Practical Everyday Advice

In keeping with their folklore heritage, Aesopic fables reflect the lifestyle, the values, and the frustrations of ordinary people in classical antiquity: slaves, peasants, workers, and tradespeople. These stories are not liberal treatises about self-determination and upward mobility. To the contrary, they more often preach a philosophy of acceptance and resignation. However, they do offer consoling, pragmatic advice that can make life easier even for the disenfranchised and the poor.

“Do not grieve too long at the death of a loved one” is the message of “Grief and His Due” (no. 276). “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” is the proverbial sentiment embodied in a number of fables, including “The Dog and His Reflection” (no. 94) and “The Lion and the Hare” (no. 183). “Do not trust the words of your enemies” is the lesson that emerges from “The Wolf, the Mother, and Her Child” (no. 112). “Father and Sons” (no. 58) and “The Lion and the Three Bulls” (no. 122) emphasize the value of unity. “The Grasshopper and the Ants” (no. 156) shows the utility of thrift and industry. “The Shepherd’s Boy and the Wolf (no. 46) admonishes honesty, not so much as an absolute ethical standard, but more as a pragmatic practice, because, as the moral of the story states, “You cannot believe a liar even when he tells the truth.” “The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs” (no. 2) preaches against greed, but again, not as an abstract principle, but rather as a practical way to avoid catastrophic loss.

“The Oak and the Reeds” (no. 41) perhaps provides the capstone to the pragmatic moral philosophy of Aesop. An oak tree, sturdy and unwavering, is uprooted by a severe storm, whereas some reeds, bowing and yielding to every breeze, survive without injury. The moral of this story is too obvious to require restatement.