Sometimes when you have dealt with certain things for-ever, you don’t know they are even there. Explaining wa-ter to a fish would be difficult, and it might be hard for you to understand just how strange the word Wednesday is. Wed-nez-day? We see through certain things so often that it is sometimes very difficult to look at them. Some of the stories found in the fables of Aesop are very much in this category. Even if you have never read through Aesop’s Fables, you are no doubt acquainted with many of them. Who has not heard of the boy who cried wolf? And everyone knows who won the famous race between the hare and the tortoise. These fables have made their way into many children’s books and animated films, and they have had whole stories develop around them. They have been passed down and around in many forms for literally ages and ages. These simple short tales have inspired artists and authors alike. An original 1912 edition translated by V.S. Vernon Jones (with an introduction by G.K. Ches-terton and illustrated by Arthur Rackham) sells now for hundreds of dollars. But you can find a facsimile edition

for much less and still enjoy Rackham’s fabulous illustra-tions, and in addition to the text used for this course, you can read the fables in many different and easily available versions. So perhaps we should begin by discussing the genre of fable. What is a fable? Technically speaking, The Harper Handbook to Literature defines a fable as “a short, allegorical story in verse or prose, frequently of animals, told to illustrate a moral.” The word fable comes from the Latin fabula and simply means “little story.” A fable’s purpose is didactic, though many are quite entertaining as well. But the purpose of the fable is to teach a little les-son, to give a little advice, to comment on the ways of the world, or to satirize man and his foibles. This is why Aesop’s Fables have become such popular material for children’s books—it contains just the sort of life lessons that children need.

A e s o p ’ s F A b l e s

One of the most

popular fables used in children’s

books is “The Hare and the Tortoise.”

Disney made a mem-orable cartoon of this

story as well.

o m n i b u s i V2

GenerAl inFormAtion

Author and Context Though the fables themselves predate the man known for them, Aesop became credited for passing them on, though he never wrote them down. G.K. Ches-terton says, “. . . his fame is all the more deserved because he never deserved it. The firm foundations of common sense, the shrewd shots at uncommon sense, that charac-terize all the Fables, belong not to him but to humanity.” In other words, these morals resonate with everyone at all times in history. Nothing too certain is known about Aesop himself, but the legendary tradition surrounding him is that he was a slave and a storyteller who lived in ancient Greece six centuries before Christ (from 620–560 b.c. ). Ac-cording to Herodotus, he was thrown off a cliff in Delphi by the citizens there, though the reason for this is unknown. Some have speculated that he was troubling the populace with his wisdom. Plato mentions that Socrates spent some of his time in prison putting Aesop’s fables into verse. The first known written col-lection of his fables appeared around 300 b.c. , and a few centuries later a Thracian slave named Phaedrus (15 b.c.–a.d. 50) translated them from Greek prose into Latin verse. In 1484 William Caxton printed the first English edition, and in 1692 the first English version specifically written for children appeared. Over the ages col-lections have been translated and retranslated into many languages, some with additional fa-bles from other sources. Now there are many volumes of Aesop’s Fables available worldwide, where they continue to endure as a well-loved form of folk literature.

Significance G.K. Chesterton observes that in a fable, “The wolf will be always wolfish; the fox will be always foxy. . . . by using animals in this austere and arbitrary style . . . men have really succeeded in handing down those tre-mendous truths that are called truisms.” Whenever men are in the story, they are capable of a change of heart, but when you use animals, you can expect the nature of the animal to be fixed. Thus we have the industrious ants showing no mercy to the hungry, idle grasshopper, or the sneaky fox stealing the proud crow’s cheese by flattery. To quote Chesterton again: “. . . all these are deep truths deeply graven on the rocks wherever men have passed.

It matters nothing how old they are, or how new: they are the

alphabet of humanity. . . .” The fables illus-trate simple truths

about life, taught in memorable

ways through e x c h a n g e s with talking

beasts and the occasional man or wom-

an. Whether an individual man

or woman repents or not, the way things

are stays the same.

Herodotus asserts that Aesop was a slave (Histories, II.134) and that he met his death by being cast from a cliff at the hands of the citizens of Delphi. A medieval legend that he was deformed and ugly is not corrob-orated by more ancient sources, but despite this the myth persists, and this bust from the Villa Albani in Rome is said to depict a deformed Aesop.

Aesop’s Fables 3

Main Characters The main characters in the fables are animals, ob-jects like pots or even a pail of milk and a honey jar, the gods (Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, or Hercules), and nature itself, as in “The Wind and the Sun” or “The Farmer and the Sea.” Many of the fables have unnamed human char-acters, like a boy, a blacksmith, a shepherd, a farmer, a fisherman, a maid, a goatherd, a widow, or a woodcutter.

Summary and Setting Each fable is driving to a point, and the point is a maxim or pithy saying. Consider this small sampling: The value of an object is in the eye of the beholder. Unin-vited guests are most welcome when they leave. Only fools try to take the credit due to others. The more you want, the more you stand to lose. Grasp at the shadow, and you will lose the substance. So the plot in each fable is merely a vehicle to carry the point home. Some of the fables are as short as three or four sentences. Some, like “The Coun-try Mouse and the Town Mouse,” can run a page and a half. Characterization depends largely on what we might expect from the animal in the story. No one has to tell us to expect the lion to think highly of his own status, the wolf to be cunning, or the ass to play the fool. The fables are timeless because they portray episodes in life that we can readily imagine at any time or any place in history. So they continue to have wide appeal. Common sense never goes out of style.

Worldview Though people of any religion and background can identify with the stories in the fables, it would be super-ficial to identify them as representing any particular reli-gion. Though some may sound similar to biblical proverbs (who could disagree with “honesty is the best policy”?), they deal mostly with hard luck and hard consequences, very much like the world of the blues. This is a very strict reap-what-you-sow world. We do not see the biblical vir-tues of mercy and forgiveness in the fables, but rather common sense that comes from living in a dog-eat-dog world. The wolf dressed like a sheep is caught and killed; the hungry grasshopper begging for food is left to starve. So the moral always presents us with an incomplete pic-ture, though true as far as it goes. The Bible does teach that a man reaps what he sows—but that is not all it teaches. Aesop is strong on law, while in Scripture we find both law and grace. In one sense, these fables demonstrate life in the raw: the strongest wins; the weakest loses. It pays to be shrewd sometimes, and sometimes it doesn’t.

For the Christian student, reading the fables can and should be delightful. Not only are they enjoyable in them-selves, but it is always enlightening to read literature that has survived millennia and been honored throughout that time for good reason. Such endurance certainly lends a respectability that should continue to be honored. The common sense found in the fables that comes from practical experience in the world, though admira-ble, is not the same thing as the complete wisdom that comes from above. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:18–19, “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” And James says, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and with-out hypocrisy” (James 3:17). The fables do not attain to this level of wisdom, although they certainly teach the value of common sense. God bestows His common grace on the world, and mankind loves to teach one another these precepts as far as they go. These fables were most likely stories passed down from fathers to their children, teaching them the ways of the world. So the Christian reader can appreciate the fables and the limited picture they portray. The fables are more about law than grace, which is always easier for fallen man to relate to. We gravitate to law-making, and we look to the rule, moral, or lesson be-ing taught. Man was born to learn and born to teach. Man has a harder time understanding pure grace because it goes against our nature. It is much easier to understand the law: work hard, do not listen to liars, always be wary of flatterers. Much common sense is like this and falls in the category of good advice. Man will always devise moralistic, cautionary tales to instruct others on how to get on in this life. The Christian is no exception when it comes to devising rules and looking for the law. Yet the Christian must look for grace beyond this, and view life as a means of bringing God glory, not as an opportunity to get by with the least trouble and the most success. Though our text includes over two hundred fables, we will consider just a sampling of them, looking at a num-ber of the more well-known fables. We’ll begin with “The Fox and the Grapes” where we get the expression “sour grapes.” The hungry fox spies some delicious-looking grapes, but try as he might, he cannot reach them for all his jumping. So rather than being disappointed with his loss, he decides that the grapes were probably too sour to eat anyway. This is the behavior of the poor loser, and it is self-deception as well. He knows full well that the grapes were delicious, but he would rather tell himself a lie than admit his own defeat. So we have a prideful and lying fox,

