Fables of Aesop: the most beautiful stories for children
Despite the passage of time and the innovations introduced by technology, there are some things that can never change, such as, for example, the beauty of reading a story to your children, perhaps before going to sleep. Whether it's a traditional fairy tale or a modern story of adventures, in a classic paper book or an innovative kindle, reading by a parent is an "activity with a thousand benefits for children. Each story, in fact, gives them a teaching, develops their imagination and transports them to a different world. In addition to those of Phaedrus, among the best to introduce your child to, there are certainly the fables of Aesop.
The importance of the teachings of Aesop's fables
Aesop is a Greek writer who lived between 620 and 564 BC approximately. He was the author of a famous collection of fables, the first that passed from the oral to the written tradition, followed only centuries later by the Latin Phaedrus. In this collection there are 358 short stories of a moral character. In fact, in each of them we find personified animals as characters who have a human behavior and the purpose of all the compositions is to give a teaching - not only to the little ones.
Even today, thousands of years later, Aesop's fables represent an immense cultural heritage and are perfect to be told to children. They are usually chosen as evening reading books for 4-5 year olds. This is because, thanks to the simplicity of their plots, they manage to thrill despite their short extension and to strike for their morality, still so current. It seems that time has passed without taking away those qualities and defects that are part of men of any age.
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The most beautiful Aesop's fables for children
There are many versions and more than one edition of Aesop's fables. Some remain more or less faithful to the Greek original and its typical brevity, while other books see the stories more "fictional" and present some more dialogue between the characters. We have selected the most beautiful and most famous tales of the famous author of the past. From the fairy tale starring the ravenous fox to the one that tells the story of the wolf and the lamb: discover all our favorite stories of Aesop to read to your children!
The cicada and the ant
It was winter, and the ants were drying their grain, which had become wet. And lo and behold a hungry cicada went to ask them for food. But the ants answered her: «Why didn't you make provisions during the summer?» The cicada answered: «I didn't have time, but I sang harmoniously».
And they, laughing in her face, said to her: «Well, if you sang in the summer weather, in the winter she dances.
The fable teaches that in every circumstance of life one must beware of being negligent, not to suffer and not to be in danger.
Let's start with one of the best known and most appreciated stories. That of the cicada and the ant is a fairy tale that teaches how to get busy and not neglect one's tasks is essential to avoid suffering pain worse than fatigue.
The wolf and the lamb
A wolf who had seen a lamb intent on drinking by a river wanted to devour it, putting forward a reason that was plausible. Therefore, despite being further upstream, he began to accuse the lamb saying that it dirty the water, preventing him from drinking. But the lamb replied that he was drinking from the edge of his lips and that moreover, being further downstream, he could not dirty his water.
The wolf then, seeing the alleged pretext fail, said: "But last year you offended my father!" that, even if you have easy arguments to exonerate yourself, I will not give up eating you for this ».
The fable shows that even the most just defense can do nothing in the face of those who have the propensity to commit injustices..
How current is this fable still? As Aesop himself says in morality, whoever wants to harm someone will always find a pretext to carry out his ignoble act.
The Fox and the Grape
A hungry fox, as he saw bunches of grapes hanging from a vine, wanted to grab them, but was unable to. But as he walked away he said to himself: "They're immature."
Thus also some of the men, who due to inability cannot overcome difficulties, blame the circumstances.
Despite its brevity, the fairy tale of the fox and the grape is one of the most read by children of all ages. It teaches how many men, just like the fox, blame others in times of difficulty, when they cannot do something for themselves .
The city mouse and the country mouse
Once a city rat and a country mouse met. They began to talk and the one from the countryside said to the one from the city: "Blessed are you who have so much to eat, but I always eat little." The city man replied: «But I always have to eat in a hurry, because if they catch me people hit me. Blessed are you who can eat calmly ». So the two decided to switch roles: the city mouse went to live in the countryside and vice versa.
Immediately they were both happy: the city rat could finally eat calmly and the country rat had plenty of food. But after a while the one who had moved to the city began to regret the quiet meals, because he was tired of always having to eat in a hurry chased by a dog.
Likewise, the one who had moved to the countryside began to feel the pangs of hunger, because the food was always scarce and he began to regret the binges he could have in the city. Thus it was that the city mouse returned to the city and the country mouse to the countryside.
You are never happy with what you have and where you live, but whoever leaves the known way for the new one knows what he is leaving but does not know what he finds..
It is probably the fairytale that will have an instant impact on your kids. We are used to complaining about what we have, but, in the end, novelty is not always synonymous with positive change.
The horse and the donkey
There was a man who had a donkey and a horse. One day they were traveling down the road, the donkey said to the horse: "Take some of my load if you don't want to see me dead." learn.
The donkey, exhausted from hardship, fell to the ground and died. Then the master transferred all the load and the skin of the donkey onto the back of the horse.
The horse then, weeping, exclaimed: «Alas, unfortunate! What ever happened to me, poor wretch! For having refused part of that burden, I am now forced to carry it all, plus my skin too ».
The fable shows that in life young and old must make common cause if they want to be saved from each other.
The story of The Horse and the Donkey demonstrates how helping each other is fundamental in life: a truly important teaching for the little ones but also for adults.
The deer at the source and the lion
A thirsty deer went to a spring to drink; there, he remained to observe his image reflected in the water.He was proud of his large, intricately designed horns, while his legs, he just didn't like: they were so fragile.
He was still pondering his reflection when a lion started chasing him. The deer fled and, for a long time, managed to distance it: in fact, its legs ran faster than those of the lion on the plain.
At one point, however, the deer found himself in a dense bush, full of brambles and bushes. He had come a little way that his horns got entangled in the branches: among the low trees, the deer could not move and the lion caught up with him in an instant.
On the verge of death, the deer said to himself: 'I am unhappy! Only now do I understand that those legs that I despised so much could save me and these horns, of which I was so proud, have been my undoing!
Often, what we find useless turns out to be more useful than what we admire and appreciate.
As a moral, that of The deer at the source and the lion it reminds us a bit of "the" teaching of The city and country mouse: we take things for granted that can be extremely useful.
The lion and the mouse
A lion caught a mouse between its paws, with the intention of eating it. The mouse, however, begged the big animal to spare him his life. "In return, you will have my friendship and one day I will return the favor," said the rodent. ”The lion was convinced by these words, and released the mouse, which went on its way.
Some time later, the little mouse was crossing the savannah when he saw two hunters at the edge of the bush, who had caught the lion with a trap. The two tied the lion tightly to a tree, then lit a fire for the night. In the dark, the mouse approached the tree and gnawed at all the ropes that held the lion tied. In doing so, he freed the cat that managed to escape.
Even a small friend can demonstrate a great friendship; friends, however small and seemingly insignificant, are always precious.
Here is one of our favorite fairy tales from the collection. The central theme is that of friendship combined with the importance of mutual help in times of difficulty.
The dog, the rooster and the fox
A dog and a rooster were friends and traveled together. When evening came, the rooster climbed a tree to sleep and the dog settled among its roots. In the morning, as was his custom, the rooster crowed. A fox heard it and ran under the tree: «How well you sing! What a beautiful voice! Come down I want to hug you. "
"Sure, but first you have to wake the guardian at the foot of the tree."
As the fox was about to wake him, the dog leapt out and tore her to pieces.
People of common sense, with some stratagem, deflect the assaults of their enemies towards someone stronger than themselves.
This last fable of Aesop demonstrates how he can save us with cunning by allying himself with other people.
