Memorable lines such as "Ils sont trop verts" (They are too green), said by the fox in "Le Renard et les raisins" (The Fox and the Grapes) to cheer himself up when he sees some tasty grapes just out of reach; or "La raison du plus fort est toujours la meilleure" (The reason given by the stronger is always the best), which precedes the specious justification offered to a young lamb by a wolf before he eats it in "Le Loup et l'agneau" (The Wolf and the Lamb), are now woven into the fabric of the French language. On a higher level, adults still enjoy the bitter humor and subtle range of tones of the fables, looking for the contrapuntal ironies that sometimes play stories and morals off against one another. The fables have also inspired an important body of engravings by notable artists to illustrate luxury editions, especially in the nineteenth century. Many scenes and mottoes have taken on the emblematic status of a cherished piece of national treasure, drawing on the most primeval literary energies of mythic presence with a deft, yet cuttingly insightful, touch. If France can be said to have a single preeminent poet akin to Dante in Italy or William Shakespeare in England, then he is La Fontaine.
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