Aesop's Fables as illustrated by Rackham

Aesop's Fables by V. S. Vernon Jones, with illustrations by Arthur Rackham. This book was published in 1912. You can use this link to browse posts from this book, and you will find the table of contents below. I have created blog posts only for the fables with illustrations.

online source: Project Gutenberg

online source: Internet Archive

online source: Hathi Trust

Here's a random image from the book:

Fables with illustrations:

009. THE FOX AND THE CROW.

013. THE CAT AND THE BIRDS.

016. THE MOON AND HER MOTHER.
020. THE CROW AND THE PITCHER.
022. THE NORTH WIND AND THE SUN.
033. THE FIR-TREE AND THE BRAMBLE.

036. THE GNAT AND THE BULL.

039. THE FLEA AND THE MAN.

041. THE OAK AND THE REEDS.

050. THE CRAB AND HIS MOTHER.

055. THE THIEVES AND THE COCK.

060. THE OWL AND THE BIRDS.

061. THE ASS IN THE LION'S SKIN.
064. THE BOY BATHING.

065. THE QUACK FROG.
072. THE DOG IN THE MANGER.

076. THE FROGS ASKING FOR A KING.

083. THE FOX WITHOUT A TAIL.

086. THE SHIPWRECKED MAN AND THE SEA.

090. THE FOX AND THE LION.

094. THE DOG AND THE SHADOW.

098. THE BEAR AND THE FOX.

100. THE OX AND THE FROG.
105. THE BLACKAMOOR.
108. THE MAN AND THE SATYR.
113. THE OLD WOMAN AND THE WINE-JAR.
116. THE CAT AND THE COCK.
117. THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE.
124. THE GOAT AND THE VINE.
125. THE TWO POTS.
131. THE HOUND AND THE HARE.
134. THE WOLF AND THE CRANE.
141. THE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE.
143. THE WOLF, THE FOX, AND THE APE.
147. VENUS AND THE CAT.
151. THE COCK AND THE JEWEL.
156. THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANTS.
162. THE BALD MAN AND THE FLY.
164. THE MONKEY AND THE CAMEL.
166. THE TRAVELLERS AND THE PLANE-TREE.
172. THE MILLER, HIS SON, AND THEIR ASS.
176. THE WOLF AND THE GOAT.
181. THE KINGDOM OF THE LION.
186. THE TREES AND THE AXE.
191. THE KID AND THE WOLF.
203. THE FROGS AND THE WELL
210. THE GOATHERD AND THE GOAT.
213. THE LION, JUPITER, AND THE ELEPHANT.
219. THE WOLF AND THE HORSE.
225. THE FISHERMAN PIPING.
229. THE MONKEY AND THE DOLPHIN.
238. THE WOLF AND HIS SHADOW.
246. THE LION, THE FOX, AND THE ASS.
248. THE GNAT AND THE LION.
257. THE FOX AND THE LEOPARD.
262. THE MISER.
271. THE HUNTER AND THE WOODMAN.
274. THE HORSE AND THE ASS.

Here's a random fable from the book:

The Bald Man and the Fly

162. THE BALD MAN AND THE FLY. A Fly settled on the head of a Bald Man and bit him. In his eagerness to kill it, he hit himself a smart slap. But the Fly escaped, and said to him in derision, "You tried to kill me for just one little bite; what will you do to yourself now, for the heavy smack you have just given yourself?" "Oh, for that blow I bear no grudge," he replied, "for I never intended myself any harm; but as for you, you contemptible insect, who live by sucking human blood, I'd have borne a good deal more than that for the satisfaction of dashing the life out of you!" [more info]

The Cock and the Jewel

151. THE COCK AND THE JEWEL. A Cock, scratching the ground for something to eat, turned up a Jewel that had by chance been dropped there. "Ho!" said he, "a fine thing you are, no doubt, and, had your owner found you, great would his joy have been. But for me! give me a single grain of corn before all the jewels in the world." [more info]

The Old Woman and the Wine-Jar

113. THE OLD WOMAN AND THE WINE-JAR. An old Woman picked up an empty Wine-jar which had once contained a rare and costly wine, and which still retained some traces of its exquisite bouquet. She raised it to her nose and sniffed at it again and again. "Ah," she cried, "how delicious must have been the liquid which has left behind so ravishing a smell." [more info]

The Wolf, The Fox, and the Ape

143. THE WOLF, THE FOX, AND THE APE. A Wolf charged a Fox with theft, which he denied, and the case was brought before an Ape to be tried. When he had heard the evidence on both sides, the Ape gave judgment as follows: "I do not think," he said, "that you, O Wolf, ever lost what you claim; but all the same I believe that you, Fox, are guilty of the theft, in spite of all your denials."The dishonest get no credit, even if they act honestly. [more info]

