,,! ,,LIFE ,,( ,,AESOP
,! ORIG9AL ,AESOP IS A FIGURE CL\D$ 9 S
    M* MY/]Y
& LEG5D T X IS DI6ICULT 6"K :AT C 2 SD
    AB HM4

  ,! BE/ EVID;E WE H ON ,AESOP'S LIFE
-ES F (FH& REM>KS 9 E>LY ANCI5T S\RCES L
,H]ODOTUS1 ,>I/OTLE1 ,>I/OPHANES &
,PLATO4 ,P]H X IS MO/ NOTA# T ,SOCRATES
IS SD 6H PASS$ 8 "T AWAIT+ EXECU;N
0PUTT+ ,AESOP'S FA#S 96V]SE4 ,Z X IS
UNLIKELY T ! E>LY REM>KS ON ,AESOP H NO
F.D,N 9 R1L;Y1 X C CAUTI\SLY 2 SD T
,AESOP 0 PROBABLY A SLAVE 9 ! SIX?
C5TURY ,B4,C41 T HE PROBABLY CAME F
,PHRYGIA & !N LIV$ 9 ,SAMOS1 T HE _H A
KNACK = 8FA#S0 7LOGOI7 & T HE 2CAME
FAM\S & GA9$ 8 FREEDOM ON ? A3.T4 ,!
/ORY T HE 0 PUT 6D1? 02+ PU%$ (F A CLIFF
9 ,DELPHI 2C HE 9SULT$ ! ,DELPHIANS IS
ALR CURR5T 9 ! FIF? C5TURY ,B4,C4
  ,2Y ?1 X IS DI6ICULT 6SAY M* AB !
ACTUAL ,AESOP4 ,ESPECI,Y Z HE QKLY
2COMES A MY?ICAL FIGURE 6:OM FA#S >E
AUTOMATIC,Y ASCRIB$1 M* 9 ! WAY T WE
AUTOMATIC,Y ASCRIBE NURS]Y RHYMES 6,"M
,GOOSE4
  ,?\< ! R1L ,AESOP IS LIKELY 6REMA9
OBSCURE & 9ACESSI#1 "! IS A FAM\S ,,LIFE
,,( ,,AESOP : HAS BE5 POPUL> R1D+ =
?\S&S ( YE>S & EXI/S 9 A FASC9AT+1 IF
"S"TS 2WILD]+1 >RAY ( V>IANTS4 ,UP UNTIL
! N9ETE5? C5TURY1 X 0 2LIEV$ T ?
BIOGRAPHY 0 9V5T$ 0,MAXIMUS ,PLANUDES1 A
MONK ( ,3/ANT9OPLE1 9 ! F\RTE5? C5TURY4
,:ILE ? VIEW (! ORIG9 (! ,,LIFE ,,(
,,AESOP IS / "S"TS EXPRESS$1 X IS NO
L;G] VIA#1 Z ,B5 ,$W9 ,P]RY HAS $IT$ AN
ANCI5T V].N ( ,,! ,,LIFE : DATES F
,ROMAN "TS1 A ?\S& YE>S 2F ,MAXIMUS HMF
EXI/$4
  ,P]RY'S "W %[S T ! ,,LIFE ,,( ,,AESOP
IS AN ANCI5T BOOK1 B 2Y ? X IS DI6ICULT
6SAY4 ,M4,L4 ,WE/ HAS SU7E/$ T A
PROTOTYPE (! BOOK EXI/$ 0! 5D (! FIF?
C5TURY ,B4,C4 &A ,G]MAN S*OL>%IP ONCE
HELD T X 2GAN Z AN ,IONIAN 8FOLKBOOK0 9
! SIX? C5TURY ,B4,C4 ,:AT"E "O DECIDES 9
? REG>D1 M* (! MAT]IAL 9 ! BOOK IS V
OLD4 ,! FA#S X 3TA9S >E1 = EXAMPLE1
PRIM>ILY ,8AETIOLOGICAL0' FA#S : >E
9T5D$ 6EXPLA9 ! CAUSES ( "PICUL> NATURAL
PH5OM5A O3UR4 ,"O1 = EXAMPLE1 EXPLA9S T
WE$S GR[ S M* BETT] ?AN DOME/ICAT$
PLANTS 2C !Y >E ! NATURAL (FSPR+ (! ,E>?
& %E FAV\RS !M1 J Z A "M W NATUR,Y FAV\R
H] [N *N OV] *N O!RS ASK H] 6T5D4 ,!
MORAL FA#S WE \RVS ASSOCIATE ) ,AESOP
7FA#S : T1* U H[ WE %D 2HAVE7 >E1 9
3TRA/1 LESS PROM95T4
  ,:ILE ! /ORY 9 ! ,,LIFE ,,( ,,AESOP 7:
HAS1 9 XS E>LIE/ V].N1 ! TITLE 8,,!
,,BOOK ,,( ,,XAN?US ,,! ,,PHILOSOPH] ,,&
