Thursday, February 17, 2011

The Lion Beaten by Man.....a fable by Jean de La Fontaine



A picture once was shown,
In which one man, alone,
Upon the ground had thrown
A lion fully grown.

Much gloried at the sight the rabble.
A lion thus rebuked their babble:—

That you have got the victory there,
There is no contradiction.
But, gentles, possibly you are
The dupes of easy fiction:
Had we the art of making pictures,
Perhaps our champion had beat yours!"


Until the lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter.
African Proverb

Friday, August 27, 2010

According to Wikipedia......

Btw, I put this up just cause I found it interesting :-P
A fable is a succinct story, in prose or verse, that features animals, mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized (given human qualities), and that illustrates a moral lesson (a "moral"), which may at the end be expressed explicitly in a pithy maxim.
A fable differs from a parable in that the latter excludes animals, plants, inanimate objects, and forces of nature as actors that assume speech and other powers of humankind.

For all of you word buffs (like myself), once again according to Wiki:
The word "fable" comes from the Latin "fabula" (a "story"), itself derived from "fari" ("to speak") with the -ula suffix that signifies "little": hence, a "little story".

Though in its original sense "fable" denotes a brief, succinct story that is meant to impart a moral lesson, in a pejorative sense, a "fable" may be a deliberately invented or falsified account of an event or circumstance. Similarly, a non-authorial person who, wittingly or not, tells "tall tales," may be termed a "confabulator".

An author of fables is termed a "fabulist," and the word "fabulous," strictly speaking, "pertains to a fable or fables." In recent decades, however, "fabulous" has come frequently to be used in the quite different meaning of "excellent" or "outstanding".

Friday, May 7, 2010

Aesop's The Hare and the Tortoise video using real Animals

I like this version of the Tortoise and the Hare. The use of real animals is interesting.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Aesop Fables Storyboards





I found these 8" x 5" Felt Story Boards at www.LearningWonders.com.
The stories shown are:

Ant and the Grasshopper
Hare and the Tortoise
Lion and the Mouse
The Plain Tree
The Dog and His Shadow
Fox and the Grapes
Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
Bees and the Bear
Goose with the Golden Egg
Boy who Cried Wolf
Maid and her Milk
The Heron

Stories on their FREE curriculum page

Sunday, February 21, 2010

The Dog in the Manger...an Aesop fable



A Dog was lying in a Manger on the hay which had been put there for the cattle.
When the cattle came and tried to eat, he growled and snapped at them and wouldn't let them get at their food.
"What a selfish beast," said one of them to his companions; "he can't eat the hay himself and yet he won't let those eat who can."

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

The Talkative Tortoise.....a tale from the Panchatantra



Once upon a time, a Tortoise lived in a pond with two Ducks, who were her very good friends. She enjoyed the company of the Ducks, because she could talk with them to her heart's content; the Tortoise liked to talk. She always had something to say, and she liked to hear herself say it.

After many years of this pleasant living, the pond became very low, in a dry season; and finally it dried up. The two Ducks saw that they could no longer live there, so they decided to fly to another region, where there was more water. They went to the Tortoise to bid her good-by.

"Oh, don't leave me behind!" begged the Tortoise. "Take me with you; I must die if I am left here."

"But you cannot fly!" said the Ducks. "How can we take you with us?"

"Take me with you! take me with you!" said the Tortoise.

The Ducks felt so sorry for her that at last they thought of a way to take her. "We have thought of a way which will be possible," they said, "if only you can manage to keep still long enough. We will each take hold of one end of a stout stick, and do you take the middle in your mouth; then we will fly up in the air with you and carry you with us. But remember not to talk! If you open your mouth, you are lost."

The Tortoise said she would not say a word; she would not so much as move her mouth; and she was very grateful. So the Ducks brought a strong little stick and took hold of the ends, while the Tortoise bit firmly on the middle. Then the two Ducks rose slowly in the air and flew away with their burden.

When they were above the treetops, the Tortoise wanted to say, "How high we are!"

But she remembered, and kept still.

When they passed the church steeple she wanted to say, "What is that which shines?" But she remembered, and held her peace.

Then they came over the village square, and the people looked up and saw them.

"Look at the Ducks carrying a Tortoise!" they shouted; and every one ran to look.

The Tortoise wanted to say, "What business is it of yours?" But she didn't.

Then she heard the people shout, "Isn't it strange! Look at it! Look!"

The Tortoise forgot everything except that she wanted to say, "Hush, you foolish people!" She opened her mouth,-- and fell to the ground. And that was the end of the Tortoise.

It is a very good thing to be able to hold one's tongue!

from Stories to Tell to Children by Sara Cone Bryan



Sunday, August 30, 2009

The Tale of Tristan and Harriet based on an Aesop Fable


As you all know (or you ought to know) you can't keep a good story down....or something like that.
"Tristan and Harriet" is a stop-motion "claymation" film based on Aesop's fable, The Tortoise and the Hare.
It a fun story and shows what you can do with a little ...or maybe a lot of imagination.
Enjoy!!!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The Dog and the Shadow


A Dog was crossing a river, with a piece of meat in his mouth, when he saw his own shadow reflected in the stream below. Thinking that it was another dog, with a piece of meat, he resolved to make himself master of that also; but in snapping at the supposed treasure he dropped the bit he was carrying, and so lost all.

Grasp at the shadow, and lose the substance.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

The Fox and the Mask.....an Aesop Fable



A fox entered the house of an actor, and, rummaging through all his properties, came upon a Mask, an admirable imitation of a human head.

He placed his paws on it, and said: "What a beautiful head! yet it is of no value, as it entirely wants brains."

Moral: A fair face is of little use without sense.