ment, thinking contemptuously of his previous situation, until the revelers and the dogs burst in. It was then that the country mouse came back to his senses, seeing that his lowly life had some things money could not buy. The self-respecting country mouse had gleaned from the fields (barley, nuts, etc.), and the conceited city mouse was eating leftovers off the tables of the rich. “The Hare and the Tortoise” must be the most popu-lar fable for children’s books, and Disney made a memo-rable cartoon of this story as well. Slow and steady wins the race is a maxim with plenty of applications. This is reminiscent of Poor Richard’s Almanac, or Proverbs again: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit be-fore a fall” (16:18). The hare is full of himself, boastful and ridiculing the tortoise. But the tortoise is game for the contest and exhibits the good quality of follow-through. He does not flake out like the hare. Another biblical quo-tation illustrating the same principle comes to mind: “Let not the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off” (1 Kings 20:11). “The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf” is a cautionary tale that many parents have told their children to illustrate the dangers of lying. “Even when liars tell the truth, they are never believed” is true as far as it goes. As we know, Satan is the father of all lies (John 8:44). But we also know that

lies can be forgiven, that God can apply His grace to the liar’s heart and wash away the sinfulness

of it all. In this fable, the sheep were left to the mercy of the wolf, which is to say they

received no mercy at all. They were rav-aged by the wolf because of the careless shepherd boy’s foolishness. Sin always has consequences, and sometimes they fall on the innocent bystanders. A liar

always leaves destruction in his wake. The townspeople had lost patience with

the shepherd boy, and again we see law, not grace, and we don’t even know if the shepherd

boy learned his lesson. This story is good incentive for truth-telling because of the consequences that befall the liar. But the Christian loves the truth because Jesus pro-claimed Himself to be the way, the truth, and the life. It is not just about consequences. “The Wind and the Sun” is an unusual fable whose characters are neither animals nor humans, but elements of nature. In this fable, the wind and the sun have a con-test to see who can get a traveler to take off his coat. Never mind that the wind was at a serious disadvantage to start with because windy weather seldom causes one to take off a coat, but nevertheless, he blew up quite a gale, so the traveler kept his coat on tightly. Then the sun shone, the traveler got warm, and off came the coat. The moral of

which is consistent with what we expect from

the crafty nature of the fox. The tale does not condemn the fox; neither does it com-mend him. Rather, it

is simply illustrating for us the typical, fleshly

response to defeat. “The Ants and the Grasshop-per” has as its moral “Idleness brings want.” It readily reminds us of Proverbs 6:6–11: “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man.” In this fable the lazy, half-dead grasshopper appeals to the in-dustrious little ants for a handout, but he meets with no pity. Again, this illustrates all law and no grace. They told him that since he had spent his summertime singing, per-haps he could dance all winter. Not only do they shut him out, they laugh as they do so. No mercy here. In contrast consider Proverbs 14:20–21: “The poor man is hated even by his own neigh-bor, but the rich has many friends. He who despises his neighbor sins; but he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.” God blesses the merciful because He is the father of all mercies Himself (2 Cor. 1:3). In this fable the law slams down on the grasshopper, and the ants are exonerated. In Scripture, the same principle is operative—laziness does lead to poverty—but another principle is operative as well: mercy triumphs over judgment. One of the fables that Disney has used for a cartoon is “The Country Mouse and the Town Mouse,” though Disney named it The Country Cousin. This is one of the longest fables in the collection, and it also evokes a teach-ing found in Proverbs: “Better is a dry morsel with quiet-ness, than a house full of feasting with strife” (17:1). The country mouse concludes the fable with, “But I’d rather have a crust in peace and safety than all your fine things in the midst of such alarm and terror.” This is basic to un-derstanding contentment and also illustrates the dangers and temptations associated with living in wealth and lux-ury. The town mouse is captured by his worldly friend’s fine talk, and he was quite pleased with the new arrange-

o m n i b u s i V4

Aesop’s Fables 5

lesson.” The New Geneva Study Bible note on Matthew 13:3 has this to say about Jesus’ parables: “Most of Jesus’ parables are clear, but they also contain a depth of mean-ing that only one with a right relationship to Jesus can comprehend. It is only to the disciples that Jesus gives the

the story is “Sunshine of a kind and gentle manner will sooner open a poor man’s heart than all the threats and force of blustering authority.” Of course, sometimes that may in fact be true, but it is not a universal truth. Sometimes a poor man’s heart won’t open without God’s interven-tion. Consider the apostle Paul, for instance. He had to be knocked off his horse and blinded! In “The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” we see what happens to those who seek to deceive others: they are found out and quickly dealt with. At least in this fable that’s what happens. “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23) is the principle that comes to mind. The wolf dressed up like a sheep, hoping to eat a sheep for his supper, but the shepherd mistook him and killed him for his supper instead! Proverbs 26:27 says that “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.” It is hard not to think of the shepherd here as quite similar to the wolf: both of them just want their supper. “The Fox and the Crow” has a very clever moral: “Whoever listens to the music of flatterers must expect to pay the piper.” In this fable we have the crow stealing some cheese and the fox stealing the stolen cheese from the crow by means of flattery. Though the fox is the winner, he is in no way the “good guy” in this ex-change. The fox covets the cheese that is not his, lies to the crow, and then insults the crow after winning the cheese. But the crow’s foolishness is remarked on in the fable, not the fox’s dishonesty or thievery. It is easy to imagine a follow-up fable where the fox gets his just reward from the crow. We will read these and a number of other fables. Having considered all this, it is important to note that Christians can often mistake Jesus’ parables for fables. A parable (as Jesus told them), though similar in some ways to a fable, has additional subtleties and a very dif-ferent point. The Harper Handbook to Literature defines a parable in a way that is too similar to their definition of fable—a “short tale encapsulating a moral or religious

How often have we nursed our disappointment by convincing ourselves that what was not

obtained was probably not worth having anyway? The fox maintains his self-esteem by speculating

that the grapes were no doubt sour.

o m n i b u s i V6

arrive shortly before the end of the day, but they are all paid the same amount for their labor. If we are just look-ing for a simple moral, we might say, “Be content with your pay” or “Don’t compare yourselves to others” or “An employer can overpay his workers if he wants.” These are all good lessons, and so the story could work as a didac-tic lesson. But Jesus was speaking about Israel and the Gentiles. The Jews had been “working in the vineyard” for many centuries, serving God, obeying His law, and wor-shiping Him as He commanded. Then along came Jesus preaching the Good News, with the intent to include even the Gentiles and other sinners within Israel. And the Jews were grumbling. How could God give the kingdom to the latecomers, those who had not been working all day? This is a good example of how we can mistake the message of God’s abundant grace and just get some good moral in-struction from the parable instead. A modern fabulist would be someone like Dr. Seuss. If you have read stories such as The Sneetches or Horton Hears a Who, you know he is using funny animals to teach moral lessons to children about how to treat one another, about the foolishness of competition and peer pressure, and the importance of standing up for the little guy. These are fables, not parables, but because he lived thousands of years after the Incarnation, Dr. Seuss un-derstands something of grace. He sees the goodness of the self-sacrificing Horton who is persecuted by his com-munity. Perhaps the difference between Seuss and Ae-sop is that Aesop’s Fables originated in the darkness of ancient Greece before the advent of the gospel, while Dr. Seuss was writing in the light of the Christian era. By bringing Scripture to bear on these fables, I am not trying to undermine their purpose of teaching or their ability to delight us. We ought to take them as they are intended and enjoy them. But this enjoyment should only be as far as they go. So, if you have the opportunity, look at some children’s editions of the stories and check out a couple of the cartoon versions.