,,8 ,,SLAVE ,,AESOP07 _C ) 3FID;E 2 SD
6REFLECT ,AESOP'S ACTUAL LIFE1 X IS AN
9TRIGU+ R1D4 ,X TELLS H[ ,AESOP 0 AN
UGLY SLAVE :O CD N SP1K B 0 GRANT$ ! P[]
6SP1K 9 RETURN = 8 G5]OS;Y 6"O (! GOD
,ISIS' ATT5DANTS4 ,HE !N 5G9E]S 8 WAY
6,SAMOS1 ": HE 2COMES ! SLAVE (!
PHILOSOPH] ,XAN?US4 ,"! FOLL[ A S]IES (
WILD /ORIES1 WITTY FA#S &A FEW IMPROP]
EPISODES : DEMON/RATES1 ABV ALL ELSE1 T
,AESOP IS SM>T] ?AN ,XAN?US4 ,8 CL"E;S
IS ON "O O3A.N DEMON/RAT$ 0HIS ABIL;Y
6F9D A WAY 6SAVE ,XAN?US F A FOOLI% WAG]
HE MAKES AT A "PY1 ": HE BETS T HE C
DR9K ! SEA DRY4 ,:5 ! MAN :O HAS BET AG/
HM 7& IS EAG]LY AWAIT+ 8 REW>D7 AGREES T
,XAN?US NE$ ONLY DR9K ! SEA DRY 7& N A
DROP ( WAT] F ELSE":7 ! BET IS R5D]$
NULL & VOID 2C HE _C /OP ALL ! RIV]S F
FL[+ 96X4
  ,! DI6]5T V].NS (! ,,LIFE RESULT BO?
2C XS _M DI6]5T $ITORS & PUBLI%] TELL !
SAME /ORY 9 DI6]5T ^WS1 & 2C !Y "S"TS
ELIM9ATE 9CID5TS !Y REG>D Z IMPROP] 7"S
V ADULT JOKES1 = EXAMPLE74 ,C]TA9LY !
BOOK HAS ! FLAV\R (A ,ROMAN SATIRE & HAS
9 VIEW ( ? TRI$ ! PATI;E ( _M4 ,"!
EXASP],N )! BOOK IS REFLECT$ 9
PRON\NCE;TS L ! ,R"E5D ,GEORGE ,FYL]
,T[NS5D'S N9ETE5? C5TURY REM>K T 8,?
LIFE 0,PLANUDES 3TA9S''' S SMALL AN AM.T
( TRU?1 & IS S FULL ( ABSURD PICTURES (!
GROTESQUE DE=M;Y ( ,AESOP1 ( WONDR\S
APOCRYPHAL /ORIES1 ( LY+ LEG5DS1 & GROSS
ANA*RONISMS1 T X IS N[ UNIV]S,Y 3DEMN$ Z
FALSE1 PU]ILE1 & UNA!NTIC4 ,X IS GIV5 UP
9 ! PRES5T "D & UNWOR?Y (! SLI<TE/
CR$IT40 7,,?REE ,,HUNDR$ ,,AESOP'S
,,FA#S1 ,LONDON3 ,GEORGE ,R\TL$GE &
,SONS1 #AHFG1 P4 XXVIII7
  ,"O MI<T N"E!.S ANSW] T ! ,,LIFE ,,(
,,AESOP / MAKES 5T]TA9+ R1D+1 "S?+ T
EXPLA9S : X HAS BE5 3T9U\SLY 9 PR9T = M
?AN TWO ?\S& YE>S 7A PUBLIC,N HI/ORY T
RIVALS T ( ALM ANY BOOK74 ,= ^? 9T]E/$ 9
,,! ,,LIFE ,,( ,,AESOP1 ! MO/ A3URATE
TRANSL,N IS 9 ,LLOYD ,DALY1
,,AESOP ,,)\T ,,MORALS 7,NEW ,YORK3
,?OMAS ,YOSEL(F1 #AIFA74 ,LA ,FONTA9E'S
V].N ( ,PLANUDES A3.T IS AL AVAILA# 9 _M
EDI;NS4 ,"O W F9D _M O!R V>IANTS 9
TRADI;NAL COLLEC;NS ( FA#S -- S 99_M99 T
,SIR ,ROG] ,L',E/RANGE ALR -PLA9$ 9 !
PREFACE 6HIS #AFIB V].N T ! ,,LIFE ,,(
,,AESOP _H BE5 8DRESS'D UP0 9 S _M
DI6]5T WAYS T X IS IMPOSSI# 6SAY ANY?+ )
C]TA9TY ON ! SUBJECT4

,LEO ,GRO>KE ,WILFRID
,LAURI] ,UNIV]S;Y

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