Tuesday, 30 April 2024

Fables for the end of 2024's A-Z …


Congratulations to all who entered, contributed and enjoyed – it's an interesting challenging journey – relief is in sight today …

My inspiration for this post came from
finding Jean Ignace Isidore Gerard
(1803 - 1847) - prolific illustrator
and caricaturist


Life's moral lessons expressed via animals … A to Z of rabbit holes n'est pas?!


Anthropomorphism to Zoomorphism


not quite animal, vegetable or mineral … but informatory tales told from the earliest of days …


An example of Anthropomorphism
see Panchatantra for explanation

I'd better start … with A for Anthropomorphism … using the rabbit fooling the elephant king by showing him the reflection of the moon.



B is for The Bear and the Bees …

C and D are for The Dog and the Crocodile …

E is for The Eagle and the Owl …

F is for list of Fables …



G is for Gutenberg's files on Fables ...

H is for The Hares and the Frogs ...

I is for the Impertinent Insect …



The Impertinent Insect
J is for Jupiter's Lottery …

K is for the Kite and the Doves ...

L is for The Lion and the Gnat ...

M is for The Mouse and the Oyster ...


Nizami Ganjavi


N is for Nizami Ganjavi – considered to be the greatest 12thC romantic epic poet in Persian literature …

O is for The Olive Tree and the Reed …

P is for the Priest and the Wolf …



(A Hilary adaption)
Q is for the Queenly ruler of the plain – to be found with The Lion and other Beasts in Council …

R is for The Rivers and the Sea …

S is for The Snake and the Crab …



T is for The Tortoise and the Birds …

(Another Hilary adaption)

U is for underground where we find The Mice in Council …


V is for The Vultures and the Pigeons …


W is for The Weasel and Aphrodite …



The Vultures and the Pigeons


X is for X number of fables …

Y is The Young Man and the Swallow …

Z is for Zeus and the Tortoise …





Short story from the 
Jungle Book collection
That's my list of A – Z fables (with a couple of hilarious add-ins) – there be more real ones … all found in the links …


Congratulations to all A – Zers … and as far as I'm concerned let's hope M for May gives us some summer weather!



Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

39 comments:

jabblog said...

Well done, Hilary. Very neat and a lesson to the more garrulous among us;-)

John Holton said...

Thanks! Hope you join us next year!

Debbie D. said...

I love your take on the A to Z, Hilary! Such fun to be reminded of these old fables. ☺ I can't handle that daily blogging grind anymore, but congrats to everyone who participated and completed the challenge!

Karen Jones Gowen said...

You just outlined an entire month's worth of posts for another year!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Janice - thanks - I rarely do less is more - garrulous is definitely more like me! Glad I've got a companion!

@ John - sorry ... but I don't like the new set up - it's very different than when the A-Z started back in 2010, I joined in 2011 ... but things happened - so no more, thank you ...

@ Debbie - thank you ... it was inspired by reading Jean Ignace Isidore Gerard's Wiki entry ... and I wanted to remember him - then the fables connection 'clocked in' ...

I'm afraid I blog when I can ... I try and keep up - but rather tenuously ... I enjoy the research aspects ... and used to enjoy the A-Zs ...

@ Karen - well it fitted in with various things and I just enjoy the learning process ... and I enjoy reading others' blogs ...

Cheers to you four - I'll be around - thanks for your comments - Hilary

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

That's an impressive list!

Liz A. said...

You've got your list all ready for next year ;)

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
others have said it and I agree - start now and you'll be all schedule-posted for 2025!!! YAM xx

Sandra Cox said...

You tied it all up in one setting. Well done, Hils.

Elephant's Child said...

Big smiles - and well done. This is a challenge I am far too lazy to attempt. While enjoying other people's zealous efforts.

Anabel Marsh said...

That was the quickest gallop through an A to Z ever! I get then impression not many people do it any more. Only one of the blogs I follow took part this year.

hels said...

I don't know Nizami Ganjavi, but the portrait looks thoughtful and learned.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Alex - it's easy when they're listed for you ... so thank you!

@ Liz - I'm not doing it again ... but I do occasionally use A-Z when various subjects occur.

@ Yam - thanks for the thought ... I'm not starting now or ever for 2025's A-Z ... sadly.

@ Sandra - I was enticed by Jean Gerard ... his illustrations are so good - that I wanted to have a place to find him again - my blog does that for me!

@ EC - I enjoyed doing the A-Z back in the day ... yes hard work, but worth it - and like you I enjoy reading some of the participant's efforts ...

@ Anabel - yes ... thinking it up was quick too!! You're right when the administration changed things changed ... there are a couple I'm happy to join in with ...

@ Hels - good - I'm glad Nizami Ganjavi resonated for you ...

Cheers and thanks for being here - good to see you ... Hilary

David M. Gascoigne, said...

My word, Hilary, you went through the alphabet like a child down a hill in winter! With esoteric and interesting choices too - but we would expect no less from you, would we? I should ( at least mentally) have a crack at this myself. Big hugs, abrazos fuertes, gros bisous - David

H. R. Sinclair said...

There are some fables there I need to look up! How fun!

debi o'neille said...

You certainly got through the alphabet faster than I did. :-) Very cool. And I agree about the weather and hope May brings us very good days and nights.
Thank you for your visits. You helped make the journey enjoyable.

Sandra Cox said...

I'm repeating myself, but this was so very clever.
Have a grand one, Hils.

Jean Davis said...

Great job with A to Z. I miss doing that but April is just too busy to keep up with it.

