We know very little about Aesop, though scholars believe that he lived in what is now western Turkey. He told more than 600 fables, following the foibles of his animal characters who acted just like human beings. Aesop's fables were passed orally through generations and eventually written down. No one knows exactly what these stories were in their original version. What we do know is that Aesop described human behavior by telling stories of animals that make the same mistakes we do. His fables allow us to recognize our own behavior.

Aesop's fable of "Androcles and the Lion" tells the story of a slave named Androcles, who escapes by running into the woods. There, he comes upon a great lion, but the lion has been hurt by a thorn in its paw. Despite the danger, Androcles pulls the thorn out and the lion thanks him gratefully. When Androcles is captured by his master and, as punishment, is fed to a lion, it turns out to be the same lion that he had helped out, and so Androcles is spared. Moral: Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.

Aesop's fable of "The Ant and the Grasshopper" tells the story of the ant who works all summer long gathering food for the long winter months ahead, while the grasshopper idly enjoys the sunshine. The ant warns the grasshopper to store food for the winter but the grasshopper makes fun of the ant—until winter comes when he must go to the ant for food. Moral: Prepare today for what you might need tomorrow.    

Aesop's fable of "The Tortoise and the Hare" tells the story of the hare that makes fun of the tortoise's short legs and slow pace. The tortoise challenges the hare to a race, and when the over-confident rabbit goes to sleep in the middle of the contest, the tortoise ends up winning after all. Moral: Slow and steady wins the race.

– Contributed by the CST Education Department