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Aesop
Greek writer. Supposedly a freed slave from Thrace, Aesop's name became attached to a collection of beast fables long transmitted through oral tradition.
Aesop's Fable - Joseph Jacobs
Read A Short History of the Aesopic Fable, which says: "THE TALE, the Parable, and the Fable are all common and popular modes of conveying instruction. Each is distinguished by its own special characteristics. The Tale consists simply in the narration of a story either founded on facts, or created solely by the imagination, and not necessarily associated with the teaching of any moral lesson."
The Fabulist
"The fabulist Aesop, if there ever was such a person, was an ugly son of a bitch. Some compared him to a turnip, others to a pot or a jar for food or a goose egg." Read on.
The Wit and Wisdom of Aesop's Fables in Picture Book Versions
Although the history of Aesop is somewhat obscure, the fables associated with the sixth century B.C. Greek have been told and retold for over 2,500 years. While dictionary definitions differ somewhat, they are generally in agreement that a fable is a brief story that illustrates a moral truth.