Favourite Aesop's Fables

Abstract

This is one of four pamphlets, all 24 pages in length, which have Fables across their back cover, followed by the same brief description and history of fables. Here GGE is pictured on the cover, with surrounding leaves, flowers, birds, butterflies, and insects. There are twelve fables, most told in two-page spreads. GA makes it clear that the grasshopper is left to starve by the ant. MSA (6) includes mention of a man who, having seen the miller throw his ass into the river, saved the ass. The Two Buckets (8) is new to me. One bucket, aware that he is always sent back down empty, is dissatisfied. The other bucket is aware by contrast that he is always refilled and brought up, and so he does not share the dissatisfaction. SS substitutes cotton for sponges (10). The Foolish Goats features two different pairs of goats. The first pair create mutual destruction by fighting it out on the bridge they each want to cross. The second pair includes one who offers to sit down and let the other step over his body. The illustration on 13 unfortunately has one of the two standing aside and pointing the way to the other! In BC, the mice try to bully one mouse into belling the cat, but that mouse is too scared to do it (16). This version of GGE may not help itself when it says A fairy gave him a golden goose (20). The eggs are golden, but I do not think that the goose is. The garb in this illustration (21) seems to me to be from India, or somewhere near India. A Bear and Some Bees (24) is told with unusual clarity. The bear is stung and knocks down some hives. The bees sting the bear badly. Later he says to himself It would have been wiser for me to let one injury pass, than to receive so many. None of the four booklets has bibliographical information beyond the publisher's name. I presume that this press is in India.