(From "Songs for Little Children," by T. W. Stephenson B:A. Published by Henry Frowde, Hodder & Stoughton, London, England) A Department for Story Tellers Children's Stories-La Fontaine Laura F. Kready Author of "A Study of Fairy Tales" A FONTAINE was born in 1621 at Chateau-Thierry. poetical genius until he was twenty-one. In temperament he was benevolent almost to foolishness; he had the quality of good humor with all the world; he had little cunning, caution, or veneration; very good perceptive faculties but better reflective ones; and a dominant love of the beautiful. He possessed a simplicity of heart and the instinct of observation. He sympathized with animals, the ways of the wolf, and the fears of the mouse were open to his understanding. It is told of him how one day he lost his dinner because he was watching with admiration a common ant-hill. The little community were engaged in what he took to be a funeral and he could not in decency leave them until it was over. His early life was not good nor moral. He was married at the age of twenty-six, but he later deserted his wife and did not regard the obligations of marriage. He was also improvident and care-free to the extent that some of his friends remonstrated with him for not applying himself to his affairs. He responded with "The Epitaph of La Fontaine," which has often been appended to his fables: John went as he came ate his farm with its fruits, Gave a part to his sleep, and to nothing the rest. La Fontaine had the reputation of being absent-minded, he appeared outwardly dull when inwardly his mind would be working splendidly. Once a mail-carrier, following him, picked up a bundle, and overtaking him, said: "Have you lost anything?" "Certainly not," said La Fontaine, with surprise. "Well, I just picked up these papers," replied the man. "Ah, they are mine," cried La Fontaine; "they involve my whole estate!" He had many friends, both men and women, who never suffered him to want. He was an especial favorite of the women who ruled the kings of France. For twenty years he lived in the home of Madame de la Sablière, perhaps the best educated woman in France, whose husband was the king's secretary. She did not want her favorite poet to have any care for his external wants. At her death he lived in the home of another friend who invited him. La Fontaine took life very quietly. He was a poet at heart. He was a master of streams and forests, even greater than Isaac Walton, and collected and applied ideas on the comparison of men with plants and animals. His appeal to the Woodman is famous: Leave axes, hooks and picks, The scythe of Time, with deadlier tricks, Too soon will bring thee low. He was deeply read in tales of the Middle Ages, satires, and animal stories. He knew Horace, Virgil, Terence and Quintilian, Plato and Plutarch. His favorites were Malherbe, Corneille, Rabelais and Marot. He read Ariosto, Boccaccio and Macchiavelli. He became a protege of Fouquet, the minister of France, who settled upon him a yearly pension of a thousand francs. La Fontaine was the intimate friend of Boileau, Moliére, and Racine. They rented a small chamber in Paris, where they all met several times a week. They discussed their amusements, and then if they spoke of any subject of science or letters they profited by the occasion. Neither the ancients, praised some moderns, and gave one another sincere counsel when any one of them published a book. In 1668 La Fontaine published his first collection of six books of fables under the title, "Selected Fables in Verse," with illustrations by Chauveau, dedicated to the Dauphin. The success of the collection was so great that it was reprinted the same year, in a smaller size. Fables became established on the top of Parnassus through La Fontaine's volumes. A second collection of fables was published, 1678-9, making twelve books of fables. The king showed unusual favor to the author because "the youth have received great advantage in their education from the fables, selected and put into verse." La Fontaine was permitted to present his book in person to the king. He went to Versailles, and after giving his compliment to royalty, he discovered that he had forgotten to bring the presentation copy with him. He was received favorably, however, and was loaded with gifts. On returning, he absently lost the purse of gold given him, which was later found under the cushion of the carriage in which he rode. In 1684 he was elected a member of the Royal Academy. He was a general favorite in this distinguished body. Voltaire said of the fables: "I hardly know a book which more abounds with charms adapted to the people, and at the same time to persons of refined taste. I believe that, of all authors, La Fontaine is the most universally read. He is for all minds and all ages." La Fontaine died in 1695, at the age of seventy-three. On hearing of his death, Fenelon wrote a eulogy for his pupil to translate: "La Fontaine