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The Essential
Aesop
www.AesopBook.com
224 pages with Word Index, 5x5
paperback
Bonus Stories compiled by Arnold Zegarelli
Epilogue: On the Wisdom of Aesop by Gregg
Zegarelli |
The perfect employee, client gift or stocking stuffer.
Wisdom always works for
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The Authors
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The
Cat-Maiden [90]
The Gods were once arguing over whether it was possible for a
living being to change its nature. So, Jupiter turned a Cat into a Maiden,
and gave her to a young man for a wife.
At the wedding-feast, Jupiter said to Venus, “See how she
behaves — who could tell that yesterday she was a Cat?”
“But, let us wait,” replied Venus, who then let loose a mouse
into the room. The bride jumped up from her seat and tried to pounce upon
the mouse.
Sooner or later,
a core nature will be disclosed. |
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Belling the Cat
[8]
The Mice needed a plan to protect them from the Cat.
Many plans were being discussed, when a young
Mouse got up and said, "I have a plan. All we have to do is to hang a bell
on the Cat's neck. When we hear the bell ringing, we will know that our
enemy is coming." The Mice were chagrinned that they had not thought of
such a simple and obvious plan before.
But, then, the wise old Mouse arose and said:
"Yes, a very good idea. But let me ask: Who will bell the Cat?"
Ideas must succeed through
actual implementation. |
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The Dog and the Wolf [64]
A hungry Wolf came upon a House-dog. “Cousin Wolf, are you
hungry?” said the Dog. “Look at me! Why not get your food regularly by
others?”
“I might, if I could only get a place,” said the Wolf. “I
can arrange it. Follow me,” said the Dog.
On the way, the Wolf noticed a wearing away of the Dog’s neck
hair. “What happened to your neck?” said the Wolf. “Oh, nothing.
That is where my collar is put upon me at night to keep me chained up.”
“Good-bye to you then, Master Dog.”
He who feeds us,
enslaves us. |
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Writing this go-to Aesop resource was a labor of love. Aesop's Fables
is a treasure trove of valuable stories, whether you need a
short introductory story for a speech or article, or a story
for your business team. Aesop is not only for
children. Aesop is for everyone. It worked for
Abraham Lincoln. Please
rediscover Aesop with us.
Aesop always works and always helps.
-- Arnold Zegarelli and Gregg Zegarelli,
Father and Son |
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Who are the authors?
Arnold
Zegarelli is a well-known (now semi-retired) teacher and motivational speaker with a
career spanning more than 50 years. Gregg
Zegarelli an an attorney and frequent instructor with a
career of more than 25 years. Arnold Zegarelli and
Gregg Zegarelli are father and son.
Where is the
book available for sale?
Currently, the eBook is available on Amazon.com. The
Kindle version is available online.
Click here of Kindle,
Click here
for Print version.
Please
contact us for bulk
orders for your company, school or organization.
Back to top
Why
is this book labeled "for business," etc.?
The
fables are, well, the fables. The authors have
done the work for you in creating consistent one-page
fables, each reduced to its salient essence. As a
speaker, you
can embellish as required for your context.
In
purchasing this work, it is important to consider
exactly what you are purchasing: a clean and concise
collection of the fables themselves, each reduced to its
salient essence.
This is an
adult “go-to” collection that separates the wheat from
the chaff, for adults. The fables are edited and
presented for adults, but not changed in essence for
adults. The fables are the fables, and they have
withstood time, because they work.
Remember
that these fables have been in existence for 2,500
years, so there are volumes of public domain materials
available to you, including on Amazon, some with more
fables (that may get repetitive in essence) and some
that are embellished with pictures (usually for
children). No pictures here.
This edition
has 111 fables, plus 24 bonus stories and an Epilogue.
If 135 fables and stories still seems like a lot, it
flows easily because the fables are edited in a
consistent, one-page-per-fable, presentation system.
Adults are capable of embellishing when the context
requires.
From a usage
or gift perspective, consider it for politicians,
speakers, entrepreneurs, students, clergy, etc., where
wisdom or speaking "hooks" about the causes and effects
of human nature is important. In buying the digital
version, for yourself or as gift, you are giving an
organized "go-to" collection for adults.
The
authors also desire to
re-introduce these wonderful stories to a prominent
place in respected philosophical literature. These
stories helped frame the wise character of people like
Abraham Lincoln. When adults respect these fables,
they will be more inclined to share them with others,
particularly our children.
Introductions (and re-introductions) to Aesop always
helps, and it always works.
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Aesop's Fables is
for Children!?
Yes, but
not only for children. The fables do exactly what
they are intended to do, for more than 2,500 years
(c.600 BCE): they build character through the wise
recognition of human nature. Teaching children
lessons in human nature is important.
[Gregg]
Let me add this: As an attorney, with the rise of
digital media, I have been receiving calls
from adult men and women who have posed in intimate and
compromising positions only to have a dispute about
publication. ["I posed naked for my boyfriend and
now my boyfriend won't give me the pictures."]
Thus the rise of the "selfie" and the "revenge porn"
concepts, both of which are now part of a
new law in California. I cannot imagine the pain of a young
woman (or man) who has to live knowing that there are pictures
looming. But, this is the world we are in with fun
digital media, that has no barriers to immediate
dissemination, while in the moment.
