Aesop (イソップ) is the titular, main character and protagonist from Toei Animation's anime movie Aesop's Fables (まんがイソップ物語). After all the pranks he pulled on others, he gets brought into an adventure as a way to learn his lesson.
About[]
Aesop is a boy aged 11-14 years who always gets into trouble by pulling pranks on others in his village for his own entertainment, such as tying the tails of a dog and cat together, switching a chick egg with a snake egg, and drawing a fearsome face on a sow's side, frightening off her piglets.
Three of the villagers, a little girl who owns the cat, a woman, and an old man complain to Aesop's mother about this and she assures them that she'll deal with him once he returns home. She quickly spots him hiding in a pile of hay and spanks him.
The Boy Who Cried Wolf[]
She tells him that she got a job for him, which is looking after sheep to distract him from getting into trouble. That's exactly what he does the following day, but he finds it tiresome, so instead, he decides to play another prank on the villagers by informing them and claiming that there's a wolf on the loose. Some villagers flee to safety while others, especially the men, come running, armed with an assortment of weapons. He is scolded by the mayor for his insolence and warned to not repeat such an act.
At nightfall, back at home, Aesop is scolded by his mother for his actions, but he does not seem to take her warnings seriously, despite the threat of another spanking. Aesop decides to play that same prank the next day, to his mother's dismay. However, upon entering the forest, he encounters a real wolf who pursues him as he flees in terror. Everyone ignores him, thinking it is just another prank, including his own mother, who refuses to let him enter despite his pleas. She simply weeps and sobs. However, Aesop flees from his home to get away from the wolf, prompting his mother to open the door and realizes that her son is telling the truth. She and the town's armed men follow after, but the wolf chases Aesop into a forest. Fearing the worst, Aesop's mother faints while the men comfort her.
The wolf chasing Aesop calls out to other wolves, who join the chase. Aesop is soon cornered by wolves on both sides and falls down it, entering an alternate fantasy world.
In the mysterious world[]
As Aesop comes to, he hears somebody attempting to get his attention. It is revealed to be a talking mouse named Skitter. Aesop is freaked out at the sight and hearing of a talking mouse, but Skitter tells him that other mice besides him speak in this world as well. Being more than he can handle, Aesop runs away. Aesop comes to the conclusion that the talking mouse must be a curse placed on him for his maltreatment of animals.
Then, he hears someone crying and notices a large, butterfly-like wing sticking out from one side of a tree. This startles Aesop, thinking it's a monster at first, but then it turns out to be a spring elf. The spring elf is also startled originally, she and Aesop look at each other for a moment, greet each other, and introduce themselves. The spring elf tells him her name is Silkwing and explains she's crying because some wind blew her away from her home in a garden, and she became lost.
Aesop tells him he's lost too and that he's trying to return home himself. He theorizes that since the wind blew south, she must've come from the south, which is where her home must be. Silkwing compliments him on his smartness. Abashed, he doesn't watch where he's going and falls in a lake. She asks if he's alright and he says he's never been better. They befriend each other and decide to go off together.
The City Mouse and the Country Mouse[]
While walking along a path, they come across and meet a mostly purple mouse who says he's a city mouse. The city mouse tells them he happens to be friends with a country mouse, which turns out to be Skitter. They all go to Skitter's home. Skitter meets Aesop and Silkwing. Skitter becomes smitten at Silkwing's beauty and he invites them for lunch. Despite the food supposedly being healthy, it doesn't taste the best. The city mouse tells the others that the city is where they can get some better, tastier food. That's exactly where they travel later that night.
They enter a mansion and a dining room where they have a feast. However, their feast is interrupted when they hear someone else enter and the city mouse urges the others to hide. It's a cat and three chef cats. The cat tells the chef cats that he's in the mood to have a mouse for dinner, as he's fed up having his favorite meal as something else for dinner every night and an uneasy Skitter hears this.
Once the coast has cleared and the cats exit, the city mouse tells his company it's okay and safe to reenter. But the cats return to the dining room soon and catch them there. A commotion and chaos ensues. The cat orders his chef cats to nab the mice, but Aesop and Silkwing put a stop to them. A sheet is dropped on the cats and they get stuck under it. The city mouse and the others take advantage of this distraction, seizing the opportunity to escape.
