This illustrated collection includes hundreds of fables that have influenced our world for centuries.

The stories attributed to Aesop, a slave and storyteller who lived in Greece around 620–564 BCE, were originally passed on through oral tradition before first being transcribed several centuries after his death. Many of these fables use animals as the main characters to convey deeper meanings and morals that have become ingrained in our cultural and personal belief systems. This elegant leather-bound volume includes 488 fables, along with more than 100 illustrations by celebrated artists Arthur Rackham and Walter Crane. A scholarly introduction examines Aesop’s life and the oral tradition, providing readers with further insight into the world of the humble storyteller whose presence continues to touch us today.