Rikki Tikki Tavi was one of my favorites as a kid. Thanks for reminding me about it. :)

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ David - yes - it was going to be slightly different but when the fables popped up - that set me up. It can be a good fill in - saving me a lot of effort writing a serious post - yet offers much for anyone interested ... so thank you!

Don't alter your posts though - they're perfect the way you present them to us ... an occasional change though does no harm ... I'll match your greeting!

@ Holly - good to see you ... enjoy your dipping in and out of the fables list - they are fun ...

@ Debi - thanks ... yes there's a knack to my A-Zs now-a-days ... starting in 2011. The weather was warm today - but mega heavy downpours threaten overnight - such is life at the moment!
Pleasure I really enjoyed your introduction to the various books - and have got a couple out of the library to read ... great choice ...

@ Sandra - thanks so much ... the post was fun to write up ... and I enjoy finding stimulating and interesting items to write up ...

@ Jean - good to see you ... yes April can hook us in: can't it ... I won't do the actual challenge again ... but enjoy being around friends taking part. Yes - Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and the Jungle Book stories are stalwarts of our reading lives ...

Thanks so much for visiting and commenting to you all - cheers Hilary

Diane said...

Wow, well done with this post and such interesting links. I of course like the sound of the Horse and the Donkey,
Take care, cheers Diane

cleemckenzie said...

Wonderful. Loved the list. Positively inspirational!

https://substack.com/@cleemckenzie

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Love the A-Z list. Fables is a great theme.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

I read fables all the time when I was little...a reminder to me how much I enjoyed them! I need to revisit. Well done here!

Jacqui said...

Fables are the perfect 'show-not-tell' example. Nicely done!

I'm late as usual. Now, your post isn't even showing up in my Reader. That means it's up to my questionable memory. Yikes!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Diane - yes I'm sure I'd have linked the Horse and the Donkey for you ... thanks - enjoy any you look up ...

@ Lee - thanks so much ... 'positively inspirational' - I love it!

@ Lynda - it seemed to be so much fun to list them here ...

@ Elizabeth - yes I remember reading fables as a kid - and like you I must revisit properly again ... glad you'll be going to look at them ...

@ Jacqui - you're right ... 'show not tell' example; Jacqui - I will get to address this problem re getting my posts out there ...

Thanks so much for your visits and comments - cheers Hilary

retirementreflections said...

Hi, Hilary - What a great theme and a wonderful list! I love how fables use animals to hook us in, make us think and use diversity.
Thank you also for sending me the link to your 2017 post. It was fascinating. I did comment there, but I am not sure if it went through!

Pradeep Nair said...

Hilary, this is such a good compilation of A-Z. All those fables!
I participated in this year's A-Z, mainly for the activity of publishing 26 posts in April. Though I did check the posts of fellow A-Zers, not to the extent I would have wanted.

Nick Wilford said...

It's been too long since I did A-Z, but this list would definitely be a great one to follow. Congrats to all who took part!

Sandra Cox said...

You find the best pics to use in your posts. Have a grand weekend, Hils.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Donna - this is a 'filler' post - in other words one I didn't need to think about! However like many of us - I really need to revisit and read and consider the fables again.

Pleasure about the 2017 link - and your comment did go to moderation - but duly rescued ... thank you! I check the comments all the time and post or delete as appropriate - usually post ...

@ Pradeep - I was pleased that this is what I posted - not quite what was intended ... but reminded us of these fables. I just can't engage with the A-Z any more ... it just switched me off ... but I enjoy reading others' post - and I'll be over for your others ...

@ Nick - yes ... I still keep in touch with some bloggers whose links come through ... especially those from the early days ... as you say congratulations to all who take part - I know you're busy ... but it's alway great to know one has a friend out there ...

@ Sandra - thanks - I enjoy adding in the images to enhance the post ...


Cheers to one and all - from a glorious day in Eastbourne: such a change from the gloom, drizzle of recent days!! Hilary

bookworm said...

As much as I enjoyed reading fables as a child, many of these don't sound familiar. My favorite childhood fable was the one about the city mouse and the country mouse. We miss you at A to Z, but I was not all that happy with this year's challenge. Thank you for stopping by in April. I remember you, and I don't visit you enough, for which I apologize. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alana - great to see you here .. and your note about the Country Mouse and City Mouse - project Gutenberg shows us that fable - a delight to read. I tried to select tales/fables that perhaps weren't so well known ... so considered Country and City Mouse - but used the Mouse and the Oyster - unlikely fable companions, I thought - but one that is featured in the Perry Index. Then used The Mice in Council for my U for Underground ... mixing and matching - as I tend to do.

No worries re the visiting - blogging is no mean feat - it takes quite a lot ... and I now only post 4 or 5 times a month usually. Cheers Hilary

Keith's Ramblings said...

A month in a day, how clever of you to create such a fabulous fable list, Hilary!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Keith - thanks ... it was fun to write up - cheers Hilary

Dan said...

ery well done, and a bit easier to consume this way. I wasn't aware of Gutenberg's files on Fables. That's a very nice link.

Sandra Cox said...

Hope you're getting some sunshine, Hils.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Dan - thanks ... and yes you're right - there is some advantage in doing the A-Z in one sitting. Glad you'll enjoy the Gutenberg connection ...

@ Sandra - at long last - it looks like we have some Spring and Summer sun - bliss!

Cheers to you both - Hilary

Joanne said...

Clever A to Z post in one fell swoop. Very enjoyable. Come to Texas now and sweat with the rest of us. Heat index shall be 100F today. Warm enough for you? Ugh!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Joanne - sorry didn't see you'd popped in ... thank you - but no! 100 degrees C is too much - stops one in one's tracks ... but you have a pool ... still it'd be too hot for me. Glad you enjoyed the post though - cheers Hilary