My name is Aesop, and I am a
writer of fables. A
fable is a story told in poetry or in prose to teach a moral
lesson.
When I tell fables, I usually use animals, plants, or inanimate objects
with
human-like qualities to illustrate the lesson learned. You may
know my work because mine are the most well known
fables
in the world. Educators use my fables to teach children moral
lessons.
For those
of you who are not familiar with me or my work, I will tell you a
little
about
myself. I was born in ancient Greece during the sixth century
B.C. Here's something for you to ponder: how old does that make
me? I will just say I look good for my age and have years of
knowledge.
The
fables I composed have been passed down from generation to generation
through
oral tradition, and also in writing. Back in Greece, I was a
slave for a time, when I
lived on the island of Samos. Some people say I never existed,
but here I am in the flesh. Obviously I exist! I am
composing this
introduction for you. People cannot trace back to where I was
born. If they would ask me I would be more than happy to tell
them. A few people believe I never wrote my fables, but I am here
to tell you that is not true. I worked hard and wrote every
single one. Some people say I was killed by the people of
Delphi. Well, that is not true either, because here I am alive
today. Let
the skeptics
believe what they want. I rather like being a mysterious
man.
You
might be wondering how I ended up here, in the United States.
Well, I was intrigued by the United States economy. I thought I
could begin to write more fables for adults about the economy. I
have been keeping informed through the news about the United States
economy. To my surprise, President Obama sent me a letter.
In the letter he asks for my assistance in
making the
American people aware of the harsh reality of these uncertain economic
times. He
acknowledges my many years on this earth and all that I have
seen. I have
written many fables based on my experiences, as well as the experiences
of others. I know how to manage my personal finances rather
well. I have had a long time to learn due to my many years here
on earth. I have seen others fail at the task of managing their
personal finances. I have written fables based off of these
experiences.
President
Obama wants to formulate a strategy to get a message about the economy
through to the American
people. Right now in the United States I see the collapse of the
housing
market due to Wall Street mismanagement of mortgages, the downfall of
the American automakers, and
diminishing economic activity leading to a drastic slow down in the
labor market.
I believe I have a few fables from which the American
people could
learn valuable lessons about managing their personal finances
wisely. I have sorted through and narrowed
down the
fables to four which I believe will best relate to the economic
crisis. The four fables I have chosen are: Securing American's
Retirement, Who's to Blame?,
and Americans Grasp for More.
In Securing American's Retirement the current worries of Americans
losing their retirement due to companies going bankrupt will be
addressed. Who's to Blame focuses on where the financial crisis
began. Americans Grasp for More looks at how Americans depend on
credit cards and loans. These three fables will help President
Obama and the
Cabinet
to provide the American people with strategies on how to survive these
tough economic times. President Obama insisted that my
contribution
be printed in Forbes magazine. The issue will have an insert
entirely just for my fables. I will have my portrait alongside
President Obama's portrait on the cover of Forbes. What an
honor! Forbes magazine is a highly
respected economic magazine
that reaches the hands of many Americans. I am honored to be a
part of
President Obama's team. You will be among the first to read the
issue of
Forbes including my fables to assist the American people.
