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Aesof Fables

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Aesof Fables

Authors biographyNationality of Aesop - Ethiopian or GreekLifespan of Aesop - He lived approximately 620 - 560 BCLife of Aesop - Slave - Author of the book of fablesFamous Works - Aesop's Fable book featuring:"The Goose With the Golden Eggs", "The Fisher","The Lion and the Mouse" and "The Sick Lion"The life of Aesop is a bit of a mystery. There is even some debate if Aesop was an actual person or just a name used by another writer. However, there have been mentions of Aesop in Greek history, which has allowed historians to piece together a biography (if it is true that he exists). Many of the stories about Aesop contain mythical interventions and legends.Aesop is believed to have been alive from 620 to 560 BC. It was believed that he was a slave, but was given his freedom because of his literacy and storytelling. He is also described with many physical deformities and a speech impediment that was healed by a deity. Aesop was said to have escaped punishment many times throughout his life, often standing up to his accusers and telling a story that showed the irony or the characteristics of those punishing him. His death is just as much of a mystery as his life. It is believed that he stole a gold or silver cup and was violently put to death by being thrown off a cliff.Although Aesop is mentioned in Greek history, particularly by Greek historian Herodotus and Aristotle, many scholars do not believe that he actually existed. There is simply just not enough proof to confirm that he was aliveAesop is credited with more than six hundred fables.Fablesare short stories that teach a moral or lesson to children. The stories are often funny and the themes are easy for children to understand. The characters of fables are usually animals who act and talk like people, but still have animal traits. The fables tell a story and end with amoralor lesson.Some of the more well-known morals credited to Aesop are: 'A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush; beauty is only skin deep; birds of a feather flock together; choose the lesser of two evils; every man for himself; let well alone; necessity is the mother of invention; once bitten, twice shy; one good turn deserves another; slow but steady wins the race; think before you act; and you cannot escape your fate'. There are many more, but these are just a few of the ones that we still say today.Just like his morals, Aesop's fables are still shared with children today. In one fable 'The Ant and the Grasshopper', an ant is gathering food for the winter while a grasshopper plays. He encourages the Ant not to worry about the winter, but just think about the summer food they already have. The Ant continues to work, and when winter comes, the Grasshopper dies while the Ant has plenty of food. The lesson stated at the end is: 'It is best to prepare for the days of necessity'.Summary In most examples of Aesops fables, each animal symbolizes a different human virtue or vice. The fox represents cunning, the ass stupidity, the lion ferocity, the ant industry, the grasshopper laziness, the crow vanity, and so on. By placing these creatures in different combinations, the fables comment upon the varieties of human nature and criticize common human foibles.For example, in The Ass, the Fox, and the Lion, a fox offers to betray his friend the ass to the lion, provided that the lion promises never to harm the fox. The lion agrees to this proposal, and the ass foolishly falls into the trap that the fox prepares. Once the ass is safely ensnared, however, the lion turns and attacks the fox, proving that those who act with treachery are themselves often betrayed.In a similar tale, The Lion, the Ass, and the Fox Go Hunting, the same three animals agree to help one another by forming a hunting party. Since each contributes his own particular skills, they are very successful and, at the end of the day, there is a great heap of booty.SettingsCharacters The main characters are often named in the title (the town mouse and the country mouse, the north wind and the sun, etc.) and they also frequently animals, another subtle way signalling the fictional, fabulous nature of the story and its serious purpose. Animal character speak and behave like human beings, allowing the storyteller to make cautionary points about human behaviour pointing the finger at real people.Theme Birds of a feather flocks togetherThose who cannot take care of their own, should not be entrusted with the care of anothers property.We do not always like to be taken at our word.Authors BiographyAntoine Jean-Baptiste Marie Roger de Saint-ExupryHe is both a pioneer of aviation and a well-known French writer.He was born in Lyon, France, on June 29, 1900.At an early age, he dreamed of a life of adventure and wanted to become a naval officer.Unfortunately, he failed the exam to qualify him for naval officer training school.As a result, he turned his attention to the field of aviation.Even though flying was dangerous and risky in Saint-Exuprys time, he joined the military and trained to be a pilot.After his military service, he presented himself to the director of an airline company and expressed his desire to become a commercial pilot.The director told him he must first become an airplane mechanic.Finally, in 1927, after serving as a mechanicSaint-Exupry became a pilot, Opening up new air routes over the Mediterranean Sea, North Africa, and the Sahara Desert.Because of the danger of flying, he had a number of accidents, but he escaped any major injuries.Later Saint-Exupry became the director of his own aviation company in South America, where he often flew dangerous routes over the Andes Mountains.For Saint-ExupryFlying was not just piloting an airplane; it was a time for meditation and reflection.While in the air, Saint-Exupry would think deeply aboutsolitudefriendshipthe meaning of lifethe human conditionlibertyIn 1931 he also married CONSUELO SUNCIN, a widowed Salvadoran writer and artist.He decided to publish his reflections into a book, which was successful. When his aviation company failed, Saint-Exupry decided to pursue writing as a career.He first became a journalist, traveling to Spain, Russia, and Germany.He also wrote two philosophical books based on aviation:Night Flight(1932) Wind, Sand, and Stars(1939).Still in love with piloting an airplane, Saint-Exupry continued to fly whenever he had the opportunity.In 1939, when France went to war with Germany, Saint-Exupry immediately enlisted in the army, hoping to become a military pilot in the war effort.France, however, was soon defeated and occupied by Hitler's troops. Saint-Exupry decided to leave his homeland, settle in the United States, and pursue his writing career.It was in New York that he published.The Little PrinceHis most celebrated book, in 1943Since its first publication, more than 25 million copies have been sold in 75 different countries.In 1942, when American troops landed in North Africa, Saint-Exupry decided to join the U.S. Army as a pilot. Since he was 42 years of age, he was initially considered too old to be a pilot and was not allowed to fly; however, Saint-Exupry persisted and was finally given an airplane.He accomplished many missions over occupied France. On July 31, 1944, Saint-Exupry left for his last mission. His plane was destroyed by the Germans over the Mediterranean.

