Reading Diary B: English Aesop

I read English Aesop for my reading diary this week. Aesop has so many great stories to choose from involving every animal. I also really like how you can see so many sides of one character in Aesop stories since they have so many different tales about them. I do like how the stories can be a little more crass than other folklore stories.

The Wolf: I think that the wolf is one of the most dynamic characters around. He usually has that villainous element about him in most stories. I have always wondered why there is usually that negative image about them. It was refreshing to read about a different perspective of the wolf in The Dog and the Wolf. I loved how he realized that being hungry was better than being an obedient dog that was restricted. The wolf would rather die being free than serve anyone. That is such a unique way of thinking about wolves and why they are not domesticated animals; it really gives them such a unique stance. I am thinking about writing about this independent wolf for my story this week. 

(wolf)

Cats and Weasels: I chose to write about the Cats and Weasels segment since they are not the most common animals for these types of stories, especially weasels. The Man and the Weasel really put it into perspective as to why they are in the same category. I had never thought about weasels being an alternative for a cat to get rid of mice in the house. It makes sense for the weasel character to be similar to the mischievous ways of a cat in the stories. I especially liked how it had to use trickery in Weasel and Mouse to catch the mouse since he was too old to use physical means of catching it.