- HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. "It is thrifty to prepare today for the wants of tomorrow." Living in Ancient Greece in the 5th Century BC, Aesop was said to be a slave and story-teller. His much-loved, enduring fables are revered the world over and remain popular as moral tales for children. With infamous vignettes, such as the race between the hare and the tortoise, the vain jackdaw, and the wolf in sheep"s clothing, the themes of the fables remain as fresh today as when they were first told and give an insight into the Ancient Greek world.