—Nancy Wilson

For Further ReadingFrye, Northrop, et al. The Harper Handbook to Literature. New York: Harper and Row, 1985.1

The New Geneva Study Bible, Thomas Nelson Publish-ers, 1995.

Vernon Jones, V.S., trans. Aesop’s Fables: A Facsimile of the 1912 Edition, with introduction by G.K. Chesterton. New York: Avenel Books, 1975.

Zipes, Jack, ed. Aesop’s Fables. New York: Signet Clas-sics, 1992.

interpretation of the parable of the sower and the par-able of the tares. The ungodly miss this deeper meaning because their lack of a proper relationship with God has darkened their thoughts and hearts.” In addition to this, Christ’s parables were more context-dependent. Aesop’s fables bring their own context with them; they are uni-versally accessible. Christ’s parables often function well at the same level (treated as a fable), but if we stop there, we will miss a great deal. Jesus’ parables were not just giving little morals like a fable, but were actually prophetic pronouncements against Israel. Consider, for example, the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard in Matthew 20:1–16. In this par-able some workers come early in the morning and others

Dr. Seuss was a modern fabulist. Born Theodor Seuss Geisel in 1904, he published more than 60 children’s books, including The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, If I Ran the Zoo, and Horton Hears a Who. As both storyteller and illustrator, he filled his stories with catchy rhymes, easily understood moral lessons, and whimsical creatures. Geisel died in 1991.

Aesop’s Fables 7

reAdinG AssiGnment: “The Fox and the Grapes,” “The Ants and the Grasshopper,” “The Hawk and the Pigeons,” “The Eagle and the Fox,” “The Cock and the Jewel,” and “The Fox and the Lion”

session ii: discussion“The Fox and the Grapes,” “The Ants and the Grasshopper”

A Question to Consider When we hear a “poor loser” make up excuses for why he lost or didn’t get his way, why does it bother us so much? What is a typical fleshly response to defeat?It bothers us because often we are the one that won, and we know that we did not beat this poor loser because the sun was in his eyes or because the referee was blind or because we cheated. He lost because, well, we beat him. This “poor loser” type of person shows a sort of abject immaturity that makes us want to give him what immature, self-centered little children need—firm, loving discipline (often best applied to the backside). Perhaps this inability to take responsibility reminds us of us. This sort of failure has a long history in the human race. When we do badly or lose or sin, we—like our father Adam—tend to make excuses (“It was the girl’s fault . . . wait, who gave me that girl?). The fact remains, however, that when we lose, we should simply be gracious and move on, remembering that losing or failing shows us we are human and have limits.

Discuss or list short answers to the following questions:

Text Analysis1. In “The Fox and the Grapes,” what condition is the

fox in at the beginning of the fable? Might this condi-tion affect his attitude to some degree? If so, how?

The fox is famished. He may be more irritable and impatient due to being excessively hungry. Though these characteristics may prove to be stumbling blocks, they do not justify his lying and prideful actions.

session i: prelude

A Question to Consider If fables are not factually possible (animals do not speak —the serpent in the Garden and Balaam’s ass ex-cepted), why should we read them?We should read them for the same reason that we read fiction, in that these stories help us understand truth. This does not mean that fables see all truth. Being written by a culture that did not understand the gospel, grace and mercy are absent from the fables. Still, they teach us truth, such as, if you do not work, you will not eat—just like the grasshopper who spent his summer sing-ing while the ants worked and stored up food.

From the General Information above, answer the following questions:1. Why do the fables have such a universal appeal?They have universal appeal because law appeals to the human heart, because little children always need to be taught to be good, and because the stories are accessible and entertaining.2. What is the relationship of law and grace for Christians?In the Christian worldview, law shows us our need for the grace of God. The gospel brings us that grace.3. What is the relationship of law and grace in Aesop?There isn’t one—grace is absent. The assumption is that if you learn the lesson taught by the law, you will do well. It is assumed that we have the ability to do right.4. Does this reliance on law mean that Christians can-

not enjoy Aesop?No, not at all. But our appreciation must always be kept within defined limits. The world of Aesop describes a part of the world God made. But theological disaster will come if we mistake that portion of the world for the whole thing. 5. What common mistake do we make with regard to

the parables of Christ?We treat them as though they are moralistic fables—as though the Good Samaritan were about nothing more than “lend a helping hand.”6. What is significant about the use of animals in Aesop?Of course, children enjoy such stories, but the real significance is that the nature of animals is fixed. Foxes are crafty, lions brave, donkeys dumb.

o m n i b u s i V8

not. Their response is that of law and not of mercy.4. In “The Ants and the Grasshopper,” at any point in

the fable do the ants show compassion or have mercy on the grasshopper?

No. In fact, they laugh at his pathetic state. The ants are living by the law.5. In “The Ants and the Grasshopper,” the moral of the

fable is “Idleness brings want,” which applies to the grasshopper’s situation. What might the moral be if it were to apply to the ants?

Answers will vary. To work today is to eat tomor-row. It is best to prepare for the days of necessity. It is better to leave the sluggard in his impover-ished state unaided rather than offer a handout and encourage him in his laziness.

Cultural Analysis1. Where do we see “sour grapes” attitudes in our culture?We see it everywhere. Athletes might be the worst at it. Sports have taken on such a level of importance that, too often, passion boils over into hideous immaturity. We also, however, see people claiming sour grapes when people around them receive blessings. 2. How does our culture react to

people claiming “sour grapes”? Our culture tolerates it—and

even celebrates it. Foul-mouthed, crybaby athletes are egged on by report-

ers to proclaim the next, more egregious excuse for losing. These images are beamed out over the airwaves and Internet for all to

see. We even tend to make excuses for these prima donna athletes when their passions flare

up or when they do not get their way. 3. Where do we see sluggardly behavior in our culture?

Again, this sort of behavior is widespread. It is too often true among many of our young peo-

ple who are content to while away their most vigorous years

without working—letting Mom and

Dad do everything. Sluggards are found at country clubs and under

bridges. They hold important political offices and pulpits. 4. How does our culture react to

sluggardly behavior?It alternately tolerates and

despises sluggardly behavior.

2. In “The Fox and the Grapes,” how does the fox re-spond to defeat?

He paints a perfect picture of the typical fleshly response. He will not admit to his defeat. He becomes puffed up in his pride and arrogance. Even though he really wants the grapes, he chooses to lie to himself that the grapes are sour and that he wouldn’t want them anyway. We can relate to his attitude and actions because they are the typical response of fallen man. We see dis-plays of the fox’s attitude and actions all around us in our daily lives, whether it be a child who doesn’t get his way, an athlete who is defeated in a competition, an individual who doesn’t get the promotion at work, etc.3. In “The Ants and the Grasshopper,” how do the ants

first respond to the half-dead grasshopper’s request for “a morsel to save his life”?