Other works include Letter to a Hostage (1944), the posthumously published Citadelle (1948), Wartime Writings 1939-1944 (1982), Manon, danseuse (2007), Lettres l'inconnue (2008).Summary The narrator begins the tale with an explanation of his dislike of adults; he claims he does not enjoy them, for they are much too practical. Instead, he prefers the company of children, who are natural and curious.The narrator next tells of how his plane crashed in the desert, where he met the Little Prince, a mystical creature from another planet. The narrator tells why the Prince left his planet and where he visited before coming to Earth.His adventures on six different planets are recounted, including the encounters with the king, the conceited man, the tippler, the businessman, the lamplighter, the geographer, the snake, the desert flower, the garden of roses, the railway switchman, the merchant, the fox, and the narrator.The narrator and the Prince share a rewarding relationship on the desert, and when the Little Prince departs, the narrator misses his company. He writes the novel in memory of the Little PrinceSettingsThe book is not set in a particular period or in one specific place.In the first chapter the narrator writes about his childhood experiences with drawings and about his low opinion of adults.In the second chapter the narrator starts narrating a particular series of incidents.

He writes of the time when his plane crashed in the desert of Sahara six years ago. Most of the narrative after the second chapter is set in the desert.The other places that function as settings include the asteroid where the Little Prince has his home and the planets that the Little Prince visits, including asteroids 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, and 330.The last planet that he visits is the Earth, where he meets the narrator in the Sahara Desert. The story is really about the narrators friendship with the Little Prince and about the Princes own quest, which takes him to seven planets apart from his own.Characters Major CharactersThe narratorThe narrator is really the author, Antoine de Saint-Exupry. The reader hears his voice throughout the book as he relates the story of the Little Prince and of his own friendship with him. The narrator says plainly that he is a romantic who does not like adults, whom he finds too practical; instead, he prefers children, whom he finds natural and delightful. The narrator writes this story of his encounter with the Little Prince in order to deal with the sorrow of losing his precious friend.The Little PrinceThe novel is named after the Little Prince, who is a mystical and loveable person. He is the sole inhabitant of a small planet, which the narrator refers to as B-612. The Prince leaves his planet to visit other places and finally lands on Earth. In the Sahara Desert, he meets the narrator and befriends him. The narrator tells of his encounter with the Prince and also relates the adventures of the Prince on the other asteroids that the latter has visited.The foxThe Little Prince meets the fox in the desert. The fox is a wise creature, which teaches the Prince about the essence of life. After they become friends, the fox asks the Little Prince to tame him, which is what the latter does.Minor CharactersThe Turkish AstronomerThe narrator mentions the Turkish astronomer in the fourth chapter. The narrator believes that the planet from which the Little Prince has come is the asteroid known as B-612. A Turkish astronomer first sees this asteroid through the telescope in 1909.The Little Princes flowerOn the Little Princes planet, the flowers are usually very simple; but one day, from a seed blown from afar, a new flower comes up that is very beautiful, but also very vain. The Prince begins to doubt the flowers credibility and finally leaves his planet to escape the company of the flower.The KingThe king is the sole inhabitant of asteroid 325, which the Little Prince visits after leaving his own planet. The king insists upon his authority being respected and does not