Ade's Fables

"Ade's Fables" by George Ade is a collection of humorous fables written in the early 20th century. This work presents satirical tales that cleverly critique various aspects of American life and society during that time. The fables often feature exaggerated characters and situations that reflect the aspirations and follies of individuals, making them both entertaining and insightful for the reader. The opening of "Ade's Fables" introduces a whimsical story about a young boy and his evolving ambitions guided by the personification of Ambition itself. The narrative captures the boy's initial desire to be a circus performer, which shifts dramatically as Ambition pushes him towards more grandiose aspirations, such as becoming a military commander and eventually a wealthy businessman. As the boy grows older, Ambition continues to raise the stakes, ultimately leading him on a relentless pursuit of wealth and social status at the cost of personal happiness. This engaging beginning sets the stage for exploring how ambition can shape one's life, often with unexpected consequences. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

George Ade was an American writer, syndicated newspaper columnist, librettist, and playwright who gained national notoriety at the turn of the 20th century with his "Stories of the Streets and of the Town", a column that used street language and slang to describe daily life in Chicago, and a column of his fables in slang, which were humorous stories that featured vernacular speech and the liberal use of capitalization in his characters' dialog.