The Fables of La Fontaine: Translated into English Verse by Walter Thornbury and Illustrated by Gustave Doré
1927
Translated by Walter Thornbury
Jean de La Fontaine wrote these fables in 17th-century France, but they feel like they've existed forever. The animals are sly foxes outwitting credulous crows, industrious ants preparing for winter while carefree grasshoppers sing, wolves in sheep's clothing and cats scaling ladders. Each tale moves with the easy rhythm of French verse, delivering its moral lesson through wit rather than lecturing. Beneath the charming surface lies sharp commentary on French society, human vanity, greed, and the eternal dance between cleverness and folly. The Thornbury translation captures this playful elegance, while Gustave Doré's legendary illustrations bring every whisker and feather to vivid life. These are fables your grandmother's grandmother knew, the kind of stories that shape how a culture thinks about prudence, deception, and the small truths of daily behavior. They endure because they never condescend: you learn the lesson while laughing at the fox.
