Jean de La Fontaine was a seventeenth-century French poet and fabulist, best known for his *Fables*, a collection of poetic allegories featuring animals and human characters. Published gradually between 1668 and 1694, the *Fables* comprise approximately 240 stories inspired primarily by Aesop, as well as by other ancient and Eastern sources. Rather than merely retelling traditional tales, La Fontaine enriched them with poetic language, humor, subtle irony, and keen observations of human nature, creating works that continue to appeal to both children and adults.
Born in 1621 in Château-Thierry, La Fontaine studied law and for a time held the office of Inspector of Waters and Forests before devoting himself entirely to literature. Throughout his career he enjoyed the support of influential patrons and, despite the initial objections of King Louis XIV, he was elected to the Académie française in 1684.