Once they're home free, Skitter tells the city mouse that the city food may be better, but having to sneak around the mansion simply to get that is too much of a hassle for him and he'd rather return to the country. The city mouse understands and gives the others some food to take with them, including catnip pies. He bids them farewell and tells them they're welcome to revisit anytime.
Aesop tells Skitter the pies remind him of those his mom baked, except for the catnip. After hearing about Aesop's mom, Skitter tells him she sounds nice and is hopeful that he finds her again. Skitter also tells Aesop he's going back home, but Aesop and Silkwing invite him to join them, Skitter cheerfully accepts. Since Skitter is without a family of his own, he thinks of Aesop as family.
The Tortoise and the Hare[]
The threesome walk along another path the next day when they come across a tortoise and a hare. The hare taunts the tortoise for moving so slowly, angering the tortoise, as they explain to them. Aesop suggests they settle the debate by having a race.
As soon as the race begins, the hare speeds ahead of the tortoise who falls behind. The hare then decides to take a break after a while and rest. Aesop does the same while Skitter goes back and forth between giving each of them massages. As the tortoise still lags, Silkwing follows and encourages him to continue. The tortoise takes a short cut to reach the end sooner. As he struggles with running faster, he gradually gains speed. The hare is surprised and realizes just how far the tortoise has gotten and hurries to catch up to him.
The hare nearly makes it to the tree that's their end point, but the tortoise beats him there narrowly. Knowing when he's been defeated, the hare accepts defeat and relents to his loss. They each learn a lesson, let bygones be bygones, and become friends. Everyone laughs at this heartily.
Monkey and the Fishermen and the Donkey in the Pond[]
Having no food left by now, Aesop and his companions decide to search for work to earn money to buy more. A monkey seeks and accepts their offer and he wants them to use a donkey named Hawhee to deliver some sacks of salt. When they get to a river, Hawhee loses his balance and falls in it, causing the sacks to break open and the salt to pour out of them. A fox, another monkey, and a boar pick at Hawhee for his mishap.
The first monkey gives Aesop and his friends another chance, but warns there can't be any more foul-ups allowed, otherwise his customer will take his business elsewhere. This time, Hawhee is carrying sacks of cotton. Hawhee complains about the sacks being too heavy and Aesop tells him they contain cotton. The cotton is less light due to it being soaked by the water. Hawhee falls in the river a second time. After failing to make a delivery the second time, the monkey tells them they're fired and not to return as they apologize.
The Ants & the Grasshopper[]
Aesop, Silkwing, and Skitter hear music being played on a fiddle by a grasshopper. They enjoy the merriment he's making with various, other kinds of bugs and watch the show. Meanwhile, a colony of ants are heading home while carrying several food supplies. When asked why they're doing this, the ants tell them it's in preparation for winter and they're stocking up on food to prevent a shortage.
The grasshopper mocks the ants for their hard work and taking precautions. He dumps some water on an elder ant, telling he should cool off and is amused by this. This offends the lead ant, but the elderly ant tells him not to pay any attention to him and they continue their task.
Aesop, Silkswing, and Skitter later encounter what they think is a real lion initially, but it turns out to be Hawhee wearing a lion skin as a disguise as revenge for the fox, the second monkey, and boar always laughing at him, and he wanted to scare them into respecting him as he explains to Aesop, and his comrades. After the fox, second monkey, and boar attack Hawhee for the deception, and leave/ Aesop and the others tell him they're trying to search for the way back to their homes and invite him to tag along with them. Hawhee asks if they'd really like him to join them, despite constantly messing up and they tell him they're still happy to have him along all the same. He cheerfully agrees and accepts to go with them.
They continue until they come upon what seems to be a large rock. Skitter checks it out and says it's too furry to be a rock. It's actually the back of a bear and Aesop, and the others, flee. Aesop and Skitter climb up a tree while Silkwing flies up towards a higher area. Hawhee is left behind, he trips, the bear catches up to him, and it looks like the end is near for the mule as the bear gets ready to go in for the kill. Aesop and friends look on helplessly, telling Hawhee goodbye. However, the bear only sniffs Hawhee who plays dead, and thinking he's dead for real, the ursine whispers something in his ear before leaving. When the others come down, they're relieved to see that Hawhee is still in one piece.
