The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-07-09
AESOP'S FABLES

IJ1( tors-Dy way of variety.
 S please let me say en passant to those who may wonder why I've elected to write story about "Ae- sop's Fables" that it was suggested by moving picture I saw the other day.
 The picture was entitled. White and Unmarried" an adaptation of story of Billy Kane; White and Un- married" by Jonn D. Swain, and was charmingly done by Thomas Meighan.
 The reason that it linked my thoughts up with "Aesop's Fables" lis because of the clever scenario, which cryptically pointed mpral to every move that Billy Kane, the ex- burglar made, and the finale was the eternal suggestions
 | And what's the moral?'
 "Aesop's Fables" are all morals, and so | got to ruminating as to this ancient lore, and taking down from my five-fo book shelf an old bat tered copy-marked and remarked I started on my quest for morals. 1 In the first place, had quite for ! gotten that it was not Aesop who l invented Fable Making With a Moral at all, although l thought he was the most ancient of fable makers, but it seems that there were fables told in India and in Persia and l in Arabia and in many other coun- tries of antiquity long before Aesop's time. but it was probably Aesop who made the custom famous.
 Socrates put some fables of Aesop's into verse while he was in prison. and other writers also wrote flown what they had heard from the lips of the great fabulist.
 From this, it is easy to see how 1 history repeats itself in continuing to make it fashionable to be able to tell the latest and best story at a party.
 Also, it is easy to see how collec- tions from these moral tales came to be made and, while contributions were made from other lands and other clmes, nevertheless all those lin such collections bore the Aesopean stamp.
 One thing that impresses me, as
  of the fables remind me of somebody know; it just fits some special per son know like glove. Had you ever thought of that?
 If you haven't, just take your old copy of "Aesop's Fables" and turn to the fable of The Mule" and see if lit doesn't fit certain woman of your acquaintance who is always brag- glng on her lineage her ancestry, her blue blood
 Here's the fable:
 A mule, frolicsome from want of work and from overmuch corn, gal loped about in very extraVagaH' manner and said to himself: My father surely was a high-mettled racer, and I am his own child in speed and spirit" On the next day being driven long journey and 1eei- ing very wearied, he exclaimed Tn disconsolate tone: T must have made mistake: my father, after all, could have been only van ass.'
 l I have a friend-far be it to tell names and tales--but every time Tread the fable of "The OK and the Frog" I nearly split my sides laugh ing, and think of him and his would be greatness.
 An OK, grazing in a swampy mead ow, chanced to set his foot among a crowd of young frogs, and crushed nearly the whole brood to death. one that escaped, ran off to his mother with the dreadful news: And oh, motherw said he, "it was a beast such a big, four-footed beast-that did it." "Big?" quoth the old frog, "how big; was it as big" and she puffed herself out to great degree as big gas this?" "Oh" said the lit- tie one. "a great deal bigger than that" well, was it so big" and she swelled herself out yet more. "Indeed. mother, but it was; and if you were to burst yourself, you would reached half it's size" Pro- voked at such Encouragement of her powers, the old frog made one more trial and burst herself indeed. Do not initiate the greatness to which you cannot attain.
 Of course, every prohibitionist, and who isn't nowadays, will relish the fable about 'The Old Woman and the Wine Jar:"
 An old woman saw an empty wine | jar lying on the ground. Though not a drop of the noble Alderman, with which it had been filled, re- mained. it still yielded grateful fragrance to the passers-by. The old woman, applying her nose as close as she could and snuffing with all her might and main, exclaimed Sweet creature, how charming must your contents once have been. since the very dregs are so delicious" Bread Cast Upon the Waters might easily have been chosen by "Aesop" in his fable" of "The Lion and the Mouse" which tells of lion who was sleeping in his lair when mouse not knowing where he was go- ing. ran over the mighty beasts nose and wakened him. The lion clapped