Week 2 Reading: Aesop's Fables Part A

This week I am reading Aesop's Fables by Joseph Jacobs. This post will cover part A.

The Dog and the Shadow, one of Aesop's Fables. From Laura Gibbs

• I thought it was interesting how we were told not to disrespect the dying Lion, even after him treating the other animals so poorly. A lot of readings in Indian Epics espoused similar values.
• I like the how "He who wins writes the history book" is a lesson in this reading. It is a valuable lesson, and one that I don't feel many writers cover. 
• I like the writing that is in more modern language, and not prose. It is easier to understand, but I appreciate how the prose is shorter, and I can see how some of them turned into colloquialisms (i.e. The Lions Share)
• The Fox is again a trickster. This is a very common characteristic assigned to the Fox, even in Indian Epics which were written at a different time in a very different culture. 
• The second collection of Fox tales don't paint him as a trickster, but actually as quite intelligent. Familiarity breeding contempt is something that I have become very accustomed to in college. 
• I can see how the story of the Fox and the Mosquitoes can be applied to politicians, but I probably would not have picked up on it without being told. I think the story of the Fox losing his tail is more relevant to dealing with politicians. 
• I agree that the lesson is not to avoid being like the Wolf, but to know how to deal with a Wolf. The Wolf acts purely with selfish instincts, the only way to beat him is to recognize this motivation. 
• The desire to not be a slave is interesting when you consider that Aesop may have been one himself. It puts these stories about malicious tyrants and the desire for freedom in context. 
• I feel like nature vs nurture can be a dangerous ideology in some minds. It can justify a lot of awful things, like racism and slavery. Perhaps I lack the cultural context from when these stories were written. 
• I like the story of the Donkey in Lion skin. I feel like it is similar to "it is better to stay quiet and be thought a fool then open your mouth and remove any doubt". 

Thanks for reading with me.