Rather than initially showing compassion on the starving grasshopper and giving him food to save his life, their first response is, “What did you do this past summer?” It is evident that if he worked hard during the summer, he would receive help,

and if he was lazy, he would

“Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber, O slug-gard? When will you rise from your sleep?” Proverbs 6:6–9

Aesop’s Fables 9

gard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber, O slug-gard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man.” The grasshopper is a perfect example of the sluggard, whose poverty comes upon him like a prowler. He definitely reaps what he sows! 5. In this passage, how does the ant fall short of a Chris-

tian response to poverty?The ants, in turn, show no mercy upon the dying grasshopper. Not only do the ants show no mercy, but they also laugh at the grasshopper’s pathetic state. As stated earlier, Aesop’s fables speak truth as far as they go, but they are incomplete. Common sense tells us that by neglecting to store up food for the winter, the sluggard grasshopper will go hungry. When approached by the grass-hopper, the ants choose to extend all law and no mercy, which is a very realistic response in a dog-eat-dog world. However, this is where Aesop falls short. In the Scriptures we learn that “Mercy tri-umphs over judgment” (James 2:13) and “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matt. 5:7).

summA Write an essay or discuss this question, integrating

what you have learned from the material above. What is a Christian reaction to “sour grapes”

and sluggardly behavior?Christians must be (to carry on the animal theme) wise as serpents and gentle as doves. We must call all men to faith, repentance, and sanctifica-tion. This commitment to become more like Christ must be played out in our actions and reactions. We must learn to take responsibility for our fail-ures, losses, and inability. This does not mean that we like losing or that we don’t want the grapes (or the new, really cool T-shirt). It means, however, that we have the maturity to face loss and disappointment because we know that even these come from the hand of our loving heavenly Father. Concerning the sluggard, Christians again need wisdom and discernment. Initially, the sluggard and the righteous poor might look similar. When reading Aesop’s fables, we get a clear picture of a “you reap what you sow” and “it’s a hard-knock

This, however, is only the beginning of the wrongs. Our culture also tends to imagine that all poor people are sluggards and despises them. Also, it pretends to be merciful with welfare programs—no merciless ants in our culture. These programs, however, often lead to dependency rather than biblical mercy that meets needs but is also committed to seeing the poor raised up to be able to support themselves and eventually give to others.

Biblical Analysis1. How does the fox’s response compare with Proverbs

21:23–24?“Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles. A proud and haughty man, ‘Scoffer’ is his name; He acts with arrogant pride.” The fox represents “Scoffer.” Rather than guard-ing his mouth and tongue, he acts with arrogant pride.2. What does Luke 6:44–46 say about this sort

of response? It says, “For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gath-er figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good trea-sure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil trea-

sure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance

of the heart his mouth speaks.”

3. What connection do we see between the fox’s heart and mouth

(Matt. 12:34)? We know through Scripture that there is a direct connection between the heart and the mouth.

Matthew 12:34 says, “For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth

speaks.” In this particular fable, the fox represents one who is arrogant,

prideful, and a liar. After the fox fails in his attempt to acquire the grapes,

the arrogance, pride and deception in his heart pour from his lips. 4. The Scriptures paint a very clear picture of how the

sluggard is to look to the ant and learn from her ways. How is the grasshopper an excellent illustration of Proverbs 6:6–11?

Proverbs 6:6–11 says, “Go to the ant, you slug-

o m n i b u s i V1 0

life” world. Rather than seeing the biblical virtues of mercy and forgiveness painted in the fables, they teach the value of common sense that comes from living in a dog-eat-dog world. For example, a dog carrying a piece of meat in his mouth sees his reflection in the river. Coveting the piece of meat he sees in the reflection, he snaps at it and loses the piece in his mouth. Or, a farmer discovers that his goose lays one golden egg daily. The farmer, wanting the entire trea-sure at once, kills the goose in hopes of getting all the eggs. He soon discovers that it was a normal goose with nothing inside. You reap what you sow! Aesop’s fables speak truth as far as they go, but they are an incomplete picture. Aesop focuses on law, while in the Scriptures we find both law and grace.

optionAl ActiVity

Narrative Mime Let’s bring this fable to life with a narrative mime! While the teacher reads the following adaptation of “The Fox and the Grapes,” the students act out the role of the fox without speaking. Be sure not to read too quickly. The students need time to mime all of the actions. There are no “physical” props . . . everything is mimed. Have fun! A famished fox was trotting all over the coun-tryside in search of something to eat. While on his quest of finding food, he crawled on his belly underneath a fallen tree, swam across a wide river, and slowly dragged himself up the side of a mountain. Suddenly the fox stopped dead in his tracks. Straight ahead was a beautiful vineyard filled with ripe, luscious grapes. His jaw dropped open in amazement, then he began to jump up and down with excitement! The famished fox crept into the vineyard where he quickly tried to reach up to grab a cluster of grapes. The grapes were up too high for him to reach! The fox then began to jump to try to grab the grapes. The grapes were still too high for him to reach! He found an old stump which he placed underneath the cluster of grapes. He climbed onto the stump. With his paws outstretched, he jumped high into the air…still no success. The fox shook his foreleg at the grapes and said, “Who

Benjamin Franklin once said, “A wolf eats sheep but now and then, ten thou-sands are devoured by men.” In fables wolves are almost always depicted as villains.

Aesop’s Fables 1 1

IssueWolves almost always appear in fables as villains. Is this con-sistent portrayal of wolves good or is this just a prejudice?

reAdinG AssiGnment: “The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” “The Wolf and the Crane,” “The Wolf and the Goat,” “The Wolf and the Horse,” “The Wolf and the Lamb,” “The Wolf and the Lion,” “The Wolf and the Sheep,” and “The Wolf and the Shepherd”

session iii: student-led discussion “The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” “The Wolf and the Crane,” “The Wolf and the Goat,” “The Wolf and the Horse,” “The Wolf and the Lamb,” “The Wolf and the Lion,” “The Wolf and the Sheep,” and “The Wolf and the Shepherd”

A Question to Consider Wolves almost always appear in fables as villains. Is this consistent portrayal of wolves good, or is this just a prejudice?Stories teach children a symbolic vocabulary. They have a great value in this way. Lewis recognizes this in The Chronicles of Narnia and The Abolition of Man. The stories of the ancient and medieval world, leaning heavily on the Scriptures, taught and valued these traditional symbolic meanings. Serpents are wicked and sly—when they talk to you, you should shut your ears. Dragons are evil—when heroes see them, they should grasp their swords. Dogs are faithful—Lassie always leads the kids out of trouble or knows where to go for help. Cats are . . . well . . . cats. Modern storytellers tend to take great joy in twisting this typical symbolic meaning. Older, more mature readers are not harmed by this twisting. Lacking the training of good children’s books, Eustace is described in the following manner at the beginning of Voyage of the Dawn Treader:

Eustace Clarence liked animals, especially beetles, if they were dead and pinned on a card. He liked books if they were books of information and had pictures of grain elevators or of fat foreign children doing exercises in model schools.

needs you! You’re probably sour anyway!” The fox moped his way out of the vineyard mumbling and complaining the entire way.

Our next session will be a student-led discussion. As you are reading the following assignment,

you should write down at least three questions from the text dealing with the issue listed

below. These questions will be turned in to the teacher and will be used in class-

room discussion. To get full credit for these Text Analysis questions, you must create a question that is con-nected to the reading and to the issue that is the focus of our discussion; you must also answer the question correctly (and include a page or

line reference at the end); and your question must be one

that invites discussion and debate (“why” questions

are excellent; questions that can be answered by “yes” or “no” are to be avoided). You should also provide two Cul-tural Analysis and two Biblical Analysis questions. Cultural

Analysis questions ask how our culture views

the issue that we are dis-cussing. Biblical Analysis

questions ask what the Bible says concerning this is-

sue. Again, to get full credit for each question, you must create

questions connected to the is-sue we are studying, answer each

question correctly, and create ques-tions that encourage and invite discus-

sion and exploration. For an example of each type of question and answer, refer to

the examples provided in the next session. If you are working alone, after creating your questions and answers, have your parent or tutor check over them. Also, if possible, share them with your family at the dinner table, helping them to understand why the issue is important, how the issue arises in your reading, how its importance is still evi-dent in our culture, and how understanding this issue might change the way you and your family should think and live.

o m n i b u s i V1 2

summA Write an essay or discuss this question, integrating

what you have learned from the material above. Should we seek to preserve the symbolic mean-

ing of certain animals like wolves when we write children’s stories?

