Krilof and His Fables

Abstract

Here is a copy of an early -- perhaps the earliest? -- edition of Kriylov's fables. A happy find! This is my most extensive prose Krilof. Of his 201 fables, 148 are here. Many of those not here are reproductions of Aesop and LaFontaine. This edition adds some fifty-five fables to the ninety-three in Ralston's first edition, published in 1869. How many were in the second edition? Many are illustrated, and many have explanatory notes, generally giving a rather specific historical application. Reading through this edition prompted me to put together my set of twenty classic Krilof fables. Further good fables here include the following. " The Brook " (7) criticizes the river, then becomes one, and does just what it had criticized. " The Elephant as Governor " (35) accepts the wolves' clever ruse that they are asking for only one fleece from each sheep! " The Wolves and the Sheep " (57) presents an edict allowing any aggrieved sheep to seize the guilty wolf by the neck and drag him to court! " The Man and His Shadow " (59) is applied to man and the love goddess: he will never catch her when he tries to seize, and he will never get away when she pursues. Some of the best illustrations include " The Miser " (24) and " The Lion, the Chamois, and the Fox " (129). Apparently the Dalziels did some of the engraving, along with an " ABH. " I find Krilof really good in only a few fables. One can see the machinery of insight working; the story becomes pedantic. Krilof's politics are dark, even cynical. " Gossip " is a favorite appellation for a friend here.