1. Aesop (620-560 BC)

2. Little is known about the famous Greek fable writer Aesop. He probably lived around 600 BC and is said to have come from Phrygia. He is considered to be the father of fable-telling. Aesop was a Greek slave. Having served under several different masters as a slave, Aesop is said to have been set free because of his ability to tell stories and clever jokes. He had some physical deformities and had difficulties with his speech.

3. Once he became a free man, he lived at the court of King Croesus. It is said that he was very close to the people at court and shared his wisdom with them in amusing and funny tales. King Croesus, who was amazed by Aesop's smart wit, sent him on various missions around the country. During one of these missions to Delphi, Aesop was killed. It is believed that he stole a gold or silver cup and was violently put to death by being thrown off a cliff.

4. Aesop is supposed to have written more than six hundred fables. These stories were often funny and the themes were easy for children to understand. The fables told a story and end with a moral or life lesson. Lots of these stories, like The Hare and the Tortoise, are still read and understood by children today.