Many of the bed-time
stories we know today have a very ancient origin. Many of them were actually composed by a middle-aged Greek slave named Aesop, who penned some of the most beloved stories ever told.
Aesop's
fables (short stories with a moral) contain memorable and, often, reusable characters; in several of his stories, for instance, Aesop uses a lion, a mouse, a fox, a farmer, or a stork as the primary character. If the main
character is an animal, it possesses the ability to think and communicate like
human beings, and oftentimes even converses with them.
By today's standards, some of the
situations the animals and their human contacts end up in seem completely absurd, as in "The Lion in Love," where the king of the beasts falls head over heels for the woodcutter's daughter. However, as the stories play out, the characters, plots, and situations all come together to establish a certain theme or moral. Many of these have become everyday phrases for us, such as 'One good turn deserves another,' or 'People are judged by the company they keep.'
Many of these fables look at simple themes, like foolishness, stubbornness, gullibility, and loyalty, for example. Also, by using stereotypical characters, such as the sly fox and the stubborn mule, Aesop is able to prove his point quickly and simply, since he doesn't have to explain why the characters act the way they do; it's just a part of their typical behavior that everyone naturally associates with them.
Aesop's fables, though written almost as if to a child, contain valuable lessons for all ages, having been retold thousands of times throughout the centuries. Because of their simplicity, humor, and
moral themes, they will most likely continue to be considered as some of the greatest short stories ever written.
More reviews about the Aesop's fables