We should preserve the images and meanings that come from Scripture. This starts by teaching and being thoroughly acquainted with the symbolism of Scripture. We should teach this symbolism in the stories we write. It trains children to look at the world biblically, and it helps them understand the great stories of our civilization, which affirm these symbolic meanings.

reAdinG AssiGnment: “The Country Mouse and the Town Mouse,” “The Fox and the Crow,” “The Fighting Cocks and the Eagles,” “The Mouse and the Frog,” “The Peach, the Apple and the Blackberry,” “The Lion and the Mouse,” and “The Lion, the Ass and the Fox Who Went Hunting”

session iV: ActiVity Drama Let’s bring this fable to life with a little acting! Act out the fable “The Country Mouse and the Town Mouse.” In addition to being a lot of fun, acting is a great way to reinforce material being taught. Divide up the parts between the students or family members. Casting is very flexible. One person can play numerous parts. Read through the entire script. Once you are familiar with the script, set up a “stage” and run the show. Work together to create the blocking and imagina-tive sound effects. Have fun! Here is a short synopsis of some of the issues con-cerning the “The Country Mouse and the Town Mouse.” Read through this and consider how these issues should affect your play. Have you ever heard, “The grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence)?” For a brief period of time, the simple country mouse was definitely won over by the greener grass! Compared to his meager, quiet home, the town mouse’s home is luxurious, and every meal is a feast. Is there anything wrong with being wealthy and having nice things? No, not at all. However, there are dan-

Thus, arriving in Narnia, he misreads the world a number of times by failing to recognize the sym-bolic language taught in good children’s books.

Students should read and consider the example ques-tions below that are connected to the Question to Consid-er above. Last session’s assignment was to prepare three questions and answers for the Text Analysis section and two additional questions and answers for both the Cul-tural and Biblical Analysis sections below.

Text Analysis Example: Do wolves have a fixed nature in Aesop’s Fables or are there all sorts of different wolves?

Answer: We see a clear pattern as to the wolf’s fixed nature. There is not a single fable that paints the wolf as being an honorable, merciful character. We see this in the world as well. Since the wolves are known for being cunning, liars, thieves, deceivers, bullies, and tyrants, we also know that the wolf will not choose a respectable way to “earn a liv-ing.” We need to keep in mind that this fable illustrates a simple truth about life as far as it goes. It’s simply showing that a liar lies, a thief steals, a deceiver deceives, and so on. It doesn’t go the extra step in showing that God can change hearts and forgive those who repent.

Cultural AnalysisExample: Where do we see the twisting of symbolic lan-guage in our culture today?

Answer: We often see it in children’s books and cartoons. Dragons and snakes and ghouls are often portrayed as kind, nice, heroic and all-around good (or at least vastly misunderstood). Other cultural issues to consider: Dragontales, Super Why, Beetlejuice

Biblical AnalysisExample: Are dragons and snakes ever good in the Bible?

Answer: They are mainly bad, but not always. Remember that when the Israelites are attacked by “fiery serpents,” Mo-ses raised up a bronze serpent on a pole. Those that looked at the serpent and trusted in God’s provision were saved. This serpent represented Christ. Throughout the Scriptures, however, serpents and dragons are generally wicked. Other Scriptures to consider: Genesis 3, Psalm 58, Psalm 140, Matthew 23:33; Revelation 12:9, but also cf. Exodus 7 and Numbers 21.

Aesop’s Fables 1 3

The town mouse portrays himself as being an expert in knowing what life is all about.

. . . I’ll show you all around the town and what life’s about (the essence of the entire discourse).

Though the town mouse believes that what he is say-ing is true, his words are tempting, deceptive and false and will lead his friend astray.

List of CharactersNarrators: One or moreBirds, Cows, Trees Country MouseTown MouseRevelersDogs

Set/Props For Country Mouse’s home use one chair to represent rocking chair. Two chairs and a small table can be used to represent the kitchen. For Town Mouse’s home two chairs and a table can be used to represent the dining room.

Sound-Effects Use the voice to create birds tweeting, trees blow-ing and whistling, a telephone ringing, cows mooing, a roaring car engine, and traffic noises. Use bells for a telephone ringing, along with a triangle for the elevator going up and down, stopping at each floor.

Staging Use one half of the stage/room for the country mouse’s house, and the other half for the town mouse’s house. As the mice travel from one home to the other, they could drive their car around the edge of the stage/classroom.

Here is an example of what your play might look like:

“The Country Mouse and the Town Mouse” by Aesop adapted by LaJean Burns

Narrator 1: One day the country mouse was rock-ing peacefully in his rocking chair. He was enjoy-ing the simple music of the birds (birds chirp/country mouse sighs) the lowing of the cows (cows moo/country mouse sighs) and the gentle swaying of the trees (students sway with their arms back and forth).

gers and temptations associated with living in wealth and luxury. We need to remember that nice things in and of themselves are not bad. We know from the Scriptures that the Lord blessed Job, Abraham, Isaac, David, and Solomon (and the list goes on) with great wealth. Let’s look closely at what Hebrews 13:5 has to say about mon-ey: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Note here that he does not say, “Keep your lives free from money,” but rather “from the love of money.” Money in and of itself is not bad—it’s the way in which we use it, think about it, and value it. Clothes, money, gadgets, and food can all become idols, but in and of themselves they are all just stuff. Let’s take a look at how the country mouse is affected by stuff. Let’s look at the after-dinner chat between the town mouse and country mouse. The town mouse says, “How is it, my good friend, that you can endure this boring and crude life? You live like a toad in a hole. You can’t really prefer these solitary rocks and woods to streets teem-ing with carriages and people. Upon my word of honor, you’re wasting your time in such a miserable existence. You must make the most of your life while it lasts. As you know, a mouse does not live forever. So, come with me this very night, and I’ll show you all around the town and what life’s about.” Several things can be gleaned from this conversation:The town mouse is the country mouse’s good friend. Because of this relationship, the country mouse values the opinion of his friend. He trusts him.

How is it, my good friend . . .

The town mouse persuasively and convincingly tells the country mouse that he truly cannot prefer his country way of life over that of town.

You live like a toad in a hole. You can’t really prefer these solitary rocks and woods . . .

The town mouse very confidently and unapologetically gives the country mouse counsel as to how he needs to change his country way of life for his own good.

Upon my word of honor, you’re wasting your time in such a miserable existence.

The town mouse uses the “sense of urgency” to convince the country mouse that he needs to make a life change.

You must make the most of your life while it lasts. . . . [A] mouse does not live forever. Come with me this very night . . .

o m n i b u s i V1 4

Town Mouse: How is it, my good friend, that you can endure this boring and crude life? You live like a toad in a hole. You can’t really prefer this dull solitary life to streets filled with people and excitement. You’re wasting your time in such a miserable place. A mouse doesn’t live forever. Come back to town with me and I’ll show you what life is all about.

Country Mouse: Hmmmm. Since you put it that way . . . I’ll come!

Narrator 9: They hopped into the town mouse’s car and away they went. The country mouse’s fur almost jumped off the way the car bumped up and down on the dusty road.

Town Mouse: Here we are in town. Just look at those tall buildings. (Country mouse exaggerates looking up.)

