Mar 26– Assorted "Fables" by Aesop (~600 BCE)

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Mar 26– Assorted Fables by Aesop (~600 BCE)

Summary: A bunch of animals teach us a bunch of lessons.

Commentary: On the one hand, I appreciate how quick and easy these are to read. We just moved today, and I'm beat. On the other hand, I'm less thrilled about finding them all. Every edition of Aesop has slightly different translations, arrangements, etc. and there's no good digital versions of the actual T5FSOB version that I can copy cleanly. I think we're technically missing two or three that we're supposed to have, but this'll have to do.

The Man and the Wood: A sort of Giving Tree story about a tree getting cut down after letting a man have a branch for an axe handle

The Hart in the Ox-Stall: A deer hunting cult

The Fox and The Lion: "Familiarity breeds contempt" (which I never realized was an Aesop, cool to learn where a common saying comes from, I'm surprised it hasn't happened more)

The Lion and The Statue: “That is all very well,” said the Lion, “but proves nothing, for it was a man who made the statue.” Take that, propaganda!

The Tree and the Reed: “OBSCURITY OFTEN BRINGS SAFETY.” Not good info sec advice.

The Dog in the Manger:“AH, PEOPLE OFTEN GRUDGE OTHERS WHAT THEY CANNOT ENJOY THEMSELVES.” True that, Ox. 

The Man and the Wooden God: A guy breaks god and finds a bunch of money inside. This one is weird.

The Tortoise and the Birds: An eagle agrees to carry a tortoise, but a crow talks him into dropping him so they can eat him instead.

The Young Thief and His Mother: The moral is just stealing a Bible verse, AND THE FABLE IS ABOUT STEALING!

The Ass in the Lion’s Skin: “FINE CLOTHES MAY DISGUISE, BUT SILLY WORDS WILL DISCLOSE A FOOL.” I think I like this better than "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."