When seventeenth-century French poet Jean de la Fontaine began writing his rhymed fables, drawn largely on Aesop but adapted to the society of his time, he had no idea his labors would become a masterpiece read around the world in hundreds of translations. Each fable focuses on one or more animals, whose conduct generally mirrors the foibles, follies, and shortcomings of the human race. Though always popular with children, the fables are also often sophisticated, biting satires full of wit and dark humor, made even more enticing by their brilliant verse. In Craig HillÕs translationsÑthe work of over 40 yearsÑhe has emulated the author by making his new English translation also beautifully rhymed.