Country Mouse: They look like monsters to me! (Sound effects: Students make various city sounds, such as honking horns, screeching tires, a few shouts, etc. Country mouse covers his ears.) All this noise is hurting my ears.

Town Mouse: Don’t worry. We’re here.

Narrator 10: The town mouse parked his car and hurried his friend into the apartment building and into the elevator. The country mouse had never been in an elevator before and held his stomach as the elevator zoomed up (elevator sound effect).

Narrator 11: The country mouse’s jaw dropped open as they entered the apartment. There were red velvet couches, ivory carvings, exquisite paint-ings on the walls . . . it was the most beautiful place the country mouse had ever seen.

Narrator 12: The town mouse led his bewildered friend into the dining room. The country mouse’s jaw dropped open even further when he saw what was on the dining-room table. It was cov-ered with the remains of a splendid feast . . . gourmet cheeses, European breads, exotic fruits covered in cream, berry pies, and a huge choco-late cake.

Country Mouse: Ahhh, what a beautiful day.

Narrator 2: It was so pleasant that the country mouse decided to call his dear friend the town mouse to come for a visit. (Country Mouse picks up imaginary phone and calls the Town Mouse. Phone-ringing sound effect.)

Town Mouse: (Swaggers across the room to imaginary telephone and strokes his whiskers just before answering) Hello, this is the illustrious, handsome, brilliant, and irresistible Town Mouse.

Narrator 3: (Mice mime phone conversation) After the “lengthy” greeting the country mouse asked his friend to come for a visit. The town mouse gladly accepted his old friend’s invitation.

Town Mouse: I’m on my way. I’ll be driving my brand-new Mouserati convertible.

Narrator 4: The country mouse was delighted and eagerly prepared for the visit. He opened his heart and pantry to honor his old friend. He set the table with every food that he had . . . peas, barley, cheeses and nuts. What he may have lacked in quality, he didn’t lack in quantity.

Narrator 5: At the same time, the town mouse whooshed down the elevator (elevator sound effect), hopped in his new Mouserati, and zoomed off (car-engine sound effect). His car bumped up and down on the dusty country roads. Needless to say, the town mouse wasn’t very happy.

Narrator 6: The town mouse finally arrived. He got out of his car and brushed the dust off his clothes and face. He then got out a handkerchief, smiled tenderly at his car, and wiped a bit of dust off of the paint.

Narrator 7: Just then the country mouse scurried out his door and greeted his old friend. They eagerly walked into the country mouse’s humble home together. The country mouse offered a seat to the town mouse and proudly served his friend the country meal.

Narrator 8: With a disdainful look on his face, the town mouse nibbled a little here and there. Clearly, he wasn’t enjoying the meal.

Aesop’s Fables 1 5

session V: WritinG“The Hare and the Tortoise”

Extending the Story

This session is a writing assignment. Remember, quality counts more than quantity. You should write no more than 1,000 words, either typing or writing legibly on one side of a sheet of paper. You will lose points for writing more than this. You will be allowed to turn in your writ-ing three times. The first and second times you turn it in, your teacher will grade it by editing your work. This is done by marking problem areas and making sugges-tions for improvement. You should take these sugges-tions into consideration as you revise your assignment. Only the grade on your final submission will be record-ed. Your grade will be based on the following criteria: 25 points for grammar, 25 points for content accura-cy—historical, theological, etc.; 25 points for logic—does this make sense and is it structured well?; 25 points for rhetoric—is it a joy to read?

Fictional Story Your assignment is to extend or lengthen the story of “The Tortoise and the Hare” by imagining what would happen after the race is over. “The Tortoise and the Hare” is one of Aesop’s most popular fables. We tend to think of it as being a fable for children since it is so often adapted for children’s books and movies. It points out how the proud and boastful hare loses in a race against a slow but steady tortoise. Though the hare has the ability to win the race, he makes an arrogant decision to stop and rest, which enables the tortoise to pass him by and win. The tortoise is an excellent example of one who perseveres until the end. Thus, we have the moral “Slow and steady wins the race.” Have you ever wondered what happened after the race? Was the hare a “bad loser” or did he learn his lesson? Was there ever a rematch? Wonder no more. A new, extended version of this fable answers all your questions.

“The Tortoise and the Hare . . . Extended Edition”Author Unknown

Once upon a time a tortoise and a hare had an argu-ment about who was faster. They decided to settle the ar-gument with a race. The tortoise and hare both agreed on a route and started off the race. The hare shot ahead and ran briskly for some time. Then seeing that he was far ahead of the tortoise, he thought he’d sit under a tree for some time and relax before continuing the race. He sat

Narrator 13: The town mouse sat his friend on a purple cushion and served him the mouth-watering food. The country mouse ate so much that he felt he was about to burst. While patting his tummy with contentment, the country mouse thought contemptuously of the poor meals he had been used to eating. He was becoming very comfortable in his new surroundings . . .

Narrator 14: . . . when suddenly the door flew open and a group of revelers, who were returning from a party, burst into the room! The frightened friends jumped from the table and hid themselves in the very first corner they could reach.

Narrator 15: No sooner did the two creep out from their hiding spot when they were set upon by barking dogs. In even greater terror they quickly scurried back into their corner.

Narrator 16: Gradually, when things seemed quiet again, the country mouse crept out from his hid-ing place and whispered goodbye to his elegant friend.

Country Mouse: This way of living may be all right for those who like it, but it’s definitely not for me. . . . I’d rather have a small crust of bread in peace and safety than all your fine things in the midst of such fear and terror.

Narrator 17: The country mouse eagerly left his friend, for he was longing for the simple comforts of his home.

The End

All actors drop their heads to signify the end of the play.

reAdinG AssiGnment: “The Hare and the Tortoise,” “The Hares and the Frogs,” “The Farmer and the Stork,” “The Man and the Lion,” “The Bundle of Sticks,” “Jupiter and the Bee,” “Mercury and the Woodcutter,” and “The Goose with the Golden Eggs”

o m n i b u s i V1 6

core competency. In an organization, if you are a good speaker, make sure you create opportunities to give presentations that enable the senior management to notice you. If your strength is analysis, make sure you do some sort of re-search, make a report and send it upstairs. Working to your strengths will not only get you noticed, but will also create opportunities for growth and advancement.

The story still hasn’t ended.

The tortoise and hare, by this time, had become pretty good friends, and they did some thinking together. Both realized that the last race could have been run much bet-ter. So the tortoise and hare decided to do the last race again, but to run as a team this time. They started off, and this time the hare carried the tortoise till the riverbank. There, the tortoise took over and swam across with the hare on his back. On the opposite bank, the hare again carried the tortoise, and they reached the finishing line together. Both the tortoise and hare felt a greater sense of satisfaction than they’d felt earlier. The moral of the story? It’s good to be individually brilliant and to have strong core competencies, but un-less you’re able to work in a team and harness each oth-er’s core competencies, you’ll always perform below par because there will always be situations at which you’ll do poorly and someone else does well. Teamwork is mainly about situational leadership, let-ting the person with the relevant core competency for a situation take leadership. There are more lessons to be learned from this inspi-rational teamwork story. Note that neither the tortoise nor hare gave up after failures. The hare decided to work harder and put in more effort after his failure. The tortoise changed his strategy because he was already working as hard as he could. In life, when faced with failure, sometimes it is appropriate to work harder and put in more effort. Sometimes it is ap-propriate to change strategy and try something different. And sometimes it is appropriate to do both. The tortoise and hare also learned another vital les-son in teamwork. When we stop competing against a ri-val and instead start competing against the situation, we perform far better. For example, when Roberto Goizueta took over as chief executive officer of Coca-Cola in the 1980s, he was faced with intense competition from Pepsi that was eat-ing into Coke’s growth. His executives were Pepsi-focused and intent on increasing market share 0.1 percent. Goizu-eta decided to stop competing against Pepsi and instead compete against the situation of 0.1 percent growth. He asked his executives what was the average fluid

under the tree and soon fell asleep. The tortoise, plodding on, overtook him and soon finished the race, emerging as the undisputed champ. The hare woke up and realized that he’d lost the race. The moral of the story is that slow and steady wins the race. This is the version of the story that we’ve all grown up with.

