Aesop's Foible

One of my favorites as a child, but a secret unearthed may change the way you think. This is largely (if not entirely) fictional. Hope you enjoy it for what it is.

Aesop’s Foible

 

            A young Aesop stared out at the sea, at the expanse of rippling sapphire currently flooding his imagination and heart. “What is out there?” he pondered pensively. “What sort of fish fight and which are placid? Are there people in the sea like me? Are the plants that lay on the smooth surface as beautiful as the winding laurels up here on the land?” He sat down on the soft sand and began to write.

            He couldn’t stop contemplating all of the colors and the energetic life that was undoubtedly under the surface. Aesop’s fascination with animals and nature and the role of man was ignited when he was just a young boy. When he was only six years of age, his father brought him to see a play where the actors dressed like snakes and gods, and the unquestioned omnipotence of Zeus cast a shadow of dominion over all life. Even at such a young age, his curiosity was peaked.

“What’s the difference, really, between being a young human, and being a young dog or elephant?” he would think walking through the streets holding his father’s hand as they went to visit friends of his. So one day he decided, “I will find out for myself.”   

He began writing stories, most of you know them as “fables,” and drawing pictures of the thoughts he was having. He started out slowly, drawing small animals having everyday conversations with small boys and girls in olive groves. But the older he became, the more intricate and complex his ideas became, and the more he realized that the thoughts coming through his head were best interpreted through fictionalizing the mundane, disguising human traits through the behavior of animals, and turning a seemingly bland scenario into a platform ripe for making ethical suggestions regarding the human condition.

And so, we’ve come to know his stories as “Aesop’s Fables.” He popularized lesson teaching for children and adults alike. His timeless tales transcend generations…a success story in the realm of pragmatic literature.

But, alas, Aesop committed a grave and unforgivable mistake. Before he died, old Aesop became disenchanted with his life’s work and set fire to a majority of his writings and stories. In a fit of self-doubt mingled with a long bout of miserable depression, he destroyed many, many fables that never made it to our time. As we look to the annals of history, much has been lost, and we’ve only retained a “tip of the iceberg” as they say. But while you may consider that, know also, that in every story there may lie a valuable lesson.

Author's Note

Comments and critiques appreciated.

Reviews

[Mockingbird]

this was a very insightful and informative piece. it's sad we'll never see his later works. this is a good biography, something i had no idea about and now know. excellent story.

[Marie]

I was very glad to see you had written another story, and even more glad to read this one. It tole me things I did not know about Aesop. I've always loved his fables. Did you ever read "The Peacock Feather?" There was also a terrible movie based on this book.