Aesop

There are some books I’ve been aware of since childhood; this is one of them. Recently, I asked myself if I could recall ever having read it from start to finish. So I gave it a try. These are charming tales, some of which suffer from overexposure. I was interested to see the fox featured in many of them, the relatively powerless creature who has to live by his wits. An appropriate stand-in for the fabulist and his listeners.
There are also many tales warning against the danger of trying to pass yourself off as something you’re not. I guess the big bluff is not only a modern plague.
The translation offered here is agreeably colloquial and appropriate for passing on these common-sense bits of folk wisdom.… (mehr)