Aesop and His Fables - Ancient Greece for Kids

Aesop was an ancient Greek storyteller. He lived 2500 years ago, around 550 BCE.

Some say he was a slave who so delighted his master with his stories that Aesop was given his freedom. The Greeks were like that. They rewarded talent. That old legend could be true.

There are no records to prove that Aesop ever wrote anything down. Fortunately, many years after his death, people started to write down the fables Aesop collected, so they could be more easily shared.

Over the centuries, Aesop's fables have been rewritten and published and illustrated and translated into almost every language in the world.

Here is one of our favorite stories by the ancient Greek storyteller, Aesop:

Once upon a time, a long time ago, a fox fell down a well. He was stuck there for a quite a while. Finally, a goat wandered by.

"What are you doing?" asked the goat curiously.

"Stay away," snarled the fox. "This is my water."

"That's not fair," snapped the goat. "Why should you get all the water?" Before the fox could say another word, the goat jumped in the well.

Quick as a flash, the fox leaped on the goat's back and out of the well. He ran happily off, leaving the goat stuck in the well.