They're impressed by Hawhee's quick thinking to play dead, but Hawhee tells them how selfish they were and that they deserted him when he needed them most. In shame for what they did, they apologize. He forgives them, but says he would've done the same if he could move as quickly as they can and if he could climb trees. Suddenly, an autumnal wind blows and everyone can feel it, especially Silkwing, as she must be taken to a warmer place since she's a spring elf. Hawhee offers to let her ride him. She accepts and thanks him for it.
The Ants & the Grasshopper (2)[]
Winter comes and Aesop and his pals meet the grasshopper again. Shivering and starving, the grasshopper is desperate to have food, and asks if they have any on them. They have none, but offer to take him along with them and look for help. They go to one home, which happens to be that of the any colony.
The grasshopper begs them to share some food with him, but the lead ant asks why they should since the grasshopper spent too much time playing instead of working, but the elderly ant tells him they should go easy on the grasshopper as he seems to have been through enough and has learned his lesson. The ants invite the group and everyone has their meal. The grasshopper happily and tearfully appreciates the ants' kindness.
Aesop tells the ants he's trying to get back to his village in the real world. The elderly ant asks him why he would want to do that and he says that's where he comes from and he's sure that his mom must be worried about him, and misses him. He wants to prove to her that he's reformed and changed his mischievous ways.
The elderly ant tells him that in order to get back, he and the others have to pass through a mountain known as the Mountain of Terror, which is inhabited by a mysterious spirit, and that neither the ants nor has anyone else successfully made it through there to discover just what's on the other side. The ants think it would be best if Aesop and his friends just remained with them. Aesop is insistent on trying anyway, in spite of whatever possible dangers they may be ahead and they understand. After Aesop and company bid farewell to the ants, they resume their journey.
The North Wind and the Sun[]
Once Aesop and the others arrive at the mountain, a male spirit known as the Spirit of Winter stops them. Undeterred, Aesop tells him they intend to keep going and the Spirit of Winter makes a crack in the ground, separating it. Everyone except Hawhee makes it to the other side, but Hawhee has to hang on for dear life when he nearly falls. The others help pull him up with them. A female spirit, known as the Spirit of Spring, enters and proposes to the Winter Spirit that they settle this with a contest.
The Winter Spirit becomes the North Wind and the Spring Spirit becomes the sun. As the North Wind, Winter Spirit tries to blow off Aesop's and his friends's coats given to them by the ants, but he fails. As the sun, the Spring Spirit melts the snow and ice. The weather changes from snowy to sunny and the temperature gets hot. Aesop and friends remove their coats because of this.
The Winter Spirit acknowledges that the Spring spirit is the winner and permits everyone to pass. Aesop and company then meet the Spring Spirit, who introduces herself to them.
She tells Aesop that she has been watching him since he entered her world. As the whole thing seems to have been some kind of test to see if Aesop truly had learned his lesson, she grants him with being a future storyteller and that his tales will be heard, and beloved, by future generations of children. She then magically has Aesop and everyone else brought back into the real world. Aesop has returned home along with his friends.
Return to the Real World[]
They land in the garden where Silkwing lives and she's happy to be back there. She says she's going to fly and land on some flowers, but she's informed by the others that she no longer has wings, as she has become a real girl. Aesop's mom calls him and he goes running towards her. Happily reunited, they embrace each other while Silkwing, Skitter, and Hawhee watch from afar.
Skitter comments on this, but Silkwing reminds him that animals aren't supposed to talk in this world. It ends with mother and son still hugging.
Physical Appearance[]
Aesop is a young, slim boy. He has brown hair with blunt bangs, fair skin, and brown eyes. He wears a red vest; a yellow, long-sleeved shirt with a green rings around the collar and sleeve cuffs; blue pants; white socks; and brown loafers with a couple black strips on each of them.
Personality[]
Aesop is fun-loving and originally mischievous when it comes to pranking others. He's also initially thoughtless and oblivious to the feelings of others as a result of his pranks. But deep down, he isn't all that mean-spirited as he does have a good heart. He's brave, clever, humble, and strong-willed.