It's all about asses and cocks.

Ok, I couldn't help it. I know the fables are referring to donkeys and roosters, but it still makes me giggle.
(And I hear Emily exclaiming "You're so dirty!) Anyway, I finally read Aesop's Fables. There are SO MANY more than I thought there were! I was familiar with "The Tortoise and the Hare" and "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" but there about a zillion more. I liked the overarching themes of being content with what you have, not reaching beyond your means, getting what you deserve, helping others, and the like. No wonder they've lasted throughout the centuries. And they are so adaptable, which is why there are so many versions mixed into books, movies, TV, etc. In fact, Jerry Pinkney won the Caldecott Medal this past year for his version of The Lion and the Mouse which had no words, just beautiful images and subtle details. I'm glad I got acquainted with the original tales. Thanks Project Gutenberg!

Marissa
Who is more of a tortoise than a hare.

Familiar tales.

I thought I would like Aesop’s Fables more than I actually did. Mike pointed out (as I was complaining about it) that the fables are really very well assimilated into culture by now. So, they feel formulaic. But they can’t really BE formulaic since they were the first ones on the block!

I learned from reading the Preface (which the Kindle put at the end of the book, oddly) that Aesop didn’t necessarily write all of the fables but probably collected them as they were part of popular culture during his time as well.

We’ve all heard or read a lot of these. The grasshopper that spends the summer sleeping and making fun of the ants and then has nothing to eat during the winter. The tortoise beating the hare at a footrace. But I liked The Boy and the Nettles. The boy grasps the nettles really gingerly and gets hurt. His mother explains that he has to grab the nettles really hard and then they’ll get crushed and not hurt him. (Whatever you do, do with all your might.)

I’m at a weird stopping place in the book list. I am waiting for the library to open so I can pick up a few more books that are next on the list. I have an ILL request for After the Death of Don Juan by Sylvia Townsend Warner. And, After the Quake by Haruki Murakami will be placed on hold for me. It will probably be a few days before the library opens because we're all still cleaning up from Snowmageddon. And Snoverkill is currently rapidly falling outside my window. In the meantime, I’ll download The Age of Innocence onto the Kindle. It’s free!