It is believed that Aesop lived from about 620 to 560 B.C. It’s not known exactly when the first of Aesop’s fables were written as the fables were originally handed down just like a myth or a legend.

Aesop’s fables were originally used to make thinly disguised social and political criticisms, the similarity to parables can be seen in most of his short tales.

I was given a copy of “Æsops Fables for Children” as a Christmas pressie this year from a young relative who obviously thinks I’m in my second childhood (Don’t you dare say it!).

Reading through it during the Queens Christmas Day speech (lets’ face it, anything is better than that!) I came across the following fable which I found was very relevant in these uncertain times:

A Goatherder, driving his flock from their pasture at eventide, found some wild goats that had mingled with them, and shut them up together with his own for the night.

The next day it snowed very hard, so that he could not take the herd to their usual feeding places, but was obliged to keep them in the fold. He gave his own goats just sufficient food to keep them alive, but fed the strangers more abundantly in the hope of enticing them to stay with him and of making them his own. When the thaw set in, he led them all out to feed, and the wild goats scampered away as fast as they could to the mountains.

The Goatherder scolded them for their ingratitude in leaving him, when during the storm he had taken more care of them than of his own herd. One of them, turning about, said to him “That is the very reason why we are
so cautious; for if you yesterday treated us better than the goats you have had for so long, it is plain also that if others came after us, you would in the same manner prefer them to ourselves.”

“Know what I mean? Eh? Know what I mean? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Saaay no more! ” – Monty Python

This is the last post for a while, well until after the Yuletide celebrations.

I’m off to do some more serious work on t’Internet. I have lots of webpages to update and pages to create for local businesses and friends.

I used a small version of the picture on the left in “About me” at the top of the sidebar for a while. I received two emails asking about the tartan cravat, one was from a lady in the American colonies, who claims to be a big fan of mine (?) asking me where I bought it from because she thought one like that would make a great Christmas present for her husband.

I must admit that I didn’t buy it, I made it. Yes, that’s right, I made it! I must confess that I own a sewing machine and I love making things. From Morsbags to curtains, cushion covers and even a dress for my friends grandaughter. My secret is out; I’m exposed, but please don’t tell anyone.

Back to the cravats. I have posted detailed instructions on how to make them, but they are on a separate page because the post itself would be too long to put on this blog. If you are interested then click “Read More”. If not, then go and read another blog, read a book, knit soot or whatever, I don’t care!

If you do go and have a look and wish to leave a comment, come back here.

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