The Blackamoor

105. THE BLACKAMOOR. A Man once bought an Ethiopian slave, who had a black skin like all Ethiopians; but his new master thought his colour was due to his late owner's having neglected him, and that all he wanted was a good scrubbing. So he set to work with plenty of soap and hot water, and rubbed away at him with a will, but all to no purpose: his skin remained as black as ever, while the poor wretch all but died from the cold he caught. [more info]

The Two Pots

125. THE TWO POTS. Two Pots, one of earthenware and the other of brass, were carried away down a river in flood. The Brazen Pot urged his companion to keep close by his side, and he would protect him. The other thanked him, but begged him not to come near him on any account: "For that," he said, "is just what I am most afraid of. One touch from you and I should be broken in pieces."Equals make the best friends. [more info]

The Goat and the Vine

124. THE GOAT AND THE VINE. A Goat was straying in a vineyard, and began to browse on the tender shoots of a Vine which bore several fine bunches of grapes. "What have I done to you," said the Vine, "that you should harm me thus? Isn't there grass enough for you to feed on? All the same, even if you eat up every leaf I have, and leave me quite bare, I shall produce wine enough to pour over you when you are led to the altar to be sacrificed." [more info]

The Grasshopper and the Ants

156. THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANTS. One fine day in winter some Ants were busy drying their store of corn, which had got rather damp during a long spell of rain. Presently up came a Grasshopper and begged them to spare her a few grains, "For," she said, "I'm simply starving." The Ants stopped work for a moment, though this was against their principles. "May we ask," said they, "what you were doing with yourself all last summer? Why didn't you collect a store of food for the winter?" "The fact is," replied the Grasshopper, "I was so busy singing that I hadn't the time." "If you spent the summer singing," replied the Ants, "you can't do better than spend the winter dancing." And they chuckled and went on with their work. [more info]

The Horse and the Ass

274. THE HORSE AND THE ASS. A Horse, proud of his fine harness, met an Ass on the high-road. As the Ass with his heavy burden moved slowly out of the way to let him pass, the Horse cried out impatiently that he could hardly resist kicking him to make him move faster. The Ass held his peace, but did not forget the other's insolence. Not long afterwards the Horse became broken-winded, and was sold by his owner to a farmer. One day, as he was drawing a dung-cart, he met the Ass again, who in turn derided him and said, "Aha! you never thought to come to this, did you, you who were so proud! Where are all your gay trappings now?" [more info]

The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse

141. THE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE. A Town Mouse and a Country Mouse were acquaintances, and the Country Mouse one day invited his friend to come and see him at his home in the fields. The Town Mouse came, and they sat down to a dinner of barleycorns and roots, the latter of which had a distinctly earthy flavour. The fare was not much to the taste of the guest, and presently he broke out with "My poor dear friend, you live here no better than the ants. Now, you should just see how I fare! My larder is a regular horn of plenty. You must come and stay with me, and I promise you you shall live on the fat of the land." So when he returned to town he took the Country Mouse with him, and showed him into a larder containing flour and oatmeal and figs and honey and dates. The Country Mouse had never seen anything like it, and sat down to enjoy the luxuries his friend provided: but before they had well begun, the door of the larder opened and some one came in. The two Mice scampered off and hid themselves in a narrow and exceedingly uncomfortable hole. Presently, when all was quiet, they ventured out again; but some one else came in, and off they scuttled again. This was too much for the visitor. "Good-bye," said he, "I'm off. You live in the lap of luxury, I can see, but you are surrounded by dangers; whereas at home I can enjoy my simple dinner of roots and corn in peace." [more info]

The Kingdom of the Lion

181. THE KINGDOM OF THE LION. When the Lion reigned over the beasts of the earth he was never cruel or tyrannical, but as gentle and just as a King ought to be. During his reign he called a general assembly of the beasts, and drew up a code of laws under which all were to live in perfect equality and harmony: the wolf and the lamb, the tiger and the stag, the leopard and the kid, the dog and the hare, all should dwell side by side in unbroken peace and friendship. The hare said, "Oh! how I have longed for this day when the weak take their place without fear by the side of the strong!" [more info]

The Trees and the Axe

186. THE TREES AND THE AXE. A Woodman went into the forest and begged of the Trees the favour of a handle for his Axe. The principal Trees at once agreed to so modest a request, and unhesitatingly gave him a young ash sapling, out of which he fashioned the handle he desired. No sooner had he done so than he set to work to fell the noblest Trees in the wood. When they saw the use to which he was putting their gift, they cried, "Alas! alas! We are undone, but we are ourselves to blame. The little we gave has cost us all: had we not sacrificed the rights of the ash, we might ourselves have stood for ages." [more info]

