Æsop’s Fables

Æsop was a slave who lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BCE. He was also a Greek fabulist and storyteller credited with a collection of fables collectively known as Æsop’s Fables Many of his subjects included CATS N DOGS.

Click HERE to read “The Dog and His Reflection” by Æsop

FABLES are short tales to teach a moral lesson, often with animals or inanimate objects as characters. Fables feature an important moral or “life lesson” that is usually wrapped up in a clever final pronouncement delivered with proverbial flair.

Æsop’s Fables can be enjoyed by children and adults alike and offer an entertaining yet educational experience. They are a great way to introduce children to the concept of morality, while also having fun.

A Bit of Trivia

In animal fables, the beasts usually had no proper names, and so in Æsop’s Fables they are referred to as, “the cat,” “the fox,” “the mouse” etc. Occasionally, the cat in the fable did have a name…Tibert (just as the fox was sometimes called Reynard). Exactly why and how Tibert cane to be the stereotypical name for a cat is unknown. The name Tibert is probably the source of the the name Tiddles, a common name for cats in Britain.

Æsop’s Fables inspired a number of movies, television shows, plays, and modern books. 

List Of Æsop’s Fables

• The Frogs & the Ox
• Belling the Cat
• The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse
• The Fox & the Grapes
• The Wolf & the Crane
• The Lion & the Mouse
• The Gnat & the Bull
• The Plane Tree
• The Owl & the Grasshopper
• The Oak & the Reeds
• The Crow & the Pitcher
• The Two Goats
• The Wild Boar & the Fox
• The Heron
• The Fox & the Stork
• The Stag & His Reflection
• The Cock & the Fox
• The Fox & the Goat
• The Fox & the Leopard
• The Frog & the Mouse
• The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
• The Eagle & the Beetle
• The Mother & the Wolf
• The Hare & the Tortoise
• The Dog & His Reflection
• The Fox & the Crow
• The Ant & the Dove
• The Man & the Satyr
• The Hare & His Ears
• The Fisherman & the Little Fish
• The Wolf & the Kid
• The Tortoise & the Ducks
• The Young Crab & His Mother
• The Dog, the Cock, & the Fox
• The Eagle & the Jackdaw
• The Boy & the Filberts
• Hercules & the Wagoner
• The Kid & the Wolf
• The Bundle of Sticks
• The Ass & His Driver
• The Oxen & the Wheels
• The Shepherd Boy & the Wolf
• The Farmer & the Stork
• The Sheep & the Pig
• The Travelers & the Purse
• The Lion & the Ass
• The Frogs Who Wished for a King
• The Wolf & His Shadow
• The Rat & the Elephant
• The Boys & the Frogs
• The Ants & the Grasshopper
• The Ass Carrying the Image
• A Raven & a Swan
• The Ass & the Load of Salt
• The Lion & the Gnat
• The Leap at Rhodes
• The Cock & the Jewel
• The Monkey & the Camel
• The Ass, the Fox, & the Lion
• The Birds, the Beasts, & the Bat
• The Lion, the Bear, & the Fox
• The Wolf & the Lamb
• The Wolf & the Sheep
• The Hares & the Frogs
• The Travelers & the Sea
• The Wolf & the Lion
• The Peacock
• The Mice & the Weasels
• The Wolf & the Lean Dog
• The Fox & the Lion
• The Dog & his Master’s Dinner
• The Vain JackDaw & his Borrowed Feathers
• The Monkey & the Dolphin
• The Wolf & the Ass
• The Monkey & the Cat
• The Dogs & the Fox
• The Dogs & the Hides
• The Rabbit, the Weasel, & the Cat
• The Bear & the Bees
• The Dog in the Manger
• The Wolf & the Goat
• The Ass & the Grasshoppers
• The Mule
• The Cat, the Cock, & the Young Mouse
• The Wolf & the Shepherd
• The Peacock & the Crane
• The Farmer & the Cranes
• The Farmer & His Sons
• The Two Pots
• The Goose & the Golden Egg
• The Fighting Bulls & the Frog
• The Mouse & the Weasel
• The Farmer & the Snake
• The Sick Stag
• The Goatherd & the Wild Goats
• The Spendthrift & the Swallow
• The Cat & the Birds
• The Dog & the Oyster
• The Astrologer
• Three Bullocks & a Lion
• Mercury & the Woodman
• The Fox & the Crab
• The Serpent & the Eagle
• The Bull & the Goat
• The Old Lion & the Fox
• The Man & the Lion
• The Ass & the Lap Dog
• The Milkmaid & Her Pail
• The Wolf & the Shepherd
• The Goatherd & the Goat
• The Miser
• The Wolf & the House Dog
• The Fox & the Hedgehog
• The Bat & the Weasels
• The Quack Toad
• The Fox Without a Tail
• The Mischievous Dog
• The Rose & the Butterfly
• The Cat & the Fox
• The Boy and the Nettles
• The Old Lion
• The Fox & the Pheasants
• Two Travelers & a Bear
• The Porcupine & the Snakes
• The Fox & the Monkey
• The Flies & the Honey
• The Eagle & the Kite
• The Stag, the Sheep, & the Wolf
• The Animals & the Plague
• The Shepherd & the Lion
• The Bees & Wasps, & the Hornet
• The Lark & Her Young Ones
• The Cat & the Old Rat
• The Ass & His Shadow
• The Miller, His Son, & the Ass
• The Wolf, the Kid, and the Goat
• The Swallow & the Crow
• Jupiter & the Monkey
• The Lion, the Ass, & the Fox
• The Lion’s Share
• The Mole & His Mother
• The North Wind & the Sun
• The Wolves & the Sheep
• The Cock & the Fox
• The Ass in the Lion’s Skin
• The Fighting Cocks & the Eagle

The above from: “The Æsop for Children” from The Library of Congress

A list of some of Æsop’s Fables morals/messages:

• Hard work pays off
• Don’t be jealous of those better than you
• A small good deed can have a great outcome
• A task is easier said than done
• Lies are dangerous
• Too much of a good thing isn’t always good
• A person is not always what they appear to be
• Planning ahead can create a better future

See Also BELLING THE CAT