Fables in Rhyme for Little Folks
Adapted from the French ofLa Fontaine.Written by,
W. T. Larned
Illustrated by,
John Rae.
E-Book Created by Tyler Anderson,
as a birthday present to little
Johnny James Webb, on his first Birthday.
I've arranged the images so they fit the story.
Spell-checked with www.thesolutioncafe.com
To
All Little Americans
With The Hope That
They May Become Better Acquainted
With
Our Friends, The French
A Preface For Parents
La Fontaine composed the most entertaining Fables everwritten in any language, and made them a model of literaryperfection; yet our translators and compilers have somehowneglected him. His Fables are lyric poetry of a high order,and this alone has doubtless been a barrier to a betteracquaintance with his work when transferred to our owntongue. Done into prose, the Fables are no longerLa Fontaine, but take their place with the manyrespectable, dull translations which English readers try toadmire because they are classics--though the soul thatmade them such has been separated from the dead body.
It has seemed to me that while the full enjoyment ofLa Fontaine must always be reserved for those who canread him in French, it might be possible at least to conveysomething of his originality and blithe spirit through themedium of light verse. In making the attempt I am fullyaware of my temerity, and the criticism it will invite. Toexcuse the one and to meet the other I have taken refugein the term "adaptation"--even though the word appliesonly in part to my paraphrases. Some of the Fables inthis book are translations in a true sense, and keepclosely to the text. From others I have erased suchpolitical, mythological and literary allusions (in whichLa Fontaine abounds) as are either obsolete orunintelligible to a child.
But my chief literary sin--if sin it be--is twofold. In the firstplace I have departed wholly from the metrical arrangementsof the originals--substituting therefore a variety of forms inline and stanza that more accord with the modern andAmerican ear. In the second place I have had thehardihood--as in "The Lion and The Gnat"--to modify theelegance of the original with phrases more appropriate toour contemporary beasts. Animal talk, I feel sure, has lostsomething of its stateliness since the days when ourFrench author overheard it. The Owl is no less pedanticperhaps, but the Lion certainly has declined inmajesty--along with our human kings.
For these offenses, La Fontaine--who forgave everyone--isbound to forgive me. The most good-humored Frenchmen,he could condone all faults but dullness. That offenseagainst French fundamental principles invariably put himto sleep--whether the bore who button-holed him was asavant of the Sorbonne or just an ordinary ass.
One thing more. This little collection from his 240 Fables ismeant, first of all, for children. In assembling it no Fablewas admitted that has not been approved by generationsof the young and old. No apologue addressed to themature intelligence alone, or framed to fit the societyof his day, is here included.
Many books which men have agreed to call classics areseldom taken down from the shelves. It is otherwise withLa Fontaine. His Fables were eagerly read by the greatmen and women of his time, and are still read andenjoyed all the world over.
The causes of this