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The Fables of La Fontaine / Translated into English Verse by Walter Thornbury and Illustrated by Gustave Doré — Jean de La Fontaine

The Fables of La Fontaine / Translated into English Verse by Walter Thornbury and Illustrated by Gustave Doré

Jean de La Fontaine

  • Children
  • Book language: English
  • 415 pages

A classic collection of fables by Jean de La Fontaine, rendered in English verse by Walter Thornbury and illustrated by Gustave Doré. Through animals and everyday characters, the poems offer gentle lessons on human nature, folly, and wisdom. It is a pleasure to hear read aloud.

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Cover of the original edition (Project Gutenberg, public domain).

Text source: gutenberg.org · The work is in the public domain.

Opening of the book

THE FABLES
OF
LA FONTAINE.
TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH VERSE BY WALTER THORNBURY,
WITH
ILLUSTRATIONS
BY
GUSTAVE DORÉ.
CASSELL, PETTER, AND GALPIN,
LONDON AND NEW YORK.
1886
Jean de la Fontaine
CONTENTS
As Essay on the Life and Works of Jean de la Fontaine xiii
The Life of Æsop, the Phrygian xxxiii
Dedication to Monseigneur the Dauphin li
Preface lv

To Monseigneur the Dauphin lxiii
The Grasshopper and the Ant    3
The Raven and the Fox    5
The Frog that Wished to make Herself as Big as the Ox    7
The Two Mules   11
The Wolf and the Dog   13
The Heifer, the She-goat, and the Lamb, in Partnership
with the Lion   16
The Wallet   18
The Swallow and the Little Birds   20
The Town Rat and the Country Rat   27
The Man and his Image   29
The Dragon with many Heads, and the Dragon with
many Tails   31
The Wolf and the Lamb   35
The Robbers and the Ass   37
Death and the Woodcutter   39
Simonides rescued by the Gods   43
Death and the Unhappy Man   47
The Wolf turned Shepherd   51
The Child and the Schoolmaster   53
The Pullet and the Pearl   55
The Drones and the Bees   56
The Oak and the Reed   61
Against Those Who are Hard to Please   63
The Council held by the Rats   69
The Wolf Pleading against the Fox before the Ape   71
The Middle-Aged Man and the Two Widows   73
The Fox and the Stork   75
The Lion and the Gnat   79
The Ass Laden with Sponges, and the Ass Laden
with Salt   82
The Lion and the Rat   84
The Dove and the Ant   88
The Astrologer Who let Himself Fall into the Well   90
The Hare and the Frogs   95
The Two Bulls and the Frog   97
The Peacock Complaining to Juno 101
The Bat and the Two Weasels 103

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Contents

  1. THE FABLES
  2. LA FONTAINE.

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