is no more! He is no more! and with him have gone the playful jokes, the merry laugh, the artless graces and the sweet Muses." In his Fables La Fontaine selected from Æsop, Phædrus, Horace and Oriental sources. He surpassed his models, and is himself a model difficult to be imitated. In turning Greek and Latin fables into French verse, his original work was in setting forth his own observations and giving comments. His fables have artistic finish. In interest and variety they are sound, clear and sweet. They criticise monarch, churchman and noble in the guise of the beasts, that led to a revolution in eloquence. They have a high lyric quality, are concrete, and show French wit. They are French classics and every French child is considered untaught without his "La Fontaine." A beautiful modern edition, with illustrations by Boutet de Monvel, unites classic illustration to the fables. The following list gives some of the best of the fables. The edition used is "La Fontaine's Fables," translated by Elizur Wright; London, George Ball, 1903. The Grasshopper and the Ant, p. 2- the first fable in the book. Death and the Unfortunate, p. 18 The Oak and the Reed, p. 24-The most classic, La Fontaine's favorite. The Sick Stag, p. 313 — Picturesque Of all the fables, "The Oak and the Reed" was said to be his own favorite. It is considered the perfection of classical fable: The Oak and the Reed The Oak one day addressed the Reed: "To you ungenerous indeed Has nature been, my humble friend, The slightest wind that wreathes the lake The while, my towering form And wrestle with the storm. That spread far round their friendly bower, Less suffering would your life have known, Defended from the tempest's power. Unhappily you oftenest show In open air your slender form, Along the marshes wet and low, That fringe the kingdom of the storm. To you declare I must, Dame Nature seems unjust." Then modestly replied the Reed: "Your pity, sir, is kind indeed, But wholly needless for my sake. But, gathering up its strength once more, The savage blast O'erthrew, at last, That proud, old, sky-encircled head, Whose feet entwined the empire of the dead! About one half of La Fontaine's fables are from Indian sources. The following one, which is considered his best fable, because of its exquisite poetry, its good dialogue, and its excellent moral teaching, is the same as the Bidpai, "The Lion and the Camel." The Dairy Woman and the Pot of Milk Short clad and light, with speed she went, Indeed, to be the nimbler tripper, The truth to say, Was simple petticoat and slipper. More cunning yet, Or leave enough to buy a pig. With little care And any fare, He'll grow quite fat and big; For which the pork will sell! I'll bring a cow and calf to dwell A calf to frisk among the flock!" The thought made Peggy do the same; And down at once the milk-pot came, And perish'd with the shock. Calf, cow, and pig, and chicks, adieu! Your mistress' face is sad to view; She gives a tear to fortune spilt; Then with the downcast look of guilt Home to her husband empty goes, Somewhat in danger of his blows. Who buildeth not, sometimes, in air I hurl the monarch from his throne; And I'm no more than simple Jack. Perhaps the best fable as a criticism of life is the one which is placed last in the book, "The Arbiter, the Almoner, and the Hermit." The child might write a fable developed from a proverb. Benjamin Franklin, who was a great advocate of "Esop's Fables," who published many copies of it when it was first being printed in America, and who was stimulated to make his own book of wise sayings in "Poor Richard's Almanac," has given a notable instance of the moral tale developed from a proverb or wise saying, "Don't give too much for the whistle." This was written in a letter to a lady for the purpose of giving good advice, when Franklin was in France, in 1779. The Whistle- Benjamin Franklin When I was a child of seven years old, my friends on a holiday filled my pocket with coppers. I went directly to a shop where they sold toys for children; and being charmed with the sound of a whistle, that I met by the way in the hands of another boy, I voluntarily offered and gave all my money for one. I then came home, and went whistling all over the house, much pleased with my whistle, but disturbing all the family. My brothers and sisters and cousins, understanding the bargain I had made, told me I had given four times as much for it as it was worth, put me in mind what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money; laughed at me so much for my folly that I cried with vexation; and the reflection gave me more chagrin than the whistle gave me pleasure. This, however, was afterward of use to me, the impression continuing on my mind; so that often, when I was tempted to buy some unnecessary thing, I said to myself, "Don't give too much for the whistle," and I saved my money. As I grew up, came into the world, and observed the actions of