Aesop's Fables are animal stories that teach important lessons to children and adults. No one knows for sure where these popular stories came from, but many believe that a man named Aesop lived about 2500 years ago.

　　Aesop was a Greek slave. He was also a wonderful storyteller. The people who owned Aesop were so happy with his funny stories that they gave him his freedom. After that, it is believed, Aesop worked for two different kings, who liked listening to his stories. They even used his stories to find answers to problems in their kingdom.

　　We now know that many of the stories that we called Aesop's Fables were originally from India. Many others are Greek folk stories that were told long before Aesop lived. We also know that the stories called Aesop's Fables were told for hundreds of years before anyone wrote them down.

　　Why do people enjoy Aesop's Fables so much? First, they are simple and easy to remember. Second, they are about animals, but they have important lessons for people. Every story from Aesop's Fables has a moral. These stories teach the values of patience, hard work, and planning for the future. Also, and maybe most important, they teach us to think carefully to find the answers to difficult problems.

　　《伊索寓言》都是些动物故事，它们给人训诫。无人确知这些故事的起源，但很多人相信确有一个叫作伊索的人生活在2500年前。

　　伊索是一希腊奴隶。他很会讲故事。他的故事妙趣横生，深得主人们喜爱，他因此也被赐予自由。据说伊索曾为两个主人服务过，他们都爱听他讲故事。他们甚至运用他的故事来解决王国中出现的问题。
　　现在我们知道，很多被称作《伊索寓言》的故事均源自印度。也有不少是远远早于伊索时代的希腊民间故事。我们还知道，被称作《伊索寓言》的很多故事要早于人类文字时期许多年。

　　人们为什么如此喜欢《伊索寓言》？首先，他们既简单又容易记忆。其次，他们虽是关于动物的，却给人以教训。《伊索寓言》中的每个故事都有寓意。它们教人耐心、勤劳、有计划等美德。最后，也是最重要的一点，它们教会我们仔细思考，找出问题的答案。