Aeosop's Fable #3 - The Wolf and The Crane

A Wolf had been gorging on an animal he had killed, when suddenly a small bone in the meat stuck in his throat and he could not swallow it. He soon felt terrible pain in his throat, and ran up and down groaning and groaning and seeking for something to relieve the pain. He tried to induce every one he met to remove the bone. ‘I would give anything,’ said he, ‘if you would take it out.’ At last the Crane agreed to try, and told the Wolf to lie on his side and open his jaws as wide as he could. Then the Crane put its long neck down the Wolf’s throat, and with its beak loosened the bone, till at last it got it out.

‘Will you kindly give me the reward you promised?’ said the Crane.

The Wolf grinned and showed his teeth and said: ‘Be content. You have put your head inside a Wolf’s mouth and taken it out again in safety; that ought to be reward enough for you.’

Gratitude and greed go not together.

Serigala dan Burung Bangau

Seekor Serigala baru saja memakan dengan rakus seekor binatang yang baru saja dibunuhnya, ketika tiba-tiba sebuah tulas kecil dalam daging menyangkut di tenggorokannya dan dia tidak bisa menelannya. Tentu saja dia merasakan tenggorokannya sangat sakit, dia berlari naik turun, merintih dan mengerah, serta mencari sesuatu untuk meredakan rasa sakitnya. Dia berusaha membujuk siapapun yang temuinya untuk mengambil tulang tersebut. “Akan kuberi apapun jika kamu mau mengambilnya,” katanya. Pada akhirnya seekor Burung Bangau setuju untuk mencoba, dan memberitahu si Serigala untuk berbaring dan membuka rahangnya selebar mungkin. Kemudian si Burung Bangau memasukkan lehernya yang panjang ke dalam tenggorokan si Serigala, dan dengan paruhnya menghancurkan tulang itu, dan mengambilnya keluar.

“Jadi kamu berbaik hati memberikan hadiah yang sudah kamu janjikan?” kata si Burung Bangau.

Si Serigala menyeringai dan memperlihatkan gigi-giginya. “Kamu seharusnya senang. Kamu baru saja memasukkan lehermu ke dalam mulut Serigala dan bisa mengeluarkannya lagi dengan selamat, itu sudah cukup menjadi hadiah buatmu.”

Rasa terima kasih dan ketamakan tidak bisa berjalan berdampingan.

A Child's Garden of Verses

By: R. L. Stevenson

Again, I found treasures when I came by at a second-hand book store: Five old classic English books! To list them are: A biography of Madame Curie written by Eve Curie, Louisa Mary Alcott’s Little Women, Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe, The Royal Crown Readers with Coloured Illustration – Book 1, and R. L. Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses. Soon they become other rich new family members for my personal library collection.

Hitherto I tend to read novels than poetry, but after reading the first page of Mr. Stevenson poem, I could not stop. It amazed me with simple yet delicate well-arranged words. All of them were taken from childhood memories of young Stevenson who had spent almost her early ages in bed by the care of his beloved nurse due to his body weakness. However, they do not lack of imaginative ideas, even though sometimes simple in themes. My eyes and mind are spoilt with well-rhymed words contained of many experiences, joys and dreams the young R .L. S. had. And I think he was a genius!

As a grown up, most of us often forget about our childhood moments. On the contrary, children of every age love playing and games, observing new things, and imagining adventurous dreams. We can find them in this book where Mr. Stevenson describes them beautifully. Take an example,

“O what a joy to clamber there,

 O what a place for play,

 With the sweet, the dim, the dusty air,

 The happy hills of hay.”

(taken from The Hayloft)

Or this,

“When at home alone I sit,

 And am very tired of it,

 I have just shut my eyes

 To go sailing through the skies-

 To go sailing far away

 To the pleasant Land of Play;

 To the fairy land afar

 Where the Little People are;”

(taken from The Little Land)

There are some poems especially dedicated to his mother and also his nurse.