But the story doesn’t end there . . .

Here is an example of what the rest of the “Extended Edition” might look like. (This version is written to affirm certain business principles. It is used by professionals as a tool to teach teamwork throughout the English-speak-ing world and beyond. In addition to the United States and Canada, this version is popular in the United King-dom, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Taiwan, Viet-nam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Japan, Jamaica, Saudi Arabia, Croatia, and the list goes on. Some or all of the morals are focused on the business world.) The hare was disappointed at losing the race and he did some soul-searching. He realized that he’d lost the race only because he had been overconfident, careless, and lax. If he had not taken things for granted, there’s no way the tortoise could have beaten him. So he chal-lenged the tortoise to another race. The tortoise agreed. This time, the hare went all out and ran without stopping from start to finish. He won by several miles. The moral of the story? Fast and consistent will al-ways beat the slow and steady. If you have two people in your organization, one slow, methodical and reliable, and the other fast and still reliable at what he does, the fast and reliable chap will consistently climb the organi-zational ladder faster than the slow, methodical chap. It’s good to be slow and steady; but it’s better to be fast and reliable.

But the story doesn’t end there . . .

The tortoise did some thinking this time, and realized that there’s no way he can beat the hare in a race the way it was currently formatted. He thought for a while, and then challenged the hare to another race, but on a slightly different route. The hare agreed. The tortoise and hare started off. In keeping with his self-made commitment to be consistently fast, the hare took off and ran at top speed until he came to a broad river. The finishing line was a couple of kilometers on the other side of the river. The hare sat there wondering what to do. In the meantime the tortoise trundled along, got into the river, swam to the op-posite bank, continued walking and finished the race. The moral of the story? First identify your core com-petency and then change the playing field to suit your

Aesop’s Fables 1 7

Once upon a time there was a possum and a field mouse. The possum thought little of the field mouse because he was so tiny, but the field mouse desperately wanted to be friends with the possum. “What can a field mouse do?” asked the possum sarcastically as he strode away from the friendless mouse into the deep dark woods. That night some hunters were in the woods and saw the possum. He scurried away. But just when he thought he was safe, he stumbled into a patch of vines and was trapped. Soon the hunters would find him, kill him, and have him for dinner. Along came the listless field mouse, who saw the pos-sum trapped and heard the hunters coming. He quickly ran to where the possum was trapped and began to gnaw at the vines that held him fast. The last vine snapped seconds before the hunters arrived, and the possum and the field mouse darted into a hollow tree for safety. The possum looked at his tiny friend with gratitude. “Little friends may prove great friends,” he said.

Optional Activity A great way to practice rhetoric skills while applying what the students have learned about Aesop is to host an Aesop’s Fables production! Invite parents, siblings, and younger students. Aesop was a master storyteller. He was known for his quick wit and his ability to captivate and entertain large audiences. Captivate your audience! In honor of Aesop, be energetic, witty, and creative. Leave a lasting impres-sion on your audience. Have fun! Below is a sample 30-minute performance schedule. If time permits, add more to the schedule. For example:

Add a reading of the original “The Shepherd Boy and •the Wolf” as well as a rewrite.

Read an Aesop’s fable but don’t include the moral. Call •on audience members to share what they think a fit-ting moral might be. End with reading the real moral.

If the audience is composed of older students and •parents, include a reading of “The Tortoise and the Hare . . . Extended Edition.”

S a m p l e p e r f o r m a n c e S c h e d u l e

Present a brief background of Aesop.•

Do a brief introduction of “The Wind and the Sun.” •Perform the play (make it like the one you did for “The Country Mouse and the City Mouse.”

intake of an American per day. The answer was 14 ounc-es. What was Coke’s share of that? Two ounces. Goizueta said Coke needed a larger share of that market. The com-petition wasn’t Pepsi. It was the water, tea, coffee, milk, and fruit juices that went into the remaining 12 ounces. To this end, Coke put up vending machines at every street corner. Sales took a quantum jump, and Pepsi has never quite caught up since. To sum up, the story of the hare and tortoise teaches us many things. Chief among them are that fast and con-sistent will always beat slow and steady; work to your competencies; pooling resources and working as a team will always beat individual performers; never give up when faced with failure; and finally, compete against the situation, not against a rival.

reAdinG AssiGnment: ““The Wind and the Sun,” “The Fox and the Crow,” “The Maid and the Pail of Milk,” “The Mice in Council,” “The Ass and His Master,” “The Mice and the Wea-sels,” “The Eagle and the Crow,” and “The Lion and the Three Bulls”

session Vi: ActiVity

Creating an Oral Fable In the true spirit of Aesop, we are going to create an oral fable. In addition to being a great learning experience, this exercise is a lot of fun! An important factor to making this a success is to do a thorough job creating the storyline. The more information you have, the better the oral fable will be!

Copy the headings from Chart 1 onto a large sheet of paper or the board. Fill in the information. Remember, the moral drives the storyline. The storyline is simply the

tool used to drive the point home. Sit in a large circle. (If you are working at home, do this activity with family members. If you are working alone, write the fable and present it to your family at din-ner.) Pass around a “talking stick” (any simple item, such as an eraser, ruler or ball). The person holding the “talk-ing stick” adds a line or two to the oral fable being creat-ed. The last one holding the “talking stick” tells the moral of the story. Encourage the students to include creative dialogue! (Each student may contribute to the story one or several times depending upon the size of the class.) Here is an example of what you might produce:

o m n i b u s i V1 8

hopper.”

Explain how this fable shows all law and no mercy.

Read one rewrite of “The Ants and the Grasshop-per” and explain how it demonstrates mercy.

Following the performance, expand upon the moral by adding that in some instances we need more than a kind word to open a poor man’s heart. We need God’s intervention.

Read the original version of “The Ants and the Grass-•

Chart 1 : Creating an Oral Fable

Creating tHe StOrYline eXaMPleS

Moral “Whoever harms his neighbor will bring a curse upon himself.”

“Little friends may prove great friends.”

“Never underestimate the help of the small.”

General plot Characters “A” and “B” are walking down the road. “B” falls into a pit. “A” runs away, leaving “B” in the pit. “C” comes upon “B” in the pit and rescues him. “C” invites “B” to his home for dinner and lodging. The next day “B” and “C” come upon “A” captured in a drop-net trap. “B” and “C” do not rescue “A.”

Select characters whose characteristics are appropriate for the plot.

Character “A”: a fox; Character “B”: an old hound; Character “C”: a mouse

Additional storyline details:Setting, Relationships, Motives, Outcome (can be completed in any order)

Setting: Summertime on a forest path just as the sun is setting. Shadows are covering the ground. It is the middle of the night when the mouse helps the old hound. It is mid-morning when the old hound and mouse come upon the fox.

Relationships: The fox and the old hound with poor eyesight meet earlier that day on the road. They real-ize they are both traveling in the same direction and decide to travel together. The forest dwelling mouse doesn’t know either the fox or the old hound.

Motives: The fox knows the old hound has poor eyesight and that a pit lies on their path. The fox wants the old hound’s travel pack which contains food and money. The mouse has no ulterior motive. He shows kindness to the old hound. The old hound and mouse do not rescue the fox because he showed no mercy to the old hound.

