . . . .154 35. The Lion and the Statue . . . * 8 5 66. The One-Eyed Doe . . . . .156 36. The Ant and the Grasshopper . . . 8 6 67. Belling the Cat . . . . .159 37. The Tree and the Reed . . . . 8 8 68. The Hare and the Tortoise . . . .162 38. The Fox and the Cat . . . . 91 69. The Old Man and Death . . . .164 39. The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing . . *93 70. The Hare with Many Friends . . . 168 40. The Dog in the Manger • 97 71. The Lion in Love . . . .170 4 1. The Man and the Wooden God . . . 9 8 72. The Bundle of Sticks . . . 173 42. The Fisher . . . . • .100 73. The Lion, the Fox, and the Beasts . . . 174 43. The Shepherd’s Boy . . . .102 74. The Ass’s Brains . 177 44. The Young T h ief and his Mother . . . 105 75. The Eagle and the Arrow . . . 179 45. The Man and his Two Wives . . .106 76. The Cat-Maiden . . . . .180 46. The Nurse and the W olf . . . .109 77. The Milkmaid and her Pail . . . 183 47. The Tortoise and the Birds . . . .111 78. The Horse and the Ass . . . .185 48. The Two Crabs . . . . .114 79. The Trumpeter taken Prisoner . . .187 49. The Ass in the Lion’s Skin . . . .116 80. The Buffoon and the Countryman . . .189 50. The Two Fellows and the Bear . . .118 81. The Old Woman and the Wine-Jar . . . 190 51. The Two Pots 120 82. The Fox and the Goat . . . . 193
/ THE FABLES OF ÆSOP And this is the end of Æsop’s Fables H u r r a h ! So the tales were told ages before Æsop ; and asses under lions' manes roared in Hebrew ; and sly foxes flattered in Etruscan ; and wolves in sheep's clothing gnashed their teeth in Sanskrit, no doubt. T h ackeray, The Newcomes. T h e F a b l e s o f A e s o p Edited by Joseph Jacobs
The gods help them that help themselves . . . We would often be sorry if our wishes were gratified.. . Appearances are deceptive . . . These and many other familiar proverbs—in fact, many of the moral values that form the foundation of our daily lives—were expressed in tales from ancient Greece, credited to Aesop, the legendary storyteller.
This volume, edited by the celebrated English folklorist Joseph Jacobs, contains a rich selection of these time-honored tales, among them “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse,” “The Fox and the Crow,” “The Lion and the Mouse,” “The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” “The Goose with the Golden Eggs,” “The Old Man and Death,” “Belling the Cat,” “The Hare and the Tortoise,” and dozens more.
Retold with wit and sparkle in simple, direct language, these short, clever stories offer young readers wonderful lessons in right and wrong, and many valuable insights into life, both its joys and perils. Over 170 classic illustrations by Richard Heighway bring the stories vividly to life for readers and listeners alike.
Revised Dover (2002) republication of the edition published by Macmillan, London, 1894. List of Fables. 174 black-and-white illustra tions. 208pp. 5Xe x 8X. Paperbound.
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