“You too, my mother, read my rhymes

 For the love of forgotten times,

 And you may chance to hear once more

 The little feet along the floor.”

(taken from To My Mother)

Some others tell about his feeling when he should be in bed while the day was a very fine; how he longed for playmates, yet found his joy merely by reading a picture story-book!  

“And does it not seem hard to you,

 When all the sky is clear and blue,

 And I should like so much to play,

 To have to go to bed by day?”

(taken from Bed in Summer)

And,

“How am I to sing your praise,

 Happy chimney-corner, days,

 Sitting safe in the nursery nooks,

 Reading picture story-books?”

(taken from Picture-Books in Winter)

Mr. Stevenson also poured out his thoughts about being a children and what should their duty are, instead of playing and games.

“A child should always say what’s true,

 And speak when he is spoken to,

 And behave mannerly at table;

 At least as far as he is able.”

(taken from Whole Duty of Children)

Also, he talked about the rain, the changing seasons, the farm and its livestock, traveling, and flowers in the garden. Even, last but not least, he made a special poem for his readers.

“Whether upon the garden seat

 You lounge with your uplifted feet

 Under the May’s whole Heaven of blue;

 Or whether on the sofa you,

 No grown up person being by,

 Do some soft corner occupy!

 Take this volume in your hands

 And enter into other lands.”

(taken from To Any Reader)

Another link:
http://www.lone-star.net/mall/literature/rls/childs-garden-of-verses.htm

the ghosts of Izieu

December 7, 2010

12^th Journal

- The Ghosts of Izieu -

By: James Watson

This book tells about a girl named Elise who followed her Dad and her stepmother to a small French village to spend their two-week holiday. Elise’s father always visited many small villages that had historical story of war because he liked history and terrible things happened to the war victims. He said that, “... those people gave their lives for us ... We musn’t forget that.”

Elise entered the church to see its beautiful window glasses but she found something else. She found herself in the year of 1944, the year of the Second World War! And she met around forty-four children hiding from Gestapo (the German police of Nazi regime). Elise was extremely frightened because she had read the history of Jews arrestment and concentration camps.

Now she knows about her father’s feeling for many forgotten war victims.

I feel sad when I read the story, especially for those innocent children who became the victims of Nazi’s cruelty. It reminds me of a movie titled “Life Is Beautiful” and a book titled “A Boy in the Striped Pajamas” which have same topic about the Jews’s suffering, concentration camps, and the tragic things occurred to children due to the Nazi’s cruelty.

I found an unforgettable sentence or quote when Elise and her father visited the war memorial, “... Dad, can we put some flowers .... Flowers will never be enough.”

It seems sad and tragic, particularly for people who experienced themselves the war, the fears, and the tears, more especially for those who innocent ones.

the fisherman and his soul

December 1, 2010

11^th Journal

- The Fisherman and His Soul -

from “The Young King and Other Stories”

Oscar Wilde

When I finished reading this short story for the first time, I thought that it is not a story for children. Even, for me, it is difficult to understand about the meaning of the story. So, I tried to read it for the second one. And I had an insight that the author had a very interesting imaginative idea about heart, soul and love. Indeed, he wrote it in a very intelligent and artistic way.

In my opinion, the author tried to show a moral message that as human we need love. It is implicitly stated that we should have “heart”. Moreover, we cannot separate our heart and soul, as well as our love.

In the end I feel sorry for the young fisherman because he lost his soul, he lost his love and his heart was broken.

I found some interesting figures of speech, such as:

• “She is more beautiful than the morning star, and whiter than the moon.”
• “His face was white, but his mouth was like a red flower.”
• “... But her white feet moved like little birds.”

Imray came back

November 16, 2010

9^th Journal

- Imray Came Back -

Rudyard Kippling

from “The Return of Imray”, 1891

This short story is included in the book “The Room in the Tower and Other Ghost Stories”. Yes, it is a ghost story. It has setting in India.