Outcome: The old hound retrieves his travel pack and continues his journey accompanied by the mouse. The fox is captured by hunters.

Aesop’s Fables 1 9

began as to who was stronger. The more the sun would shine, the more the wind would blow. (The sun and wind stare at each other sternly and alternate “shining” and “whooshing” to show the power struggle—sun rays sound effects/blowing wind sound effects)Narrator 4: Finally the sun came up with an idea.

Sun: Let’s hold a contest. Do you see those trav-elers down there? Let’s see which one of us can make them take their coats off. Whoever wins will be recognized as being the most powerful.

Wind: It’s a deal. (The wind is a bit full of himself.) I’ll go first. This will be a snap. Don’t blink your eyes or you might miss something.

Narrator 5: The wind took in a deep breath and blew out a blustering wind: whoosh (blowing wind sound effects). Instead of taking off their coats, the travelers began to button them up.

Narrator 6: Needless to say, the wind became a bit irritated by the travelers’ reaction. He took in a monstrous sized breath and blew with all his might until he stirred up a blast as cold and fierce as an Alaskan storm: whoosh (blowing wind sound effects).

Narrator 7: The stronger he blew, the tighter the travelers wrapped their coats around themselves. Now the wind was so furious that he puffed him-self up bigger than ever and blew with every bit of himself.

Narrator 8: (Blowing wind sound effects) His face blew; his shoulders blew; his hands blew. His whole body stretched out and blew and blew. He blew so hard it looked as if his eyes would pop out! But this made the travelers bend over and look up at the wind in fright as they wrapped themselves even tighter in their coats.

Narrator 9: The wind wailed in frustration.

Wind: Ughhhhhhhhhhh!

Narrator 10: Then the sun held up a ray and said:

Sun: Let me try.

Narrator 11: First she sent down one warm ray:

Do a brief introduction of “The Country Mouse and •the Town Mouse.” Perform the play.

End with the actors and audience members partici-•pating in a mime of “The Fox and the Grapes.” (See the Optional Activity for Session II.)

Here is an example of the “Wind and the Sun” play. Divide up the parts between the students. Casting is very flexible. One student can play numerous parts. Read through the entire script. Once the students are familiar with the script, set up a “stage” and run the show. Draw on the students’ creativity. Work together to create the blocking and imaginative sound effects. Have fun!

liSt OF CHaraCterS:Narrators: One or moreWindSunGroup of People

Set/PrOPS:A chair/stool for the wind to stand onA chair/stool for the sun to stand on

SOund-eFFeCtS ideaS:Vocal Sounds:Blowing Wind: Blowing through teeth and/or crumpling paperSun Rays: Tapping a glass with a spoonRhythm Instruments:Blowing Wind: Playing the tambourine and a drum for the sound of blowing windSun Rays: Playing the triangle for the sound of sunshine.

“The Wind and the Sun”by Aesop adapted by LaJean Burns

Narrator 1: Long ago, as the wind was soaring through the sky, he came upon the sun as she was casting down her warm rays upon the earth: shine, shine, shine (sun rays sound effects).

Narrator 2: The wind, who was known for being somewhat of a bully, was a bit jealous of the sun. He decided to show his strength by stirring up the wind: whoosh, whoosh, whoosh (blowing wind sound effects).

Narrator 3: Needless to say, the power struggle

o m n i b u s i V2 0

brought about such a change. . . .” This dem-onstrates the gratitude that the Country Mouse initially shows. 2. In “The Country Mouse and the City Mouse,” after

spending some time in the “lap of luxury,” the coun-try mouse goes through a transformation. What seed has sprouted and is growing in the country mouse’s heart, which affects his attitude and thoughts?

The change is noted when the fable says, “In the middle of his enjoyment, however, just as he was thinking contemptuously of the poor meals that he had been accustomed to eating…”4. What actions occurred that brought the country

mouse back to his senses? As soon as the revelers and dogs burst into the room, the two mice instantly realize they are in danger. It’s at that moment that the country mouse realizes his “humble” home is not so bad after all: “He would rather have a crust in peace and safety than all the fine things in the midst of such alarm and terror.” There are some things that money just can’t buy! Proverbs 17:1 says, “Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.” It’s interesting to note that the town mouse has been won over by materialism. He would rather live in a life-threatening situation surrounded by luxury than to live a simple life in safety and peace.5. In “The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” why did the wolf

dress up like a sheep in the first place?He first dressed like a sheep because he was out to earn a living (i.e., find dinner). “Thinking it would be easier to earn a living if he disguised himself, a wolf put on a sheep’s skin.” More specifically he’s pondering an easier way of “earning a living.”6. In “The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” are the wolf and

shepherd really so different? Even though we don’t know a lot about the shep-herd, we do know he is a protector of his flock. He seems to be trustworthy and responsible, or else he wouldn’t be a shepherd. The wolf, on the other hand, is untrustworthy and dangerous. Yes, they both desire lamb for dinner, but their motives are different. 7. In “The Fox and the Crow,” is the crow a more honor-

able creature than the fox in this fable?Not really. We know that the crow initially stole the piece of cheese. The gullible crow instantly falls for the fox’s flattering words. In a pride-ful state, the crow ends up losing the piece of cheese.

shine (sun rays sound effects). Then two warm rays: shine, shine (sun rays sound effects). Finally she gathered all her glorious warm rays and sent them down on the people: shine, shine, shine (sun rays sound effects).

Narrator 12: The travelers felt the sudden warmth, and as the sun shone brighter and brighter, they sat down, overcome by the heat, and threw their coats on the ground.

Narrator 13: The travelers looked up and said:

Travelers: My, what a beautiful day!

Narrator 14: The wind was so angry that he blew himself behind a distant cloud: brrrrrr (blowing wind sound effects). But as he was leaving the sun called out . . .

Sun: Indeed, sunshine of a kind and gentle man-ner will sooner open a poor man’s heart than all the threats and force of blustering authority.

Narrator 15: In other words: “Kindness and gen-tleness are more effective than force.”

All actors drop their heads to signify the end of the play.

optionAl session: recitAtion Comprehension QuestionsAnswer the following questions for factual recall:1. Looking at the fable “The Country Mouse and the

City Mouse,” at what point do you notice that the country mouse is finding the town mouse’s living situation more agreeable than his own? What is the country mouse’s initial attitude toward this “positive” change in his living situation?

We see the Country Mouse at ease in the city when the fables notes, “In turn, the country mouse made himself quite at home and blessed the good fortune that had brought about such a change in his way of life.” The country mouse’s initial response seems to be that of gratitude. It says that he “blessed the good fortune that had

Aesop’s Fables 2 1

Proverbs 25:15 says, “Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.” We can find many more examples in the Scriptures that speak about the positive impact of kind and gentle words and the negative impact of harsh and angry words. This moral falls short in that it is not a universal moral. If it were, there would be no need for the saving work of Jesus Christ. No matter how many kind and gentle words are spoken, and no matter how persuasive, words alone cannot bring someone who is dead in sin to a point of repentance and salvation. It requires God’s intervention.

e n d n o t e1 There are a number of online sources for Aesop. For starters try

http://www.mythfolklore.net/aesopica.

8. In “The Fox and the Crow,” can you think of an in-stance in your life where you listened to smooth talk-ing and ended up “paying the piper”?

One example would be a salesperson smooth-talking you into buying a clothing item that you really don’t like. 9. In “The Wind and the Sun,” we see that the sunshine

of a kind and gentle manner will sooner open a poor man’s heart than all the threats and force of bluster-ing authority. Do you agree or disagree with the mor-al? Why?

Just like many of the other fables, the moral is true as far as it goes. Of course, people respond better when they are spoken to kindly and gently. Many verses in Scripture speak of this very topic. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger,” and