Aesop's Fables - A New Translation

Aesops Fables A New Translation by V. S. Vernon Jones, With an Introduction by G. K. Chesterton and Illustrations by Arthur Rackham. Published in London by William Heinemann, 1912. This first edition has 13 color plates and 53 black-and-white drawings, many full-page, by Arthur Rackham. Rackham illustrates such classic morality tales as "The Hare and the Tortoise," "The Fox and the Grapes," "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse," "The Fir-tree and the Bramble" and "The Shipwrecked Man and the Sea." "The Aesop illustrations contain several self-caricatures of Rackham, including the man who catches the flea". Rackham"s artitistic ability was recognized early and he developed his talents over a lifetime of work. He had a penchant for the fantastic and many of the subjects he drew displayed dark or disturbing characteristics. The "Fables" was one of a series of yearly publications illustrated by Rackham for the Christmas season. It is somewhat unusual in that there are several self caricatures and a drawing of his home in Chalot Gardens. Rackham was well-suited to give us these classic animal tales and his creatures are wonderful. There is a quality that presents the morality tales with a touch of softness to the youthful reader. A nice copy of a special children"s book. Filled with the classic fables we all know and love including The Fox and the Grapes, The Cat and the Mice, The Bear and the Fox and tons more. Introduction by G.K. Chesterton. Between 620 and 560 B.C. Aesop, a freedman, came to the court of Croesus, King of Lydia in Asia Minor. Aesop had been a slave on the island of Iadmon and had gained some fame as a narrator of tales about animals. Aesop gained favour with Croesus and eventually became employed as a sort of Ambassador to various Greek capitals. At Corinth he warned against mob rule in a fable latyer used by Socrates. In athens he used the fable The Frogs Desiring a King to examplify leaving well enough alone. Unfortunately, in Delphi , he was accused unjustly of theft and put to death. However, his famed lived on and 200 years after his death a statue of him was erected in Athens and placed in front of the Seven Sages. After more than 2 and a half centuries the essence and body of Aesops fables are still alive and enjoyed and pondered over in many languages around the world.