Actually I am not very fond of ghost stories. But I found there is also a mystery not merely a ghost story. It also tells about a murder. I was not so frightened when I was reading. It is almost the same when I read Agatha Christie’s works. The only scary part is when I read about a dangerous brown snake called “karait” in India. Snakes always scare me.

In fact, many people from various parts in the world do believe in ghost. Even in developed Western countries. And ghost stories are always famous. Moreover, in this story also tells that animal, such as dog, can sense the presence of ghost.

Again, I did not expect that the servant, Bahadur Khan, would be the murderer. Rather, I expect a different ending for this story. For example, it was one of Imray’s friends who was the murderer.

the secret garden

November 15, 2010

8^th Journal

- The Secret Garden -

Frances Hodgson Burnett

This story tells about a little girl named Mary Lennox. She was a thin girl. She was not a nice girl and always ill. She had to move from India back to England after her parents passed away. She lived with her uncle, Mr. Craven, in a big country house. She found a secret garden. She met Dicken – a twelve-year old boy, very kind, cheerful but poor – and also Colin Craven – Mary’s cousin who believed that he was going to be a hunchback and die. The secret garden changed their lives and the people around them.

This lovely story teaches the readers, especially young readers, how to be nice to other people, to appreciate our meals or everything we have, to make friends, playing outside, to think in positive way, and not to be easily giving up. As human, we need other people. We need each other. We need love.

I found some new words, such as:

• cross, which means always look angry or irritated.
• moor, which means an area of open and usually high land with poor soil that is covered mainly with grass and heather.
• robin, which means small brown bird found in England.

My comment:

I like this story because it delivers good moral messages, such as how to be nice to other people, to appreciate our meals or everything we have, to make friends, playing outside, to think in positive way, and not to be easily giving up. It is easy to be understood. So I will be very pleased to recommend it to others, especially the young readers.

 

cry freedom

October 21, 2010

6th Journal

- Cry Freedom -

John Briley

First part until page 48.

What I’m feeling while reading:

• Quite difficult to understand because it tells about a political issue between white and black people in South Africa.
• A lot of characters, especially African names, so difficult to remember.

But, I do like the first paragraph written in the synopsis:

“South Africa is beautiful country, and an ugly country. It is rich with gold and diamonds, but it is a poor country, where people are forced to live together in small, dirty houses. It is a country of black people with a government of white people. South Africa is a country of contradictions.”

October 22, 2010

7th Journal

- Cry Freedom -

John Briley

Second part until finish.

What I was feeling while reading:

I was so sad when finally read that Steve Biko was dead in tragic way. He was a great leader with great idea of uniting black and white people in South Africa.

Yet, I was so excited and thrilled when reading about how Donald Woods and his family tried to escape from their beloved country – although they are whites but South Africa has been their home country. Donald Woods did that to tell the world about Steve Biko and his struggle, or to tell the world about what happening in South Africa.

Comment:

Good book. A deep meaning one. Tells us about human equality without regarding to our skins, races, or religions.

of mice and men

5^th Journal

- Of Mice and Men -

John Steinbeck

Lennie Small is a big man but not very intelligent and too strong. He always forgets everything and really depends of George Milton – Lennie’s best friend and far smarter than him. They have a dream of their own farm but troubles are always followed them, especially for Lennie. In the end, George must do something to end all of the troubles, but it’s the saddest and hardest one.

Memorable quotation:

“No”, answered George. “You’ll always stay with me. We’re a family, Lennie” (p. 37)

It seems that George really loves Lennie as best friend but perhaps George also gets tired of nurturing Lennie all the time, especially Lennie has done many wrong things unconsciously because of his stupidity and he is too strong.

My comment:

According to me this story has deep implicit meaning even though it had been written in such a simple, funny, and light way.