These fables are a great reminder
to adults about human nature and foolish acts; adults are not immune from
foolish behavior. Aesop's fables provide
common-sense reminders about thinking ahead.
If only
those young women thought ahead, and thought of the
Wolf.
Now, I am
not saying my brethren, the male gender, are wolves, of
course, but nor I am not saying, such as
James Madison
stated in the
Federalist Papers, that men are angels
either.
The
Forefathers knew Aesop, and they thought ahead.
Following is an excerpt from James Madison, also known
as the "Father of the U.S. Constitution" (in a way that
Thomas Jefferson is
also known as "Drafter of the Declaration of
Independence").
The
Federalist No. 51 The Structure of the Government
Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between
the Different Departments Independent Journal
Wednesday, February 6, 1788 [James Madison]
The
provision for defense must in this, as in all other
cases, be made commensurate to the danger of attack.
Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. The
interest of the man must be connected with the
constitutional rights of the place. It may be a
reflection on human nature, that such devices should
be necessary to control the abuses of government.
But what is government itself, but the greatest of
all reflections on human nature? If men were
angels, no government would be necessary. If
angels were to govern men, neither external nor
internal controls on government would be necessary.
In framing a government which is to be
administered by men over men, the great difficulty
lies in this: you must first enable the government
to control the governed; and in the next place
oblige it to control itself. A dependence on the
people is, no doubt, the primary control on the
government; but experience has taught mankind the
necessity of auxiliary precautions.
As I state
in the Epilogue of the book, Aesop's Fables are
certainly for children, just like teaching children the
wisdom contained in any spiritual work. But,
wisdom transcends all walks of life and all ages.
Jesus had parables,
Socrates had
allegories,
Confucius and
Laozi had similes.
These simple stories just get better, as they should,
with age and deepened knowledge. The more wisdom
you have, the more wisdom you get, exponentially.
Deep philosophy, to wit: the tendencies of human nature,
coated in the literary device known as the
'fable.'
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Can I get a
discount for bulk orders?
We
entertain discounts for bulk orders, particularly for
organizations. The Essential Aesop is a
great book for corporate staff gifts, speaking
associations and guilds. Contact us at
orders@OUGPress.com.
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Are
the authors available for book readings?
Please
contact us at
orders@OUGPress.com or
on the Feedback form to request information and/or to
schedule a speaking engagement. See below,
Contact.
Back to top
What caused you
to write this book?
[Arnold]
The primary purpose was to share the ideas and wisdom we
have learned from fables and stories over a lifetime of
learning.
It all
started when my son (Gregg) had just learned to read, and I
wanted to find a way of teaching him good morals and
principles that he would understand and remember. The
vehicles I decided upon were fables and stories.
My logic was that Christ told parables that were still
being told and Aesop told fables that have also been
retold for over a thousand years. Gregg and I each would
read the Aesop's Fables, which used animals to create key
morals in life. We then would date and initial
each parable. We also did the same with Christ's
parables.
By doing
this we created a bond and a body of knowledge that has
served us very well in business and in life. Gregg
is a successful lawyer, and I am positive achieving
speaker that has allowed me to help many people acquire
fulfillment.
Gregg wrote
a book,
ONE, which combines
the works of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New
Testament of the Bible. I wrote a book,
Diamond Capsules for Success and
Wisdom, so, as you can see, fables and
stories have helped us and our families in so many
wonderful ways.
We hope and
pray you can use this Aesop's Fables collection to
achieve a very special life.
[Gregg]
Well, I was sort of wired for it, if you noticed
that my father had me read and sign the fables as
a young child!
Really, I
never remember pushing back; I love these stories.
But, writing
this book was really a tribute to my father's legacy
regarding these wonderful stories. Once you lock
onto them, just one time, they will never let you go.
They are just too powerful, with the imagery and the
simplicity.
We had a
practical goal and a philosophical goal, which were not
mutually exclusive. The practical goal was to
simplify each fable to its essence for writers and
speakers. To give adults their own version. The philosophical goal remains our
deepened desire to re-introduce these fables into our
adult culture with the importance they deserve. I
am a technology attorney, so I will not be the one to
say that there is anything inherently wrong with a
Twitter world, but we cannot lose our stable
philosophical grounding. Aesop's Fables addresses very
important philosophical questions of human nature.
Very sophisticated questions that the most brilliant
minds could debate, and the most brilliant minds have
debated: the core nature of man.
Aesop, as a
teacher, avoided that debate (as I point out in the
Epilogue), but, as an attorney, I tend to enjoy that debate.
In any case, these fables have lasted 2,500 years, since
c.600 BCE, because they work, in life. Then, and
now.
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Is there a
Volume II in production?
There are
so many wonderful fables, we intend to augment the first
book with a Volume II, which is anticipated to be
available in 2014.
Back to top
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For speaking
engagements or questions, please contact us using the above
form,
or contact the authors at the electronic points identified
below.
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Contact Information:
Arnold L. Zegarelli
2585 Washington Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15241-2565
arnold.zegarelli@AesopBook.com
http://www.facebook.com/arnold.zegarelli
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Contact Information:
Gregg R. Zegarelli
2585 Washington Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15241-2565
gregg.zegarelli@AesopBook.com
http://www.zegarelli.com/staff/grz
http://www.linkedin.com/in/greggzegarelli
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