Reading Notes: Week 2 Anthology

My favorite stories from the anthology were the four stories included in Aesop's Fables: The Lion.  These are all stories from the Fable's of Aesop by Joseph Jacobs. In this reading notes section I plan to write a little bit about each one individually and then summarize them together in a short paragraph.


The Lion's Share 

I appreciated how this story was short and to a point. There are only four characters but really the other three (not counting the Lion here) are all lumped into the "other animals". The Lion appears to do the least but ends up with the most reward (or only reward). Even though this story is so short you can really sense how the other animals were felling towards the Lion. I personally felt sorry for them and angry/disappointed at the Lion.

(Lion yawning: Photo by Tambako the Jaguar)

Androcles and the Lion 

The thing I appreciated most in the story was the bond that was built between the Lion and Androcles. It was more like a man and a dog, then a man and a lion. It really goes to show that you cannot always judge a book by its cover.

The Lion and the Statue 

I love this story and the Lion's quote, "That is all very well, but proves nothing, for it was a man who made the statue." This really opens your eye to how important perspective is. The way I view one thing may be drastically different than the way someone else views it. And I think it is important to remember this in storytelling and in life.

The Lion in Love 

"Love can tame the wildest." This seems to be a common theme among many stories both in the past and the present. But taming a Lion is such a drastic and difficult thing to do. So, I feel like this story really gets the point across. I can't imagine seeing a Lion with no claws or teeth, it seems it could lose its sense of identity as a Lion. But I guess it's sense of identity became love for the young maiden.

Overall 

I liked reading these stories together because they all involve the same creature/character, but all vary in such dramatic ways. The first Lion was not humble or appreciative of his animal "friends" and ruled them like a mean dictator. The second Lion humbled himself before Androcles (a slave) and took care of him for days. The third Lion was intelligent and out-smarted a human man. Finally, the fourth Lion was so in love that he gave up his life as a wild lion. All these together goes to show how different everyone is and how everyone responds differently to different situations.