tolerate disobedience; however, since he is a very good man, he makes his orders reasonable. Just before the Prince leaves the kings planet, the latter makes the former an ambassador.The Conceited ManHe is the inhabitant of asteroid 326. Totally conceited, he insists that everyone else admire him. He does not listen to anything but praise and expects the Little Prince to praise and admire him.The TipplerThe tippler lives on asteroid 327. When the Prince asks him what he is doing, the tippler replies that he is drinking to forget that he is ashamed of drinkingThe BusinessmanThe businessman sits and counts stars on asteroid 328. He thinks that he owns the stars, making him rich. The Little Prince explains to the businessman that he is of no use at all to the stars that he owns.The LamplighterThe lamplighter lives on asteroid 329 and does the job of lighting and then putting out the lamplight. The lamplighter thinks that his is a terrible profession, because once every minute he has to light the lamp, for his planet makes a complete turn every sixty seconds. The Prince feels that the lamplighter is the only one who could have been his friend.The GeographerThe geographer lives on a planet that is ten times larger than the lamplighters planet. He explains that he is a scholar who knows the location of all the seas, rivers, towns, mountains, and deserts. He is the one who advises the Prince to visit the planet Earth, as it has a good reputation.The SnakeThe first living thing that the Prince encounters on the planet Earth is a snake. The snake tells him that it gets a little lonely among men. The Prince thinks that the snake is very weak, but the snake tells him that he can kill a person. The snake also says that he can solve all kinds of riddles.The Desert FlowerThe Prince meets a flower in the desert. It tells him that there are only six or seven men in existence and that one never knows where to find them. According to the flower, the wind blows the men away.Garden of RosesThe Prince meets a garden of roses on the planet Earth. He is overcome with sadness on seeing them because there are five thousand of them in a single garden. His flower has told him that it was the only one of its kind in the universe. He cries when he realizes that his flower has lied to him.Railway SwitchmanThe Prince meets the railway switchman on Earth. The switchman tells the Prince that he sorts out travellers and sends off the trains that carry them. The switchman also says that no one is ever satisfied with his position. During his conversation with the switchman, the Prince tells him that only the children know what they are looking for.MerchantThe Prince asks the merchant why he sells pills that quench thirst. The merchant answers that he sells them because they save a lot of time. The Prince feels that he would rather use that time to walk at leisure toward a spring of fresh water.

Theme The main theme ofThe Little Princeis the importance of looking beneath the surface to find the real truth and meaning of a thing. It is the fox who teaches the Prince to see with ones heart instead of just with ones eyes. Unfortunately, most adults have difficulty doing this. In the beginning of the book, the narrator points out how grown-ups can never see the real meaning of a drawing; instead, they look at the surface, failing to probe a deeper meaning.When the Little Prince first comes to earth, he also suffers from looking at the surface of things. He leaves his planet because he is bothered by the vanity of his flower; he never stops to think how important they are to each other. When he sees the garden of roses, which look just like his special flower, he is crushed. He had imagined that his rose was unique and valuable; now he believes it is common and worthless. The fox, however, makes him realizes that his flower is unique. Because the Little Prince has loved and nurtured the flower, she is very special. Finally, the Little Prince understands that he must look beneath the surface to understand the true importance of things.