Cross stich kits and charts - Jean de La Fontaine's Fables

The Lafontaine's Fables were published between 1168 and 1694 under the title Selected fables put into verse by Monsieur de La Fontaine. The complete title can be found in our La Fontaine’s Fables complete cross stitch plaid.

There were a total of 244 fables which were published in different tomes, each including numerous books. The first collection was published in 1668 by the editor Barbin and was dedicated to the oldest son of Louis XIV, the dauphin at the time 6 years old. It was described as an “enjoyable read, but also useful and serious”.

La Fontaine was inspired by the Greek poet Aesop (7th-6th century B.C.), who is given as the inventor of the literary genre which is the fable. La Fontaine had the merit of putting such gaiety, poetry and emotion into these small tales, in a language – French – which was not yet entirely fixed on its principles. As a keen observer of man and morals of his times, he has transmitted a heritage full of admirable eloquence and finesse.