Aesop

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. 'It is thrifty to prepare today for the wants of tomorrow.' Living in Ancient Greece in the 5th Century BC, Aesop was said to be a slave and story-teller. His much-loved, enduring fables are revered the world over and remain popular as moral tales for children. With infamous vignettes, such as the race between the hare and the tortoise, the vain jackdaw, and the wolf in sheep's clothing, the themes of the fables remain as fresh today as when they were first told and give an insight into the Ancient Greek world.

As legend has it, the storyteller Aesop was a slave who lived in ancient Greece during the sixth century B.C. His memorable, recountable fables have brought amusing characters to life and driven home thought-provoking morals for generations of listeners and modern-day readers. Translated into countless languages and familiar to people around the world, Aesops fables never tarnish despite being told again and again. This collection presents nearly 300 of Aesops most entertaining and enduring stories, from 'The Hare and the Tortoise' and 'The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse' to 'The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs' and 'The Wolf in Sheeps Clothing'. Populated by a colorful array of animal characters who personify every imaginable human type, from fiddling grasshoppers and diligent ants to sly foxes, wicked wolves, brave mice and grateful lions, these timeless tales are as fresh and relevant today as when they were first created. Full of humour, insight and wit, the tales in Aesops Fables champion the value of hard work and perseverance, compassion for others and honesty. They are age-old wisdom in a delicious form, for the consumption of adults and children alike.

Aesop's celebrated collection of fables has always been popular with both adults and children. These simple tales embody truths so powerful, the titles of the individual fables - the fox and the grapes, the dog in the manger, the wolf in sheep's clothing and many others - have entered the languages and idioms of most European tongues.This edition is beautifully illustrated in black and white by the great Arthur Rackham, and has an introduction by G.K. Chesterton.

This timeless collection brings together three hundred of the most enduringly popular of Aesop's fables in a volume that will delight young and old readers alike. Here are all the age-old favourites - the wily fox, the vain peacock, the predatory cat and the steady tortoise - just as endearingly vivid and relevant now as they were for their very first audience. This elegant Macmillan Collector's Library edition of Aesop's Fables features illustrations by Arthur Rackham, the leading decorative illustrator of the Edwardian period, which have been beautifully and sensitively coloured by Barbara Frith. This beautiful edition features an afterword by publisher and editor Anna South. Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.