Fables of La Fontaine — a New Edition, with Notes

"Fables of La Fontaine" by Jean de La Fontaine is a collection of timeless fables from the 1600s, known for teaching moral lessons and cleverly commenting on what it means to be human. Using animal characters to stand for different parts of society, the fables reveal deep truths about how people act and the choices they make, doing so with smart humor. Translator Elizur Wright sets the stage by explaining how La Fontaine’s work is important to the world of fables. Stories, like "The Grasshopper and the Ant" and "The Raven and the Fox," show how well La Fontaine mixes fun with morals, as the characters make choices that show the value of hard work, careful planning, and the dangers of being too proud. The fables return again and again to the idea of what is considered normal behavior and how people choose to live, making them stories that connect with all kinds of people.