Giovanni Meli: Moral Fables
Loading...
Authors
Cipolla, Gaetano
Meli, Giovanni
Issue Date
1988
Volume
Issue
Type
Book, Whole
Language
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
A very good introduction to a fabulist I had not known. Eighty-nine fables. The closest parallel is LaFontaine; but Meli is briefer, less preachy, and less witty. Some fables begin with a moral comment; some end with funny vulgarity. The translator's care for rhyme leads to some confusing word order. The funniest fables are #53 and #80. Fables borrowed from Aesop or LaFontaine, often with changes of characters, include The Crabs (#2); The Mouse and the Hedgehog (the snake in Aesop, #5); The Cat, the Foreigner, and the Abbot (the dog with master's lunch, #8); The Cat and the Blacksmith (dog, #14); The Dogs (chained, #28); The Mother Mouse and Her Little Mice (cock, #64); The Dog and the Monkey (an excellent fable, #65); The Red Donkey and the Animals (the lion's skin, #73); The Wolf and the Lamb (#77); and The Donkey, the Master and the Thieves (#86).
Description
Citation
Publisher
Canadian Society for Italian Studies
License
Journal
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
DOI
Identifier
861 (Access ID)