Some new and interesting words from the story:

• Lennie’s name is Lennie Small. It is in contrast with his big body. I found it funny and interesting.
• I found new sentence that being repeated several times here:

“We’ll be live off the fat of the land”

Unfortunately, I could not find the exact meaning of it but from the context I figured out that they will be wealthy and prosperous farm owner.

the mysterious islands

October 13, 2010

4th Journal

- The Mysterious Islands -

Jules Verne

This is an adventure story of three men, a boy and a dog in a mysterious island. They worked hard to survive but here was always someone who helped them. The answer for many mysterious things was the famous Captain Nemo with his well-known Nautilus submarine!

Memorable quote:

“Before I die, please eat a last dinner with me” ... (p. 33)

Captain Nemo said the sentence when he was dying. He was a good man. I think it is so sad to know that he had spent years of his life in the submarine, alone, after his friends died, and after he lost the battle for his people.

My comment:

It is a good story. The author has his won beyond-imagination ideas about air balloon, mysterious islands, pirates, and submarine. But I think to know better about the story of Captain Nemo thus we should also read his other work “Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea”.

Well, I expect a different ending for this story. For example, what about if Cyrus Smith and his dog – Tap – would rather stayed in the island instead of returned to America. If it so, I think I can imagine that it will be another thrilling adventure to tell.   

the long goodbye

October 10, 2010

3^rd Journal

- The Long Goodbye -

Raymond Chandler

This crime story has its American setting after the Second World War. The main character is Philip Marlowe, a private detective who should solve a murder case of his friend, a drunk named Terry Lennox – who had shot himself after confessing of murdering his wife. The detective would meet American gangsters, an influential millionaire, a famous writer and his blonde wife, etc. And Marlowe knew that the central figure was Terry Lennox himself.

Memorable quotation:

“I can be bought, Terry. You bought a lot of me. For a smile and a nod and a few drinks in quiet bars here and there. It was nice while it lasted. So long, pal. I won’t say goodbye. I said to you when it meant something, when it was sad and lonely and final.”

I’m really impressed about Marlowe and Lennox’s friendship. Although both of them are extremely different: Lennox chose his gangster world whole Marlowe chose the other side, the good one. They understand each other and respect one another but still they had chosen different path.

My comment:

      An unpredictable end.

      I think the author wanted to focus on psychological aspects, especially for many characters in this book.

Funny, or the author has his own sense of humor. For example in the sentence when Marlowe returned to his apartment and found two police detectives waited for him. “I went up and unlocked the door. You don’t shake hands with the police”.

the birthday of the Infanta

September 25, 2010

2^nd Journal

- The Birthday of the Infanta -

Oscar Wilde

This is the second short story I read from “The Young King and Other Stories”. Honestly, I got difficulty in interpreting the idea that wanted to be expressed by the author. According to me this story has such an implicit meaning. For example, there is an interesting and memorable quotation says,

The Infanta was angry, “In the future’, she cried, “I will only play with people who have no heart”.

In my own interpretation, this sentence has two meanings. First, it expresses the immature Infanta (who was the daughter of the King of Spain and was celebrating her 12^th birthday) who was really disappointed with her father’s cold attitude (after his wife passed away due to giving birth of Infanta) and also because of the dead of the ugly dwarf (whose heart was broken of realizing his ugliness). So Infanta said the above sentence because she lost a friend and even worse a toy. Second, it is a rare to hear a twelve-year-old child of sating those words. So, I think the author here wanted to say that we should have “heart” as a human in everything we do.

My comment:

I think this story delivers good moral message, too. For example, not to mock other people despite of their deficiencies, to care and love our children, etc. Unfortunately, according to my opinion this story is too heavy for the readers, especially the young ones. In other word, it is quite difficult to be understood literally.

The Young King

Actually these journals were written as one of my course assignment of "Extensive Reading". We should read a book a week and made a journal of it. The books were already fit to us as a second-language learner, or they had been made simpler. After reading we could write about the summary, our feeling when reading it, our comment, our difficulties while reading or even new words or memorable quotations we found.

