A new approach to the ancient fables of Aesop features charming rhymes and winsome images by a beloved illustrator. Artist Edward Gorey sets the scenes for poet Ennis Rees's modern interpretation of Aesop's verses, which recount how animals with all-too-human failings receive their just desserts.

Memorable renderings of familiar and lesser-known vignettes include the fable of the industrious ant, who prepares for the hardships of the coming winter, and the feckless grasshopper, whose laziness proves fatal. A mighty lion is amused at the notion of a tiny mouse coming to his rescue, a naïve young crustacean admires the bright red shell of a boiled lobster, and a swarm of flies are undone by their attraction to a pool of spilled honey.

These and other timeless tales provide humorous insights into the folly of greed and vanity and the rewards of virtuous behaviour.