'Fables for the Frivolous' Summary

The Urban Rat and the Suburban Rat, The Persevering Tortoise and the Pretentious Hare, The Ambitious Fox and the Unapproachable Grapes....

If some of these titles seem vaguely familiar to you, you wouldn't be mistaken! Fables for the Frivolous by Guy Wetmore Carryl contains some well-known fables in a modern packaging, with a delightful new twist!

The complete title of the original published in 1898 was Fables for the Frivolous (With apologies to La Fontaine) and it was the first published work of this gifted American journalist, humorist and poet. The tales, presented in verse form, give a whole new interpretation to some of the best known fables that we enjoyed as children. For instance, in the story of the Impecunious Cricket and the Frugal Ant, the cricket is portrayed as a ne'er do well musician while the ant is a persnickety old spinster who hates getting her home and garden dirtied by the cricket's muddy shoes!

Embellished with witty similes, entertaining puns and hilarious turns of speech, the verses are indeed a fun read for the whole family and give these old favorites a new lease of life. The original edition had some very charming illustrations by Peter Newell, the famous artist, poet and illustrator.

Carryl also wrote several other books in a similar vein, with zany titles like Far From the Maddening Girls. He was an accomplished pianist and enjoyed the good life. His tragic death at the young age of 31 was indeed a loss to the genre. His humorous takes on Mother Goose rhymes and parodies of Grimm's Fairy Tales have kept readers amused for generations.

The verse form makes it ideal for read-aloud sessions with friends or your kids and everyone will certainly enjoy the mischievous pun on the conventional moral at the end of each tale!