Reverend George Fyler Townsend (1814-1900) was the translator of the standard English
edition of Aesop’s Fables. Although there are more modern collections and translations,
Townsend's volume of 350 fables introduced the practice of stating a succinct moral at the
conclusion of each story, and continues to be influential.
Aesop's Fables refers to a collection of fables credited to Aesop(620–560 BC), a Slave and
story-teller who lived in Ancient Greece. Aesop's Fables have become a Blanket term for
collections of brief fables, usually involving anthropomorphic animals. His fables are some
of the most well known in the world. The fables remain a popular choice for moral
education of children today. Many stories included in Aesop's Fables, such as The Fox and
the Grapes (from which the idiom "sour grapes" was derived), The Tortoise and the Hare,
The North Wind and the Sun and The Boy Who Cried Wolf, are well-known throughout the
world.