Aesop

"Many of these fables are so well known they have given us everyday phrases such as "sour grapes" and "dog in the manger." but even the rarer ones seem familiar, because their simple morals reflect all aspects of human nature. From the tortoise and the hare to the mouse and the lion, the timeless wisdom and wit of Aesop's fables are as entertaining as ever"--Cover verso.

According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the fables were, written by a slave named Aesop, who lived in Ancient Greece during the 5th-century BCE. Aesop's fables and the Indian tradition as represented by the Buddhist Jataka Tales and the Hindu Panchatantra share about a dozen tales in common although often widely differing in detail. There is, therefore, some debate over whether the Greeks learned these fables from Indian storytellers or the other...

Dating back to the 6th century BC, Aesop's Fables tell universal truths through the use of simple allegories that are easily understood. Though almost nothing is known of Aesop himself, and some scholars question whether he existed at all, these stories stand as timeless classics known in almost every culture in the world.