I'd like to post one by one of my journals. And the first is:

September 24, 2010

1^st Journal

 - The Young King -

Oscar Wilde

This story is included in the book with the title of “The Young King and Other Stories”. It tells about a young king who was really fond of beautiful things, such as fine clothes and rich jewels. But after finding out the miserable things behind those beauties he knew something much more valuable. He learned about other people’s miseries that made him wiser. In the end of the story he was crowned by the greatest power of God Himself.

My favorite quotation is:

“Can happiness wear what sadness and pain have made?” said the king (p. 7)

It seems that the young king had already realized his mistakes, and he knew better that in this world there were not only fine things. And also, it tells us that we cannot sacrifice other people only for our wealth or benefit.

My comment is:

I think this story has a very meaningful moral message, especially for the young readers (and initially the author made these short stories for his sons as bed-story telling). It gives some examples of good and bad things. Although, as far as I concern, those examples are a little bit difficult to be understood by children, even too miserable ones, but they ever happened and still happen.

The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Book and Movie Comparison

Actually this is part of my assignment for "Extensive Reading" course, but I think it's interesting to share my opinion about the book and the movie version:

1.      How are the stories in the book and movie the same? Support your answer with examples.

      The title is the same although it had been said that the movie was freely adapted from the book.

      The setting also the same, namely the early years of Boston, Massachusetts, when many England-born people came to built the town and brought the customs and religion of old England with them.

For example:

s         The new port, town and settlement.

s         Also in one scene when the Governor asked Hester not to wear too much laces, which it was one example about the loud voices and strong opinion of Englishwomen of those times.   

      The book and the movie tell about a woman named Hester Prynne who should wear a scarlet A letter on her bosom as a sign of “adultery” – a sign of sin.

2.      How are the stories in the book and the movie different? Support your answer with examples.

There are a lot of differences I found between the book and the movie. And I think the movie is totally different from the book, even the ending is different.

The following are some examples of those differences:

      In the book, it is opened with the story about Hester Prynne who was being released from the prison and brought her new-born baby.

In the movie, it is opened with the scene of the death and cremation of an Indian Chief named Massasoit.

      The book was told by a former port official who found an old wooden box consisted of a piece of red material in form of capital letter A and some old papers who told about a woman named Hester Prynne.

In the movie, it is Pearl who acts as the narrator of the story.

      In the book, it does not tell about how did Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale meet or how was their relationship before Hester Prynne being sent into prison.

In the movie, there are several moments of their meetings. For example when Arthur helped Hester to lift her horse-cart that stuck in the mud or when they had arguments in the church library.

      In the book, it was told that Hester sew herself the letter A and she did it in fine way, even the town women thought that “she is clever with her needle”.

But in the movie, there was someone who had made it to be worn by Hester.

      In the book, there are not any murders done by Roger Chillingworth a.k.a Roger Prynne. But in the movie there are two murders done by him to Mituba and Brewster. And even Roger Prynne hung himself; it is not mentioned in the book (Roger Chillingworth died several years after Arthur Dimmesdale’s death and he left his fortune to Pearl).

      In the book, there was no lines about Roger Chillingworth looked for the devil’s mark on Pearl’s body.

But in the movie Roger Chillingworth showed Pearl’s birthmark in a court and lifted the child, even called her the “devil’s child” or “the Satan’s child”.

      There was no war with the Indian people, but in the movie there was one.

      In the book, Pearl reached her age of 7 when Arthur Dimmesdale finally decided to confess. At this age Pearl was able to talk.

In the movie, Pearl was younger and even she could not talk yet.

      In the book, it is said that Arthur were sick of psychological problems, due to his guilt, and finally he was died after confessing that he was Pearl’s father and declaring his affection for Hester.

