Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695) was a French poet, one of the most widely read authors in the French language and the greatest fable-writer since Aesop. His Fables — witty, elegant verse tales of animals and humans — are cherished as masterpieces of poetry and as timeless lessons in human nature.
Drawing on Aesop and other ancient sources but transforming them with his own grace, humour, and psychological insight, La Fontaine turned simple moral tales into sophisticated poetry. Famous fables like 'The Grasshopper and the Ant,' 'The Fox and the Crow,' and 'The Wolf and the Lamb' are known to every French schoolchild and quoted around the world.
A courtly, worldly figure, La Fontaine used the innocent form of the animal fable to comment slyly on the society and politics of his age.
His verse is graceful and witty. Our editions present his fables clearly for modern readers. Read a fable free, and read or listen with a membership.
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Frequently asked questions about Jean de La Fontaine
What did La Fontaine write?
La Fontaine is famous above all for his Fables, published in several collections — elegant verse retellings and inventions of animal tales with moral lessons. He also wrote Tales and Stories in Verse and other poetry. His Fables are among the most beloved works in French literature and his enduring achievement.
What are La Fontaine's Fables?
They are a large collection of short poems, mostly featuring animals who behave like humans, each illustrating a moral or a shrewd observation about human nature — pride, greed, flattery, laziness, cunning. Drawing on Aesop and other sources, La Fontaine gave them fresh wit, elegance, and depth. Fables like 'The Grasshopper and the Ant' and 'The Fox and the Crow' are famous the world over.
Where should I start with La Fontaine?
The most famous fables — 'The Grasshopper and the Ant,' 'The Fox and the Crow,' 'The Wolf and the Lamb' — are the perfect place to begin, each short, witty, and complete. You can read a handful at a time and enjoy them at any age. Start with the best-known tales.
How is La Fontaine different from Aesop?
La Fontaine drew many of his subjects from Aesop and other ancient fabulists, but transformed them into sophisticated, graceful French verse with far richer humour, character, and psychological subtlety. Where Aesop's fables are brief prose lessons, La Fontaine's are polished poems that comment slyly on human society. He elevated the fable into high art.
Are La Fontaine's Fables just for children?
Children enjoy them, but La Fontaine wrote for adults, weaving sharp social and political observation and worldly wisdom beneath the animal stories. Their elegance and irony reward grown-up readers. Like Aesop's, their lessons speak to every age.
When did La Fontaine live?
La Fontaine lived from 1621 to 1695 in France, during the reign of Louis XIV. He published his celebrated Fables in several collections between 1668 and 1694. He is regarded as one of the greatest of all French poets.
Where can I read La Fontaine for free?
La Fontaine's Fables are in the public domain, and older translations are freely available. Many are in dated verse. Here you can read a fable free in clear modern English, and read or listen with a membership.
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