Brother and Sister by Esopo (1668)

Name: Brother and Sister
Author: Esopo

The story revolves around two children, a boy and a girl, who discover their physical appearance through a mirror. The boy is pleased with his looks and boasts about them to his sister, who is devastated by her own plainness. She accuses him of meddling with their mother's belongings and reports him to their father. Their father intervenes, laughing and kissing both children. He advises the boy to strive for inner goodness to match his physical appearance, while encouraging the girl to compensate for her plain features with a sweet disposition. The story aims to teach the children the importance of character over physical appearance. The narrative explores themes of self-perception, vanity, and the development of moral values in children. It suggests that true beauty lies not only in physical appearance but also in one's inner qualities.

By Esopo · First published 1668 · Genre: Fable, Children's literature, Moralistic · 199 words

First lines

A certain man had two children, a boy and a girl: and the boy was as good-looking as the girl was plain. One day, as they were playing together in their mother's chamber, they chanced upon a mirror and saw their own features for the first time. The boy saw what a handsome fellow he was, and began to boast to his Sister about his good looks: she, on her part, was ready to cry with vexation when she was aware of her plainness, and took his remarks as an insult to herself. Running to her father, she told him of her Brother's conceit, and accused him of meddling with his mother's things. He laughed and kissed them both, and said, "My children, learn from now onwards to make a good use of the glass. You, my boy, strive to be as good as it shows you to be handsome; and you, my girl, resolve to make up for the plainness of your features by the sweetness of your disposition. "

What this Textopian page supports

Brother and Sister is listed on Textopian as a fable by Esopo, dated 1668 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Fable
Author: Esopo
Date: 1668 CE
Language: English
Genres: Fable, Children's literature, Moralistic, Folklore, Anthropomorphic fiction
Length: 199 words
Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for Brother and Sister by Esopo
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering Brother and Sister?
How does this fable by Esopo fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Fable first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Fable — As this book is written by Aesop (known as Esopo in some languages), it's likely to be a fable, given Aesop's famous use of this genre to teach moral lessons through animals and humanoid characters.
Children's literature — Aesop's fables are usually used to teach children moral lessons, meaning this book likely falls in the genre of children's literature.
Moralistic — Aesop's fables often teach a moral or lesson, so this book might also be classified in the moralistic genre.
Folklore — The stories drawn upon by Aesop are often based on traditional tales or folklore, potentially placing this book in the folklore genre.