In the movie, Arthur did not look so ill. Even, it is a happy ending one. Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne are going to have a new happy life in another town, of course with Pearl.

3.      Are some characters described differently in the book compared to the movie? Do any characters act differently? Support your answer with examples.

      For the main characters, I think there is only slight different. Hester Prynne is described almost similar to the book. But Arthur is described a little bit different in the movie, where in the book he should be sick because of his guilt.

Hester Prynne acted differently in several scenes.

For example: In the book, Roger Chillingworth asked Hester Prynne not to tell about himself (about he was Hester’s husband) to her lover (Arthur Dimmesdale). But in the movie, Hester directly told Arthur that her husband was still alive and he was in danger.

      I found some characters that are not mentioned in the book. For example, Brewster, Johnny Sassamon – the Indian, Matuba – the mute slave, Metacomet – the son of Massasoit, Indian tribes, some women of Mistress Hibbins’s friends, and the boy with the drum who followed Hester everywhere.

      Roger Chillingworth or Roger Prynne acted differently in the movie, namely he killed people. However, in the book, it is only told that he acted as a doctor who tried to find the father of Hester’s baby. He did it in psychological way.

      In the movie also showed that Hester makes friend with Mistress Hibbins, however in the book Hester rejected the friendship offer. Even, Mistress Hibbins is not an important character in the book, but she has important role in the movie (she acted as friend, helped Hester when she was giving birth, and even Hester wanted to be hung together with her).

      Meanwhile Arthur Dimmesdale is portrayed extremely different in the movie. He does not look so guilty as in the book where he was really sick due to his guilt.

   

4.      Which version do you like better? Discuss what makes one version better than the other one.

Since the movie is so different from the book so I like the book better than the movie version. In fact, the movie has the drama side (and I do love drama!) and a story about love and a happy ending. However, the book tells more about the psychological and religious side. It tells about Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale in their guilt of sin, in their struggle of love and God. The book tells more about the “scarlet A letter” itself and its meaning that time, hence it is suitable with the title. And it is not really described in the movie.

The book says more about many questions of sin, crime, suffering, and guilt. And I think it is the focus of the author, about the dark side of life. And according to my opinion, the movie cannot show that author’s aim.    

Further reading:

http://www.online-literature.com/hawthorne/scarletletter/

Ryoju (The Hunting Gun)

I found this little book at 2008's Book Fair held in my town. Yes, it is little and thin in shape yet the cover attracted me most. I bet there are lots of versions for its publications around the world. And in Indonesian it called "Bedil Perburuan" with its cover depicts three Japanese Women in their lovely Kimono about thinking a man (also in kimono) in the middle of shot target.

by: Yasushi Inoue

Published: 1949

This story tells about a narrator-poet who was being asked by his old friend to submit a poetry for that's friend magazine - The Hunter's Companion, a magazine about hunting. The narrator himself wasn't a hunter thus he recalled about a man he saw with a hunting gun in his shoudler at the foot of Amagi Mountain. It struck him about the loneliness of the hunter's back, and the silent and cold hunting gun itself in his shoulder was the symbol of emptiness felt by the hunter. So, he made his poetry based on this impression.

Two or three months later after his poetry published (in a tiny and unrecognizable space in the magazine) or even after the narrator forgot about it at all, there was a package sent to him from a man called himself Josuke Misugi - the hunter with the hunting gun he saw in his poetry.
 
The package consisted of three letters from three different women but in close relationship: Saiko - Josuke's secret lover who felt the guilty or sin yet still loved his first husband; Shoko - Saiko's daughter who was really shocked to find out about her mother and Josuke's love affair; and Midori - Josuke's wife who was very pretty yet unhappy and knew from the first about Josuke and Saiko's love affairs.

The novel, indeed, tells about tragic love affair with its psychological impact not merely on each persons involved but also on people surround them. This story had the setting of Post World War II ear in the middle-upper society in Ashiya, a prosperous suburban area between two developed business districts - Osaka and Kobe. It combines Inoue's observation and concern about daily lives and historical-social situation they reflect. 

