Contents
Translator's Preface....................xvii
Introduction by John Hollander....................xxiii
The Fables For Monseigneur le Dauphin....................1
BOOK I The Cricket and the Ant....................5
The Crow and the Fox....................5
The Frog Who Would Grow as Big as the Ox....................6
The Two Mules....................6
The Wolf and the Hound....................7
The Heifer, the Goat, and the Lamb in Consort with the Lion....................8
The Beggar's Sack....................9
The Swallow and the Little Birds....................10
The City Rat and the Country Rat....................12
The Wolf and the Lamb....................13
The Man and His Image....................14
The Dragon with Many Heads and the Dragon with Many Tails....................15
The Thieves and the Ass....................16
Simonides Saved by the Gods....................17
Death and the Wretched Man & Death and the Woodsman....................19
The Middle-aged Man and His Two Mistresses....................21
The Fox and the Stork....................22
The Child and the Schoolmaster....................23
The Cock and the Pearl....................24
The Hornets and the Honeybees....................24
The Oak and the Reed....................25
BOOK II Against Those with Too Difficult Tastes....................29
The Rats in Council Assembled....................31
The Wolf Pleading against the Fox before the Ape....................32
The Two Bulls and a Frog....................33
The Bat and the Two Weasels....................33
The Bird Wounded by an Arrow....................34
TheMastiff Bitch and Her Friend....................35
The Eagle and the Dung Beetle....................36
The Lion and the Gnat....................37
The Ass with a Load of Sponges and the Ass with a Load of Salt....................39
The Lion and the Rat & The Dove and the Ant....................40
The Astrologer Who Happens to Fall into a Well....................41
The Hare and the Frogs....................43
The Cock and the Fox....................44
The Crow Who Wanted to Imitate the Eagle....................45
The Peacock Who Complained to Juno....................46
The Cat Metamorphosed into a Woman....................47
The Lion and the Ass out Hunting....................48
The Will Explained by Aesop....................49
BOOK III The Miller, His Son, and the Ass....................55
The Limbs and the Stomach....................57
The Wolf Turned Shepherd....................59
The Frogs Who Ask for a king....................60
The Fox and the Goat....................61
The Eagle, the Wild Sow, and the Cat....................62
The Drunkard and His Wife....................64
Gout and the Spider....................65
The Wolf and the Stork....................66
The Lion Brought Down by Man....................67
The Fox and the Grapes....................67
The Swan and the Cook....................67
The Wolf and the Ewes....................68
The Lion Grown Old....................69
Philomela and Procne....................70
The Drowned Wife....................70
The Weasel in the Larder....................72
The Cat and an Old Rat....................72
BOOK IV The Lion in Love....................77
The Shepherd and the Sea....................79
The Fly and the Ant....................80
The Gardener and His Lord....................82
The Ass and the Pup....................84
The War between the Rats and the Weasels....................85
The Ape and the Dolphin....................86
The Man with the Wooden Idol....................88
The Jay Dressed in the Peacock's Feathers....................89
The Camel and the Floating Sticks....................89
The Frog and the Rat....................90
The Tribute Sent by the Animals to Alexander....................91
The Horse Who Sought Revenge on the Stag....................94
The Fox and the Bust....................95
The Wolf, the She-goat, and the kid & The Wolf, the Mother, and the Child....................96
A Reflection from Socrates....................98
The Old Man and His Sons....................98
The Oracle and the Infidel....................100
The Miser Who Lost His Treasure....................101
The Master's Eye....................102
The Lark, Her Little Ones, and the Farmer Who Owns the Field....................103
BOOK V The Woodsman and Mercury....................109
The Earthen Pot and the Iron Pot....................111
The Little Fish and the Fisherman....................112
The Hare and His Ears....................113
The Fox Who Lost His Tail....................114
The Old Woman and the Two Servants....................115
The Satyr and the Passerby....................116
The Horse and the Wolf....................117
The Ploughman and His Sons....................118
The Mountain in Labor....................119
Dame Fortune and the Child....................119
The Doctors....................120
The Hen with the Golden Eggs....................120
The Ass with a Load of Holy Relics....................121
The Deer and the vine....................121
The Snake and the File....................122
The Hare and the Partridge....................123
The Eagle and the Owl....................124
The Lion Going Off to War....................125
The Bear and the Two Companions....................126
The Ass Dressed in the Lion's Skin....................127
BOOK VI The Shepherd and the Lion & The Lion and the Hunter....................131
Phoebus and Boreas....................133
Jupiter and the Farmer....................134
The Cockerel, the Cat, and the Little Mouse....................135
The Fox, the Ape, and the Animals....................136
The Mule Who Boasted of His Family Tree....................137
The Old Man and the Ass....................138
The Stag Who Sees Himself in the Water....................139
The Hare and the Tortoise....................139
The Ass and His Masters....................141
The Sun and the Frogs....................142
The Peasant and the Snake....................142
The Sick Lion and the Fox....................143
The Bird-catcher, the Hawk, and the Lark....................144
The Horse and the Ass....................145
The Dog Who Drops His Prey for Its Reflection....................145
The Wagoner Stuck in the Mud....................146
The Charlatan....................147
Discord....................148
The Young Widow....................149
Epilogue....................151
