The Fox and the Grapes, The Goose Who Laid the Golden Eggs, The Boy Who Cried Wolf--these and the rest of the brief allegorical tales known for over 2500 years as Aesop's Fables are not just simple children's stories, but a vital part of our culture. The reason is obvious to any casual reader--the frailties and vanities embodied by the animal and human protagonists of the Fables still offer an accurate portrait of society, and the pithy truth of each fable's moral serves not only as a dramatic punctuation mark, but also as a timely reminder of the immutability of human nature. This elegantly designed edition, containing 182 of the original tales reworked into modern English, is enhanced with 65 evocative black and white engravings by John Tenniel, who also created the original illustrations for Alice in Wonderland.