And, according to the hunter himself (Josuke Misugi - who previously a leader executive business but later being shoved aside from his position), the hunting gun was an inseparable part, no matter how successful or unsuccessful the public life or even the brightness of person's personal life was.

Aesop's Fables #2: The Ant and The Grasshopper

In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's contents. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.

"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way."

"I am helping to lay up food for winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same."

"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; we have got plenty food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil.

When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing everyday corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the grasshopper knew:

It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.

 Illustration for La Fontaine's Fable of the Grasshopper and the Ant,
Jean-Baptiste Oudry and Dominique Sornique, 1729.

Aesop's Fables #1 - Lion's Share

The Lion went once a-hunting along with the Fox, the Jackal, and the Wolf. Th ey hunted and they hunted till at last they  surprised a Stag, and soon took its life. en came the question how the spoil should be divided. ‘Quarter me this Stag,’ roared the Lion; so the other animals skinned it and cut it into four parts. en the Lion took his stand in front of the carcass and pronounced judgment: e rst quarter is for me in my capacity as King of Beasts; the second is mine as arbiter; another share comes to me for my part in the chase; and as for the fourth quarter, well, as for that, I should like to see which of you will dare to lay a paw upon it.’

‘Humph,’ grumbled the Fox as he walked away with his tail between his legs; but he spoke in a low growl.’You may share the labours of the great, but you will not share the spoil.’

So, what's the moral?

Aesop's Fables

Aesop's Fables or Aesopica refers to a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a slave and story-teller who lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 560 BC. His fables are some of the most well known in the world. The fables remain a popular choice for moral education of children today.

 The earliest sources of Aesop's life date from long after his death, and most biographical material about him is almost certainly mythical. Along with the scattered references in the ancient sources regarding the life and death of Aesop, there is a highly fictional biography now commonly called The Aesop Romance (also known as the Vita or The Life of Aesop or The Book of Xanthus the Philosopher and Aesop His Slave), "an anonymous work of Greek popular literature composed around the second century of our era.

Hellenistic statue reputed to depict Aesop, Art Collection of Villa Albani, Rome.  

In The Aesop Romance, Aesop is a slave of Phrygian origin on the island of Samos, and extremely ugly. At first he lacks the power of speech, but after showing kindness to a priestess of Isis, is granted by the goddess not only speech but a gift for clever storytelling, which he uses alternately to assist and confound his master, Xanthus, embarrassing the philosopher in front of his students and even sleeping with his wife.

Portrait of Aesop by Velásquez in the Prado.

Aesop's most famous fables include:

• Lion's Share
• The Ant and the Grasshopper
• The Ass in the Lion's Skin
• The Bear and the Travelers
• The Bell and the Cat (also known as Belling the Cat, The Mice, the Bell, and the Cat, or The Mice in Council)
• The Boy Who Cried Wolf
• The Cat and the Mice
• The Cock and the Jewel
• The Crow and the Pitcher
• The Deer without a Heart
• The Dog and the Bone
• The Dog and the Wolf
• The Dog in the Manger
• The Farmer and the Stork
• The Farmer and the Viper
• The Frog and the Ox
• The Frogs Who Desired a King
• The Fox and the Crow
• The Fox and the Goat
• The Fox and the Grapes
• The Fox and the Sick Lion
• The Fox and the Stork
• The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs
• The Honest Woodcutter
• The Lion and the Mouse
• The Lion, the Bear and the Fox
• The Milkmaid and Her Pail
• The Mischievous Dog
• The North Wind and the Sun
• The Tortoise and the Hare
• The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
• Venus and the Cat
• The Wolf and the Lamb
• The Wolf and the Crane
• The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

• A famous fable commonly mis-attributed to Aesop is The Scorpion and the Frog.

