Considered as children's stories, they are believed to have been written as thinly disguised social and political criticisms. Whatever their origins, the stories and their morals are very familiar to readers of all ages.
In many of the tales, animals speak and have human characteristics; a moral is added at the bottom of each of the fables, and many of the sayings and proverbs featured are well known today. For example, “slow and steady wins the race” comes from ‘The Hare and the Tortoise’ and “familiarity breeds contempt” comes from ‘The Fox and the Lion’.
Other well known fables include ‘The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing’, ‘The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs’ and ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’