men, I thought I met with many, very many, who gave too much for the whistle. When I saw one too ambitious of court favor, sacrificing his time in attendance on levies, his repose, his liberty, his virtue, and perhaps his friends to attain it, I said to myself, "This man gives too much for his whistle." When I saw another fond of popularity, constantly employing himself in political bustles, neglecting his own affairs, and ruining them by that neglect, "He pays, indeed," said I, "too much for his whistle." If I knew a miser, who gave up every kind of comfortable living, all the pleasure of doing good to others, all the esteem of his fellow-citizens, and the joys of benevolent friendship, for the sake of accumulating wealth, "Poor man," said I, "you pay too much for your whistle." When I met with a man of pleasure, sacrificing every laudable improvement of the mind, or of his fortune, to mere corporeal sensations and ruining his health in their pursuit, "Mistaken man," said I, "you are providing pain for yourself instead of pleasure; you give too much for your whistle." If I see one fond of appearance, or fine clothes, fine houses, fine furniture, fine equipages, all above his fortune, for which he contracts debts, and ends his career in a prison, "Alas!" say I, "he has paid dear, very dear, for his whistle." When I see a beautiful, sweet-tempered girl married to an ill-natured husband, "What a pity," say I, "that she should pay so much for a whistle!" In short, I conceive that great part of the miseries of mankind are brought upon them by the false estimate they have made of the value of things and by their giving too much for their whistles. The Olive, Fig, Vine and Bramble The Trees went forth once upon a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the Olive Tree, "Reign thou over us." my But the Olive Tree said unto them, "Should I leave fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the Trees?" And the Trees said to the Fig Tree, "Come, thou, and reign over us." But the Fig Tree said unto them, "Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the Trees?" Then said the Trees unto the Vine, "Come, thou, and reign over us." And the Vine said unto them, "Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the Trees?" Then said all the Trees unto the Bramble, "Come, thou, and reign over us." And the Bramble said unto the Trees, "If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow; and if not, let fire come out of the Bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon." The following original fable illustrates how the child. might take a certain emotion and then write a little tale of his own to display that dominant emotion. The emotion here displayed is perseverance; and the proverb might be expressed as "God helps those who help themselves," or The Little Frog - Laura F. Kready Once upon a time some Frogs left the cool clear water of their pond, and wandering on the bank by the roadside, fell into two huge cans of milk. "Oh, we'll drown! we'll drown!" they cried, and one by one, they began sinking to the bottom. But there was one Frog who did not sink. "Will some one help me?" he cried. But no one came. So he set to work. "I can swim," he said; and round and round he began paddling in the milk, faster and faster. But all he could do was to make a little billowy circle in the strange white water. Yet he kept right on. "I must swim," he said. "Will no one help me?" But no one came. round and round he beat the strange white water with his sturdy little legs. And Soon he grew very tired, and all out of breath. His legs ached, and his head hurt with all the hard bumps against the sides of the can. But he kept on swimming, round and round, making bigger circles in the waves of milk. By and by he began to feel queer. What could be the matter? His legs seemed like sticks and he could hardly move them. But he never thought of stopping. He just kept on pushing and pushing and pushing his legs through the strange white water, until, all at once he had made for himself, a pad of butter. Then standing lightly on its top, filled with longing for the lily-pad of his pond, he made one grand leap out over the can to freedom and his home among the reeds. have the inimitable "Fables of La Fontaine," which will be There are many instances of the fable in poetry. We treated separately. The child may attempt to put a fable into rhyme. A modern instance of the fable in rhyme has appeared quite recently in a description of the home. of Mr. Coolidge, the Republican nominee for Vice-President. Over the fireplace in the Coolidge home in Northampton is a verse containing a fable: A wise old Owl lived in an oak; "The Cow and the Ass," by Jane Taylor, has playful grace and comic humor, and its first two lines of the last stanza are even on a level with "La Fontaine." The Cow and the Ass Beside a green meadow a stream used to flow, A Cow, quite oppressed by the heat of the sun, |