An Introduction to the Birds of Aesop's Fables
By Sara Huber
It would be hard to find one among us who has not at least heard of Aesop and his fables. In fact, for many of us as children, these fables taught us lessons about what is good and bad behavior. But who is Aesop? Many consider him to be a slave who lived on the Greek island of Samos in the 6th century BCE. The mystery of Aesop continues in that there are only a few hundred of his fables that have been preserved in written form. Yet these remnants show us one thing that is for sure- Aesop's fables were not meant for children. Although many of the stories include talking animals, a story feature that many of us associate with children, the majority of the stories are mean-spirited with characters learning lessons the hard way. Even so, over time, Aesop's fables have been geared more heavily towards children, and it is, in fact, a children's version of Aesop, entitled "Aesop for Children", that I will use as my book source.
All of the fables within my storybook will have one common theme that ties them together - birds. I have grown up feeling that birds are creatures that have to work harder than most in order to survive. They have spent millions of years learning to live in environments that may not always be hospitable. Here are some facts to help illustrate their ingenuity and intelligence.
° In Japan city Crows have taken to making their nests out of old coat hangers.
° Black-billed Magpies (one of my absolute favorite birds) have been known to have what some consider to be funerals for each other.
° There are over 30 species of birds that mate monogamously- some for a breeding season and some for their whole lives.
°Juvenile Bluebirds stay with the family and help their parents raise their second year babies.
° Northwestern Crows have been seen playing tug of war with small twigs and pieces of bones. They are also known for dropping hard to crush objects, such as nuts and shellfish, from the sky in order to crack and eat them.
° Blue Jays have great memories. Those who have tasted a poisonous monarch butterfly and get sick will NEVER eat another monarch again.
° Birds of the Corvidae family are able to imitate sounds of other animals, including humans, dogs, hawks, cats, and geese, and barred owls.
° Grackles rub specific items all over themselves to get rid of parasites. These items include lemons, limes, marigold flowers, mothballs, and choke cherries. They have also been seen leaving hardened pieces of food, such as stale bread, in water until it is soft enough to eat.
° The Cowbird is a parasitic bird- it does not lay eggs in its own nest, but rather in those of other bird species, leaving the other species to raise their babies.
° To protect their nests, Mourning Doves will lie down on the ground and flutter their wings to look seriously injured in order to take attention away from the nest.
° House Finches have found the perfect location to make their nests- hanging house plants (including mine!).
° Male Bower birds spend hours making beautiful bowers (a type of nest) that are lined with leaves and moss and then surrounded by bright blue objects such as flowers, berries, shells, even trash. They are hoping to attract a female who likes the nest and will enter to mate.
Some of the birds in Aesop's fables, specifically crows and ravens, show the same aptitude for intelligence. For example, in story of "The Crow and the Pitcher"," a crow uses rocks to fill a pitcher which has a small drop of water at the bottom in order to bring that water to the top. In the story titled "The Travellers and the Crow, " a jealous crow imitates the voice of a raven for some passing travellers. When I read Aesop's fables, these stories stand out because I already love birds. I hope that by focusing my stories on the birds that Aesop writes about I will be able to help readers realize how special birds are and encourage an appreciation for their existence.
Some of my favorite bird items