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The Original Fables of La FontaineJean de La Fontaine

The Original Fables of La Fontaine

by OpenStories

Original author: Jean de La Fontaine

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"The Original Fables of La Fontaine" by Jean de La Fontaine is a collection of fables published between 1668 and 1694. Drawing from Western and Eastern sources, La Fontaine adapted 239 tales into French free verse across twelve books. These humorous and ironical fables feature animals and human characters, offering sharp insights into human nature and social commentary beneath their deceptively simple surfaces. Originally aimed at adults, they became required reading for French schoolchildren and remain classics of French literature, their phrases woven into everyday language.

The Original Fables of La Fontaine, by Jean de La Fontaine. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #15946.

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49 Chapters

  1. 1.Preface786 words
  2. 2.Chapter I: The Two Mules217 words
  3. 3.Chapter II: The Hare and the Partridge200 words
  4. 4.Chapter III: The Gardener and His Landlord580 words
  5. 5.Chapter IV: The Man and His Image376 words
  6. 6.Chapter V: The Animals Sick of the Plague688 words
  7. 7.Chapter VI: The Unhappily Married Man438 words
  8. 8.Chapter VII: The Rat Retired From the World246 words
  9. 9.Chapter VIII: The Maiden364 words
  10. 10.Chapter IX: The Wishes522 words
  11. 11.Chapter X: The Dairy-Woman and the Pail of Milk366 words
  12. 12.Chapter XI: The Priest and the Corpse299 words
  13. 13.Chapter XII: The Man Who Ran After Fortune and the Man Who Waited for Her in His Bed730 words
  14. 14.Chapter XIII: An Animal in the Moon211 words
  15. 15.Chapter XIV: The Fortune-Tellers458 words
  16. 16.Chapter XV: The Cobbler and the Financier475 words
  17. 17.Chapter XVI: The Power of Fable367 words
  18. 18.Chapter XVII: The Dog Who Carried His Master's Dinner370 words
  19. 19.Chapter XVIII: Thyrsis and Amaranth330 words
  20. 20.Chapter XIX: The Rat and the Elephant158 words
  21. 21.Chapter XX: The Horoscope651 words
  22. 22.Chapter XXI: Jupiter and the Thunderbolts388 words
  23. 23.Chapter XXII: Education278 words
  24. 24.Chapter XXIII: Democritus and the People of Abdera461 words
  25. 25.Chapter XXIV: The Acorn and the Pumpkin300 words
  1. 26.Chapter XXV: The Schoolboy, the Pedant, and the Owner of a Garden285 words
  2. 27.Chapter XXVI: The Sculptor and the Statue of Jupiter294 words
  3. 28.Chapter XXVII: The Oyster and the Pleaders252 words
  4. 29.Chapter XXVIII: The Cat and the Fox325 words
  5. 30.Chapter XXIX: The Monkey and the Cat265 words
  6. 31.Chapter XXX: The Two Rats, the Fox, and the Egg81,813 words
  7. 32.Chapter XXXI: The Dog with His Ears Cropped191 words
  8. 33.Chapter XXXII: The Lioness and the She-Bear301 words
  9. 34.Chapter XXXIII: The Rabbits408 words
  10. 35.Chapter XXXIV: The Gods Wishing to Instruct a Son of Jupiter453 words
  11. 36.Chapter XXXV: The Lion, the Monkey, and the Two Asses611 words
  12. 37.Chapter XXXVI: The Wolf and the Fox in the Well401 words
  13. 38.Chapter XXXVII: The Mice and the Screech-Owl438 words
  14. 39.Chapter XXXVIII: The Companions of Ulysses750 words
  15. 40.Chapter XXXIX431 words
  16. 41.Chapter XL: The Wolf and the Fox375 words
  17. 42.Chapter XLI: Love and Folly280 words
  18. 43.Chapter XLII: The Forest and the Woodcutter223 words
  19. 44.Chapter XLIII: The Fox and the Young Turkeys229 words
  20. 45.Chapter XLIV: The Ape110 words
  21. 46.Chapter XLV: The Scythian Philosopher287 words
  22. 47.Chapter XLVI: The Elephant and Jupiter's Ape346 words
  23. 48.Chapter XLVII: The League of Rats408 words
  24. 49.Chapter XLVIII: The Arbiter, the Hospitaller, and the Hermit621 words