Aesop's Fables
Read our collection of 117 Aesop’s Fables — the legendary moral tales attributed to the Greek storyteller Aesop, who lived around 620-564 BCE. For over 2,500 years, these brief, brilliant fables have taught millions of readers about human nature through the voices of animals.
From “The Tortoise and the Hare” to “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” Aesop’s Fables feature foxes, lions, ants, grasshoppers, and other creatures whose adventures reveal universal truths about honesty, hard work, humility, and the dangers of pride. Each fable delivers its moral with memorable clarity — which is why these stories remain essential reading for children worldwide.
Our retellings bring Aesop’s wisdom to life with engaging narratives, vivid illustrations, and clear moral lessons — perfect as bedtime stories for kids ages 3-12, classroom reading, or anyone who appreciates the power of a well-told fable. Aesop’s influence on Indian storytelling is particularly notable, with many parallels found in the Panchatantra and Jataka tales.
Aesop's Fables
Ages 3-5
The Good Husband And The Bad Wife
The Good Husband And The Bad Wife: In a remote village there lived a Brâhmiṇ whose good nature and charitable disposition were proverbial. Equally proverbial
Aesop's Fables
Ages 3-5
The Hermits Daughter
The Hermits Daughter: Near a town in India called Ikshumati, on a beautiful wide river, with trees belonging to a great forest near its banks, there dwelt a
Aesop's Fables
Ages 3-5
The Honest But Rash Hunter
The Honest But Rash Hunter: When the Second Minister’s watch was over, he went to inspect the guard at the royal bedchamber, and Alakesa hearing his footsteps
Aesop's Fables
Ages 3-5
The Jackal And The Pea Hen
The Jackal And The Pea Hen: A Tale of Friendship and Greed In a peaceful forest where trees grew tall and flowers bloomed in every season, there...
Aesop's Fables
Ages 3-5
The Kettle Who Gave Birth – Nasreddin Hodja
A clever trickster plays a funny joke on his greedy neighbor to get a beautiful kettle. A hilarious Turkish folk tale.
Aesop's Fables
Ages 3-5
The King and The Drum – An Indian Folktale
The King and The Drum – An Indian Folktale: Long ago there lived a king somewhere in the central part of India. He was very proud of his looks. He spent hours
Aesop's Fables
Ages 3-5
The King Of Crocodiles
The King Of Crocodiles: Once upon a time a farmer went out to look at his fields by the side of the river, and found to his dismay that all his young green
Aesop's Fables
Ages 9-12
The Death And Burial Of Poor Sparrow
The Death And Burial Of Poor Sparrow: Once upon a time there lived a cock-sparrow and his wife, who were both growing old. But despite his years the All living
Aesop's Fables
Ages 3-5
The Donkey and His Shadow – An Aesop’s Fable
The Donkey and His Shadow – An Aesop’s Fable: Once in Africa there lived a man and his donkey. The man earned his living by hiring his donkey out to travelers.
Aesop's Fables
Ages 6-8
The Farmer and the Money-Lender
The Farmer and the Money-Lender: A poor farmer suffered constantly under a money-lender who grew rich while the farmer remained trapped in hardship. With
Aesop's Fables
Ages 3-5
The Fate of the Turtle
A Panchatantra tale where a talkative turtle breaks his promise to stay silent and pays with his life.
Aesop's Fables
Ages 3-5
Retaliation
Retaliation: There is a proverb in Tamil̤ called Palikkuppali vâṅgukiradu which would best be translated by the expression “tit for tat,” and the following