Aesop
136 creative works found
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A great conflict was about to come off between the Birds and the Beasts. When the two armies were collected together the Bat hesitated which to join. The Birds that passed his perch said: “Come with us”; but he said: “I am a Beast.” Later on, some Beasts who were passing underneath him looked up and said: “Come with us”; but he said: “I am a Bird.” Luckily at the last moment peace was made, and no battle took place, so the Bat came to the Birds and wished to join in the rejoicings, but they all turned / against him and he had to fly away. He then went to the Beasts, but soon had to beat a retreat, or else they would have torn him to pieces. “Ah,” said the Bat, “I see now, “He that is neither one thing nor the other has no friends.”
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It happened that a Countryman was sowing some hemp seeds in a field where a Swallow and some other birds were hopping about picking up their food. “Beware of that man,” quoth the Swallow. “Why, what is he doing?” said the others. “That is hemp seed he is sowing; be careful to pick up every one of the seeds, or else you will repent it.” The birds paid no heed to the Swallow’s words, and by and by the hemp grew up and was made into cord, and of the cords nets were made, and many a bird that had despised the Swallow’s advice was caught in nets made out of that very hemp. “What did I tell you?” said the Swallow. Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin
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One day a countryman going to the nest of his Goose found there an egg all yellow and glittering. When he took it up it was as heavy as lead and he was going to throw it away, because he thought a trick had been played upon him. But he took it home on second thoughts, and soon found to his delight that it was an egg of pure gold. Every morning the same thing occurred, and he soon became rich by selling his eggs. As he grew rich he grew greedy; and thinking to get at once all the gold the Goose could give, he killed it and opened it only to find nothing. Greed oft o’er reaches itself
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By an unlucky chance a Fox fell into a deep well from which he could not get out. A Goat passed by shortly afterwards, and asked the Fox what he was doing down there. “Oh, have you not heard?” said the Fox; “there is going to be a great drought, so I jumped down here in order to be sure to have water by me. Why don’t you come down too?” The Goat thought well of this advice, and jumped down into the well. But the Fox immediately jumped on her back, and by putting his foot on her long horns managed to jump up to the edge of the well. “Good-bye, friend,” said the Fox, “remember next time: Never trust the advice of a man in difficulties
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It happened that a Dog had got a piece of meat and was carrying it home in his mouth to eat it in peace. Now on his way home he had to cross a plank lying across a running brook. As he crossed, he looked down and saw his own shadow reflected in the water beneath. Thinking it was another dog with another piece of meat, he made up his mind to have that also. So he made a snap at the shadow in the water, but as he opened his mouth the piece of meat fell out, dropped into the water and was never seen more. Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow
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A Peacock once placed a petition before Juno desiring to have the voice of a nightingale in addition to his other attractions; but Juno refused his request. When he persisted, and pointed out that he was her favourite bird, she said: Be content with your lot; one cannot be first in everything
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Once upon a time there was a Miser who used to hide his gold at the foot of a tree in his garden; but every week he used to go and dig it up and gloat over his gains. A robber, who had noticed this, went and dug up the gold and decamped with it. When the Miser next came to gloat over his treasures, he found nothing but the empty hole. He tore his hair, and raised such an outcry that all the neighbours came around him, and he told them how he used to come and visit his gold. “Did you ever take any of it out?” asked one of them. “Nay,” said he, “I only came to look at it.” “Then come again and look at the hole,” said a neighbour; “it will do you just as much good.” Wealth unused might as well not exist
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A Lion once fell in love with a beautiful maiden and proposed marriage to her parents. The old people did not know what to say. They did not like to give their daughter to the Lion, yet they did not wish to enrage the King of Beasts. At last the father said: “We feel highly honoured by your Majesty’s proposal, but you see our daughter is a tender young thing, and we fear that in the vehemence of your affection you might possibly do her some injury. Might I venture to suggest that your Majesty should have your claws removed, and your teeth extracted, then we would gladly consider your proposal again.” The Lion was so much in love that he had his claws trimmed and his big teeth taken out. But when he came again to the parents of the young girl they simply laughed in / his face, and bade him do his worst. Love can tame the wildest
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Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, / Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, / While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, / As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. / ”’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door – / Only this, and nothing more.”
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And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting / On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; / And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming, / And the lamplight o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; / And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor / Shall be lifted – nevermore!
