The way most people see it, adults have much more power than children do. Your own experience probably supports this idea. Parents and grandparents tell children what to eat, how to behave, and often what to believe is true about the world.
And yet . . . it’s up to children to learn the ways of their people. In this sense, each new generation has a great deal of power―and responsibility. How do a culture’s “elders” make sure their message is getting through? If often starts with stories like the ones described in this video.
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Have you heard the saying, “Slow and steady wins the race”? Do you remember the story that went with it?
“The Tortoise and the Hare” is one of the most famous stories attributed to Aesop, a writer who lived in ancient Greece. Many historians believe that Aesop wrote the very first fables, which are brief, uncomplicated stories that teach moral or ethical lessons.
Fables are short and simple for a reason: It’s to make sure the point comes across clearly. The meaning of a fable is supposed to be really specific―not open to interpretation like longer, more complicated stories.
The characters in fables are usually animals instead of people. And these days, fables are most often thought of as children’s stories.
Aesop’s fables, though, were written for adults and were part of religious ceremonies or religious training.
Back then, they served a similar purpose as they do today―to make a point about how people ought to think and behave if they want to be successful and well-respected.
See if you recognize another of Aesop’s most popular fables. A lion is awakened by a mouse running over his face. Rising up angrily, the lion grabs the mouse and is about to kill him when the mouse begs him to reconsider, saying, “If you would only spare my life, I would be sure to repay your kindness.” The lion is so amused by the very idea that he lets the mouse go.
A short time later, the lion is caught by some hunters, who tie him up with strong ropes. The mouse, recognizing the lion’s roar, comes running and begins gnawing at the rope with his teeth. As he sets the lion free, the mouse says, “You laughed at the thought of my ever being able to help you, but now you know: Even a tiny mouse can offer benefits to a lion.”
If you’re not sure what the point of a fable is, you don’t have to wonder long. Just look at the very end. One key feature of the fable is that it ends stating its point, in the form of a fact about life. This statement is usually called the “moral of the story.”
Question
In a fable like the hundreds recorded by Aesop, at what point does the moral appear?