Remarkable Creature

Mary Anning was struck by lightning when she was a baby. Since she was a young girl her father had taught her to look for fossils such as Ammonite (snake stone or petrified serpent), Brittle Star, Gryphaea (devil's toenail), Sea Urchin, Belemnite (devil's finger), etc., for souvenirs in the beach. Mary was really good at that. She was a kind person that lead with her eye. 

Elizabeth Philpot and her two sisters had moved to Lyme (south coast of England), gave away their previous live in London because their brother got married, and went through the life of spinsters. She was really fond of historical journals and other books, except novels. She found new activity - yet as hobby - walked through the beach and search for fish fossils.

There young Mary Anning, from working class background, and Elizabeth Philpot, from higher class, met and made friends. Yet, they had a strong bond of relationship in the world that dominated by men. Especially when young Mary found the ancient fossils (Ichthyosaur "fish lizard" and Plesiosaur "sea dragon") that became scientifically challenge human's thinking about the creation of world and God. 

We can see them struggled with poverty, rivalry and ostracism, as well as the physical dangers of their chosen obsession. It reminds us that friendship can outlast storms and landslides, anger and and jealousy.

 The author herself says that this novel is fiction but some of the persons were real. She got the inspiration after visited Dinosaur Museum in Dorchester, on the south coast of England. Among the usual displays, there was a wall devoted to Mary Anning, who lived in the early 19th century in the nearby town of Lyme Regis, where fossils are abundant.  

http://www.tchevalier.com/remarkablecreatures/story/index.html

 

The Burden

 AGATHA CHRISTIE
writing under the name
MARY WESTMACOTT

 (1956)

The Burden is a non-detective-short story. It tells about the life of Laura Franklin. Born as second child and a daughter - the so often unwanted second child that follows too soon upon the first - Charles. Her father and mother had been kind to her, affectionate, but it was Charles they had loved. Even, everybody fears that Laura might be 'taken' young.But it was Charles who died (of infantile paralysis), not Laura.

Long to be loved - after the death of Charles - Laura thinks that she was her parents' only child. She was, as she had phrased it to herself, 'all they had in the world.'But it had been a shock for her that she got a baby sist
er, instead. Young Laura prayed to the Lady in the Blue Cloak with intention "let the baby go to heaven".
The fire had been a kind of turning-point in her life. She saw herself dimly before it-an unhappy jealous child, longing for attention, for love. But on the night of the fire, a new Laura had come into existence-a Laura whose life had become suddenly and satisfyingly full. From the moment that she had struggled through smoke and flames with Shirley in her arms, her life had found its object and meaning-to care for Shirley - her baby sister. She had saved Shirley from death.

She would look after Shirley, see that no harm came to her. But a child of eleven couldn't, of course, foresee the future: the Franklins, taking a brief holiday together, flying to Le Touquet and the plane crashing on the return journey. . . .
The story goes. A baby Shirley telling Laura in stuttering unintelligible language what her dolls were doing. An older Shirley coming back from kindergarten. An older Shirley had come back from boarding-school. And Laura was never think about anyone else, except Shirley. She just couldn't bear if shierly made a mess of her life and was unhappy.

The only friend of Laura - Mr. "Baldy" Baldock, also an old friend of her father - always telling her think about herself. As he put it "So stop walking up and down looking like a tragedy queen, Laura. I've told you already you take life too seriously. You can't run other people's lives for them. Young Shirley has got her own row to hoe. And if you ask me, she can take care of herself a good deal better than you can. It's you I'm worried about, Laura. I always have been. . . ."

The story keeps going, the tragic one.
Will Laura ever feel the she was wanted, as in her childhood she had longed to be wanted.

"And suddenly, almost imperceptibly, her shoulders sagged a little, as though a burden, a light burden, but still a burden, had been placed on them.e was wanted, as in her childhood she had longed to be wanted.
For the first time, she felt and comprehended the weight of love... "