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The Stag was once drinking from a pool and admiring the noble figure he made there. “Ah,” said he, “where can you see such noble horns as these, with such antlers! I wish I had legs more worthy to bear such a noble crown; it is a pity they are so slim and slight.” At that moment a Hunter approached and sent an arrow / whistling after him. Away bounded the Stag, and soon, by the aid of his nimble legs, was nearly out of sight of the Hunter; but not noticing where he was going, he passed under some trees with branches growing low down in which his antlers were caught, so that the Hunter had time to come up. “Alas! alas!” cried the Stag: We often despise what is most useful to us
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An Aesop’s Fable / Aesop’s Fables or Aesopica refers to a collection of / fables credited to Aesop (620–560 BC), a slave and / story-teller who lived in Ancient Greece. Aesop’s / Fables have become a blanket term for collections of / brief fables, usually involving anthropomorphic ani- / mals. / His fables are some of the most well known in the / world. The fables remain a popular choice for moral / education of children today. Many stories included in / Aesop’s Fables, such as The Fox and the Grapes / (from which the idiom “sour grapes” was derived), / The Tortoise and the Hare, The North Wind and the / Sun and The Boy Who Cried Wolf, are well-known / throughout the world.
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From Aesop’s Fables: A famished Fox crept into a vineyard where he spied a cluster of ripe, luscious grapes draped high upon the arbor. He took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. Again and again he tried to reach the tasty prize, but with no greater success. At last he had to admit defeat and he walked away muttering to himself, “What does it matter, I’m sure those grapes are sour anyway!” Moral: It is easy to despise what you cannot have. Ink drawing with digital color, 2007. See more from this series at my porfolio website www.stephaniesmith.com This image is one of many story images of birds and animals featured in my calendar Legendary Tales: Myths and Legends
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from Aesop’s Fables A Rooster was scratching the ground in a farmyard in search of food for himself and his hens, when he happened to turn up a precious stone. “You may be a treasure to your proper owner,” he said, “but for me I would rather have a single barley corn than all the jewels in the world.” Moral: The value of an object is in the eye of the beholder. Ink drawing with digital color, 2006, part of a series This image has been in the top ten of a challenge for colored art in the Finks of Inks group—thanks everyone! This image is one of many story images of birds and animals featured in my calendar Legendary Tales: Myths and Legends
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From Aesop’s fables: An Ox grazing in a swampy meadow accidentally trod upon a brood of young frogs and crushed most of them to death. One that managed to escape ran off to tell his mother the dreadful news. “Mother,” he said, “it was a beast, a huge for-footed beast that killed them!” “Oh, that was just the Farmer’s Ox, it’s not so big. I can easily make myself that size. Was it as big as this?” she said, as she puffed herself out as big as she could. “Oh, much bigger than that,” said the young frog. “Well, was it this big?” she said, puffing herself up again with all her might. “Bigger, much bigger,” he replied. “I’m afraid you’d burst before you could reach even half its size.” Provoked, the old frog took a deep breath and blew and puffed and swelled and swelled, and just as she was about to say, “I’m sure the Ox was not as big as this,” she burst into thin air. / Moral: Self-conceit may lead to self-destruction. Ink drawing with digital color, 2006 Part of a series. You can see more at my porfolio website stephaniesmith.com This image is one of many story images of birds and animals featured in my calendar Legendary Tales: Myths and Legends
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46” x 46” Acrylic on Canvas Flattering the crow, feet in the snow, the beguiling fox waits for his impending meal. One of a series of paintings illustrating Aesop’s famous fables. This one is from the classic tale, “The Fox and the Crow”. 898 views as of 11/5/09
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From Aesop’s Fables: A Tortoise, dissatisfied with lowly crawling on the ground, envied the birds who could soar high into the clouds whenever they desired. One day, he offered an Eagle all the treasures in the ocean if she would only teach him how to fly. The Eagle declined the offer at first, but the Tortoise kept insisting and pleading. “Fine, I will teach you to fly,” siad the Eagle and, taking him up in her talons carried him high into the sky. As she let go of him, she said, “Now, spread your legs and fly!” But before the Tortoise could say one word in response, he plunged straight down, hit a rock, and was dashed to pieces. Moral: Demand your own way, demand your own ruin. Ink drawing with digital color, 2006, part of a series This image is one of many story images of birds and animals featured in my calendar Legendary Tales: Myths and Legends
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gouache A3 / A book cover brief
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goauche 400X300
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this piece is about the possibility that natural resource may only restore if and when humans are extinct
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This pair come from the classic fable from Aesop: The country mouse had a visit from his cousin from the big city, who was very dismissive of the simple country life. “Come stay with me in the city and see how well you can really live!” the city mouse said. So the country mouse went with him to the fine townhouse where rare delicacies were served on silver platters. Just when the country mouse was thinking that his cousin had the right way of it, the homeowner’s dogs came charging into the room and the mice had to run for their lives. Realizing that the constant terror was the price his cousin paid to live in the lap of luxury, the country mouse ran all the way back to his humble but peaceful country home. This image is one of many story images of birds and animals featured in my calendar Legendary Tales: Myths and Legends Ink drawing with digital color.
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Aesops Fables
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