It’s a fable about the corruption of justice, especially when it’s leveled against powerful people, or acceptable target. The donkey offers a weak rebuttal, and the other animals all agree to punish him. The sly fox then makes an accusation against the donkey. The mighty lion confesses his own sins of eating other animals (and a shepherd or two), but no one really wants to blame him. The animals then gather to find a solution–or rather, someone to blame. As La Fontaine writes, “Ils ne mourraient pas tous, mais tous étaient frappés.” “They didn’t all die, but they all contracted it.” It starts with… a plague, among the animals. Les Animaux Malades de la Peste (= “The Animals Sick of the Plague”) has a very special place in French language. You can also simply, in French, but beware: they’re in an old-fashioned style of French, so they might be quite difficult to understand. (You can find them on the link above, or online, or even better, at your local bookstore.) They have very cute illustrations by Benjamin Rabier. My favorite edition, though, come from les éditions Taillandier (first published in 1906). As such, they’ve been printed and reprinted–and illustrated with talent, by the famous Gustave Doré for instance. They’re considered a classic of French literature. These fables were published around 1670, in the century of Louis the XIVth, the Sun King. Jean de La Fontaine collected fables from many sources, including many Aesop’s fables, and reworked them to create something completely new, using his talents: a mastery of the language, and a keen eye for human nature.

You’ll find a complete chapter about Les Fables de la Fontaine in Exercise Your French, a special course about French culture and everyday life, with my own commentary, a lot more content, and different tests according to your level. That’s a good way for you to hack your way into conversations! Les Fables de la Fontaine ( La Fontaine’s Fables) are part of the common bedrock of French culture everyone knows about.

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