The Goatherd and the Goat

210. THE GOATHERD AND THE GOAT. A Goatherd was one day gathering his flock to return to the fold, when one of his goats strayed and refused to join the rest. He tried for a long time to get her to return by calling and whistling to her, but the Goat took no notice of him at all; so at last he threw a stone at her and broke one of her horns. In dismay, he begged her not to tell his master: but she replied, "You silly fellow, my horn would cry aloud even if I held my tongue."It's no use trying to hide what can't be hidden. [more info]

The Wolf and his Shadow

238. THE WOLF AND HIS SHADOW. A Wolf, who was roaming about on the plain when the sun was getting low in the sky, was much impressed by the size of his shadow, and said to himself, "I had no idea I was so big. Fancy my being afraid of a lion! Why, I, not he, ought to be King of the beasts"; and, heedless of danger, he strutted about as if there could be no doubt at all about it. Just then a lion sprang upon him and began to devour him. "Alas," he cried, "had I not lost sight of the facts, I shouldn't have been ruined by my fancies." [more info]

The Lion, Jupiter, and the Elephant

213. THE LION, JUPITER, AND THE ELEPHANT. The Lion, for all his size and strength, and his sharp teeth and claws, is a coward in one thing: he can't bear the sound of a cock crowing, and runs away whenever he hears it. He complained bitterly to Jupiter for making him like that; but Jupiter said it wasn't his fault: he had done the best he could for him, and, considering this was his only failing, he ought to be well content. The Lion, however, wouldn't be comforted, and was so ashamed of his timidity that he wished he might die. In this state of mind, he met the Elephant and had a talk with him. He noticed that the great beast cocked up his ears all the time, as if he were listening for something, and he asked him why he did so. Just then a gnat came humming by, and the Elephant said, "Do you see that wretched little buzzing insect? I'm terribly afraid of its getting into my ear: if it once gets in, I'm dead and done for." The Lion's spirits rose at once when he heard this: "For," he said to himself, "if the Elephant, huge as he is, is afraid of a gnat, I needn't be so much ashamed of being afraid of a cock, who is ten thousand times bigger than a gnat." [more info]

The Gnat and the Lion

248. THE GNAT AND THE LION. A Gnat once went up to a Lion and said, "I am not in the least afraid of you: I don't even allow that you are a match for me in strength. What does your strength amount to after all? That you can scratch with your claws and bite with your teeth—just like a woman in a temper—and nothing more. But I'm stronger than you: if you don't believe it, let us fight and see." So saying, the Gnat sounded his horn, and darted in and bit the Lion on the nose. When the Lion felt the sting, in his haste to crush him he scratched his nose badly, and made it bleed, but failed altogether to hurt the Gnat, which buzzed off in triumph, elated by its victory. Presently, however, it got entangled in a spider's web, and was caught and eaten by the spider, thus falling a prey to an insignificant insect after having triumphed over the King of the Beasts. [more info]

The Hare and the Tortoise

117. THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE. A Hare was one day making fun of a Tortoise for being so slow upon his feet. "Wait a bit," said the Tortoise; "I'll run a race with you, and I'll wager that I win." "Oh, well," replied the Hare, who was much amused at the idea, "let's try and see"; and it was soon agreed that the fox should set a course for them, and be the judge. When the time came both started off together, but the Hare was soon so far ahead that he thought he might as well have a rest: so down he lay and fell fast asleep. Meanwhile the Tortoise kept plodding on, and in time reached the goal. At last the Hare woke up with a start, and dashed on at his fastest, but only to find that the Tortoise had already won the race.Slow and steady wins the race. [more info]

The Miser

262. THE MISER. A Miser sold everything he had, and melted down his hoard of gold into a single lump, which he buried secretly in a field. Every day he went to look at it, and would sometimes spend long hours gloating over his treasure. One of his men noticed his frequent visits to the spot, and one day watched him and discovered his secret. Waiting his opportunity, he went one night and dug up the gold and stole it. Next day the Miser visited the place as usual, and, finding his treasure gone, fell to tearing his hair and groaning over his loss. In this condition he was seen by one of his neighbours, who asked him what his trouble was. The Miser told him of his misfortune; but the other replied, "Don't take it so much to heart, my friend; put a brick into the hole, and take a look at it every day: you won't be any worse off than before, for even when you had your gold it was of no earthly use to you." [more info]

The Travelers and the Plane Tree

166. THE TRAVELLERS AND THE PLANE-TREE. Two Travellers were walking along a bare and dusty road in the heat of a summer's day. Coming presently to a Plane-tree, they joyfully turned aside to shelter from the burning rays of the sun in the deep shade of its spreading branches. As they rested, looking up into the tree, one of them remarked to his companion, "What a useless tree the Plane is! It bears no fruit and is of no service to man at all." The Plane-tree interrupted him with indignation. "You ungrateful creature!" it cried: "you come and take shelter under me from the scorching sun, and then, in the very act of enjoying the cool shade of my foliage, you abuse me and call me good for nothing!"Many a service is met with ingratitude. [more info]