A Hundred Fables of La Fontaine

"A Hundred Fables of La Fontaine" by Jean de La Fontaine is a collection of fables written in the late 17th century. This work presents a series of engaging moral tales featuring anthropomorphized animals, each illustrating timeless lessons about human nature and behavior. The fables often center on various character archetypes, such as the cunning fox, the industrious ant, and the foolish grasshopper, providing readers with succinct wisdom wrapped in wit and humor. The opening portion of the collection introduces several fables that set the tone for La Fontaine's storytelling style. It begins with "The Grasshopper and the Ant," where the carefree grasshopper faces the consequences of her summer laziness when winter arrives, contrasting with the ant's hard work. Other fables such as "The Thieves and the Ass," "The Wolf Accusing the Fox," and "The Lion and the Ass Hunting" follow suit, showcasing themes of greed, deception, and folly among the animal characters. Each story is woven with a moral lesson, making them not only entertaining but also thought-provoking, establishing a rich tradition of fable-telling that has resonated through centuries. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Jean de La Fontaine was a French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his Fables, which provided a model for subsequent fabulists across Europe and numerous alternative versions in France, as well as in French regional languages.