It’s quite strange and revealing that although I’d never read Aesop’s Fables before now, so many of them have become so ingrained into the cultural consciousness to the point of complete saturation. It’s possible that they may had been read to me as a child, whether through adaptations or child-friendly renditions, but there is an unsettling viciousness about some of these fables. Beyond those of quiet platitudes about wits over strength/beauty, of good over evil, of truth over lies, there are fables here which highlight an essential absurdity or meaninglessness about our lives. Which is always somewhat difficult to stomach, isn’t it? One minute you are catching up on your Greek classic literature on the bus and the next a bout of existential angst about meaning and truth, and all this from something that has, in obviously sanitized versions, become basic storytelling rites and moral teachings for children?

Still, there is much to delight in here. Whether it is the fables of vengeful and spiteful gods who rule according to whim, or grotesquely comic tales of violence upon frogs (there really is a lot of murdered frogs in here), or just simply illustrative moral tales, the fables are worth revisiting. The genuine understanding of human behaviour evident remains relevant. There’s not much else to say really, is there? So, instead, here are some of my favourite fables from this collection.

The Ox and the Frog: Two little frogs were playing about at the edge of a pool when an Ox came down to the water to drink, and by accident trod on one of them and crushed the life out of him. When the old frog missed him, she asked his brother where he was. “He is dead, mother,” said the little frog; “an enormous big creature with four legs came to our pool this morning and trampled him down in the mud.” “Enormous, was he? Was he as big as this?” said the frog, puffing herself out to look as big as possible. “Oh! yes, much bigger,” was the answer. The frog puffed herself out still more. “Was he as big as this?” said she. “Oh! yes, yes, mother, MUCH bigger.” said the little frog. And yet again she puffed and puffed herself out till she was almost as round as a ball. “As big as…?” she began — but then she burst.

The Wasp and the Snake: A Wasp settled on the head of a Snake, and not only stung him several times, but clung obstinately to the head of his victim. Maddened with pain the Snake tried every means he could think of to get rid of the creature, but without success. At last he became desperate, and crying, “kill you I will, even at the cost of my own life,” he laid his head with the Wasp on it under the wheel of a passing wagon, and they both perished together.

Prometheus and the Making of Man: At the bidding of Jupiter, Prometheus set about the creation of Man and the other animals. Jupiter, seeing that mankind, the only rational creatures, were far outnumbered by the irrational beasts, bade him redress the balance by turning some of the latter into men. Prometheus did as he was bid, and this is the reason why some people have the forms of men, but the souls of beasts.

Demades and His Fable: Demades the orator was once speaking in the Assembly at Athens; but the people were very inattentive to what he was saying, so he stopped and said “Gentlemen, I should like to tell you one of Aesop’s fables.” This made every one listen intently. Then Demades began: “Demeter, a Swallow, and an Eel were once travelling together, and came to a river without a bridge: the Swallow flew over it, and the Eel swam across”; and then he stopped. “What happened to Demeter?” cried several people in the audience. “Demeter,” he replied, “is very angry with you for listening to fables when you ought to be minding public business.”