For centuries, children and adults have treasured the stories handed down by Aesop, a slave who lived in ancient Greece approximately six centuries B.C. Known for their charm and simplicity, these simple tales feature brief adventures of animals, birds, and beasts — with a message hidden in each narrative. Every child should meet up with "The Hare and the Tortoise," "The Ants and the Grasshopper," "The Goose and the Golden Egg," "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing," and other characters. This splendid gift edition features more than 130 of Aesop's beloved fables, enhanced with full-color illustrations and a wonderful CD recording of forty-two of the most popular stories in the book.
Aesop probably lived in the middle part of the sixth century BC. A statement in Herodotus gives ground for thinking that he was a slave belonging to a citizen of Samos called Iadmon. Legend says that he was ugly and misshapen. There are many references to Aesop found in the Athenian writers: Aristophanes, Xenophon, Plato, Aristotle and others. It is not known whether he wrote down his Fables himself, nor indeed how many of them are correctly attributed to his invention.