Aesop's fables have become one of Europe's most enduring traditions since it was first written nearly two thousand years ago. Aesop is known for being a tongue slave who has received amazing power of speech. From his legendary narratives comes from a collection of tales, prose and verse scattered across Greek and Roman literature. First published in English by Caxton in 1484, their tales and moral stories continue to appeal to modern readers: Who doesn't know the story of the tortoise and the hare, or the boy who wept for a wolf?