
LITERARY FABLES - OF - YRIARTE. - (Tomás de Iriarte y Oropesa) - TRANSLATED FROM THE SPANISH, - BY - GEO. H. DEVEREUX. - BOSTON: - TICKNOR AND FIELDS. - MDCCCLV.
TO - THE CLASS OF 1829 - I DEDICATE - THIS UNPRETENDING RESULT OF SOME LEISURE HOURS.
This collection brings to life a series of concise, poetically crafted fables originally penned by an 18th‑century Spanish scholar. Each tale pairs a vivid animal character with a pointed observation about the habits and pretensions of learned men, offering a fresh twist on the classic moral genre. The translator preserves the original’s rhythmic elegance while rendering the verses accessible to modern ears.
Listeners will find the stories both entertaining and thought‑provoking, as the clever allegories expose vanity, pedantry, and the occasional folly of academic life. Though less familiar than Aesop or La Fontaine, the fables retain a timeless charm that resonates with anyone who enjoys wit wrapped in narrative brevity. Ideal for a quiet study session or a reflective walk, they invite contemplation without demanding a heavy plot.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (86K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Marc D'Hooghe (Images generously made available by the Internet Archive, digitized by Google.)
Release date
May 7, 2012
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1750–1791
An Enlightenment-era Spanish poet and fabulist, he is best remembered for witty verse that turns literary debate into storytelling. His best-known book, Fábulas literarias (1782), helped make him one of the standout neoclassical voices of 18th-century Spain.
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