BOOK VII For Madame de Montespan....................155
The Animals Ill with the Plague....................156
The Man Who Married a Shrew....................158
The Rat Who Withdrew from the World....................160
The Heron & The Damsel....................161
The Wishes....................163
King Lion's Court....................165
The vultures and the Pigeons....................166
The Coach and the Fly....................168
The Milkmaid and the Milk Jug....................169
The Curé and the Corpse....................170
The Man Who Runs after Fortune and The Man Who Waits for Her in His Bed....................172
The Two Cocks....................174
The Ingratitude and Injustice of Men toward Fortune....................175
The Fortune-tellers....................177
The Cat, the Weasel, and the Little Rabbit....................179
The Snake's Head and Tail....................180
An Animal in the Moon....................181
BOOK VIII Death and the Dying Man....................187
The Cobbler and the Financier....................189
The Lion, the Wolf, and the Fox....................190
The Power of Fables....................192
The Man and the Flea....................194
Women and Secrets....................195
The Dog Who Carries His Master's Dinner around His Neck....................196
The Joker and the Fish....................197
The Rat and the Oyster....................198
The Bear and the Garden-lover....................200
The Two Friends....................202
The Hog, the Goat, and the Sheep....................203
Tircis and Amaranth....................204
The Lioness's Funeral....................206
The Rat and the Elephant....................208
The Horoscope....................209
The Ass and the Dog....................212
The Pasha and the Merchant....................213
The value of knowledge....................215
Jupiter and the Thunderbolts....................216
The Falcon and the Capon....................218
The Cat and the Rat....................219
The Torrent and the Rivulet....................221
Breeding....................222
The Two Dogs and the Dead Ass....................223
Democritus and the Abderitans....................225
The Wolf and the Hunter....................226
BOOK IX The Faithless Trustee....................231
The Two Pigeons....................234
The Ape and the Leopard....................236
The Acorn and the Pumpkin....................237
The Schoolboy, the Pedant, and the Owner of a Garden....................239
The Sculptor and the Statue of Jupiter....................240
The Mouse Metamorphosed into a Maiden....................241
The Madman Who Sells Wisdom....................244
The Oyster and the Adversaries....................245
The Wolf and the Scrawny Dog....................246
All in Moderation....................247
The Taper....................248
Jupiter and the Traveler....................249
The Cat and the Fox....................250
The Husband, the Wife, and the Thief....................251
The Treasure and the Two Men....................253
The Monkey and the Cat....................254
The Kite and the Nightingale....................255
The Shepherd and His Flock....................256
Discourse [for Madame de la Sablière]....................257
The Two Rats, the Fox, and the Egg....................262
BOOK X The Man and the Snake....................267
The Turtle and the Two Ducks....................269
The Fishes and the Cormorant....................270
The Money-burier and His Friend....................272
The Wolf and the Shepherds....................273
The Spider and the Swallow....................275
The Partridge and the Cocks....................276
The Dog Who Had His Ears Cut Short....................276
The Shepherd and the king....................277
The Fishes and the Shepherd Who Plays the Flute....................280
The Two Parrots, the king, and His Son....................281
The Lioness and the She-bear....................283
The Two Adventurers and the Wondrous Writ....................284
Discourse [for Monsieur le duc de la Rochefoucauld]....................286
The Merchant, the Aristocrat, the Shepherd, and the Prince....................288
BOOK XI The Lion....................293
The Gods Wishing to Instruct a Son of Jupiter....................294
The Farmer, the Hound, and the Fox....................296
The Dream of the Man from the Mogol Land....................298
The Lion, the Ape, and the Two Asses....................300
The Wolf and the Fox....................302
The Peasant from the Danube....................304
The Old Man and the Three Young Men....................307
The Mice and the Screech Owl....................308
Epilogue....................309
BOOK XII The Companions of Ulysses....................313
The Cat and the Two Sparrows....................316
The Treasure-hoarder and the Ape....................317
The Two Goats....................319
For Monseigneur le duc de Bourgogne....................320
The Old Cat and the Young Mouse....................321
The Sick Stag....................322
The Bat, the Bush, and the Duck....................323
The Quarrel of the Dogs and Cats and of the Cats and Mice....................324
The Wolf and the Fox....................326
The Crayfish and Her Daughter....................328
The Eagle and the Magpie....................329
The kite, the king, and the Fowler....................330
The Fox, the Flies, and the Hedgehog....................334
Love and Folly....................335
The Crow, the Gazelle, the Tortoise, and the Rat....................336
The Forest and the Woodsman....................340
The Fox, the Wolf, and the Horse....................341
The Fox and the Young Turkey Cocks....................343
The Ape....................344
The Scythian Philosopher....................344
The Elephant and Jupiter's Ape....................345
A Fool and a Wise Man....................347
The English Fox....................347
Daphnis and Alcimadura....................350
Philemon and Baucis....................353
The Matron of Ephesus....................359
Belphegor....................365
The Daughters of Mineas....................373
The Arbiter, the Hospitaler, and the Hermit....................395
APPENDIXES The Sun and the Frogs....................399
The Rats' League....................400
Notes....................403
Notes on Illustrations....................441
Bibliography....................445
Index....................449
