Aesop's Fables

Aesop's Fables are a collection of fables credited to Aesop (620–560 BC), a slave and story-teller who lived in Ancient Greece. Aesop's Fables have become a blanket term for collections of brief fables, usually involving personified animals. The fables remain popular in children's moral education and entertainment. Many of the stories included in Aesop's Fables are well-known throughout the world and have been adapted in many media forms. Famous Aesop's Fables include "The Tortoise and the Hare", "The Boy Who Cried Wolf", "The Ant and The Grasshopper" and "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse ".

Adaptations & References

 * In episode 212 of The Muppet Show, Sam Eagle tells the fable of "The Ant and The Grasshopper", however in Sam's adaptation the fun-loving grasshopper drives to Florida for the winter, and the hard-working ant gets stepped on.


 * The fable of "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" was reinacted musicaly in episode 419 of The Muppet Show through "The Whiffenpoof Song". While a group of Sheep asing and wag their tails as the Wolf take them out one by one - until he is confronted by Super Sheep.


 * Muppet Classic Theater featured a reinactment of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" featuring Gonzo as the shepherd boy, Kermit as the mayor and, of course, a wolf.


 * In the Bear in the Big Blue House episode entitled "Appreciation Day", Shadow tells Aesop's fable "The Lion and the Mouse."


 * Kermit the Frog interviewed the stars of the fable "The Tortoise and the Hare" in a Sesame Street Sports sketch. The Tortoise and The Hare are both preparing for the legendary race. As in the original tale, the hare dawdles believing that since the tortoise is so slow that he would have time to win. But in a twist ending he loses to Kermit who is inadvertently crowned the winner after rushing to the finish line to be able to catch the results.


 * The fable of "The Tortoise and the Hare" was revisted by Kermit and Sesame Street News in Season 20. In the Sesame Street News Flash sketch titled "The Tortoise and the Hare Rematch", the hare challenged The Tortoise to a rematch, however the Tortoise comes equipped with a jet-pack.


 * John Korty animated a folk ballad retelling of "The Fox and the Crow" for Sesame Street in the 1970s.


 * The fable of "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse" was retold with worms in the Sesame Street book The City Worm and the Country Worm.


 * Sesame Street featured a somewhat modern adaptation of "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse". In the sketch, as in the original fable, The Country Mouse lives peacefully on the farm when his cousin, the City Mouse, comes to visit. The City Mouse is appalled that his cousin lives in a haystack, eats acorns, and listens to birdsong. He invites his cousin to come visit him in the city. The Country Mouse visits the City Mouse's apartment, and finds that his cousin eats pizza, doesn't mind traffic sounds, and listens to groovy music on his stereo. The Country Mouse is startled when he hears a cat. The City Mouse sighs, "Oh, that's just the cat. That means he's hungry, and he wants to catch us and eat us for dinner." Horrified, the Country Mouse goes back to the country, where he's safe. The City Mouse offers the cat a bite of pizza.


 * Elmo's World: Fast and Slow featured the two star players from the fable "The Tortoise and the Hare" as they arrive on Elmo's doorstep to illustrate fast and slow. The episode concludes with Elmo taking on the role of Tortoise and hare (within Dorothy's mind) to finish the story.


 * The March 2004 issue of Sesame Street Magazine featured a retelling of "The Lion and the Mouse."


 * The Dog City episode "Doggy See, Doggy Do" features Bugsy Vile reading a twisted version of an Aesop's fable in "His Master's Choice Theater".


 * The Dog City episode "No Pain, No Brain" featured Mr. Mookie in the tale of "The Tortoise and the Hare."


 * The Farscape episode Into the Lion's Den Part 2: Wolf in Sheep's Clothing references the fable of "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing."