The most widely read French poet of the 1600s, Jean de La Fontaine achieved enduring popularity with his rhyming stories of sly foxes, industrious ants, ravenous wolves, and other creatures. Drawing upon the tales of ancient Greek, Roman, and Indian storytellers, La Fontaine created a new literary milieu for "The Cicada and the Ant," "The Crow and the Fox," "City Rat and Country Rat," and other fables.
Originally published in 1927, this splendid collection of La Fontaine's fantasies will delight devotees of modern art and book illustration as well as readers of all ages. Enchanting color illustrations grace every page, and the original French renderings of La Fontaine's witty verses are accompanied by new English translations.