Jo Wimpenny - Aesop’s Animals: The Science Behind the Fables

Also available in the Bloomsbury Sigma series:

Sex on Earth by Jules Howard

Spirals in Time by Helen Scales

A is for Arsenic by Kathryn Harkup

Suspicious Minds by Rob Brotherton

Herding Hemingways Cats by Kat Arney

The Tyrannosaur Chronicles by David Hone

Soccermatics by David Sumpter

Goldilocks and the Water Bears by Louisa Preston

Science and the City by Laurie Winkless

Built on Bones by Brenna Hassett

The Planet Factory by Elizabeth Tasker

Catching Stardust by Natalie Starkey

Nodding Off by Alice Gregory

The Edge of Memory by Patrick Nunn

Turned On by Kate Devlin

Borrowed Time by Sue Armstrong

The Vinyl Frontier by Jonathan Scott

Clearing the Air by Tim Smedley

Superheavy by Kit Chapman

The Contact Paradox by Keith Cooper

Life Changing by Helen Pilcher

Kindred by Rebecca Wragg Sykes

Our Only Home by His Holiness The Dalai Lama

First Light by Emma Chapman

Ouch! by Margee Kerr & Linda Rodriguez McRobbie

Models of the Mind by Grace Lindsay

The Brilliant Abyss by Helen Scales

Overloaded by Ginny Smith

Handmade by Anna Ploszajski

Beasts Before Us by Elsa Panciroli

Our Biggest Experiment by Alice Bell

Worlds in Shadow by Patrick Nunn

For Mum and in memory of Dad you always
believed in me, and you taught me to never give up.
Thank you for everything.

Contents

This book has been a long time coming, a work in progress that was conceived in 2012. I remember chatting to my dad about the idea while we were out walking one misty, autumnal Herefordshire day but other things were going on, so I was only able to tease it in my mind and start, gently, pulling thoughts together. When my dad died in 2016 my mental health took a nosedive. Writing a book seemed like a lost cause but I wanted my idea to be out there, so I pitched it as an essay to BBC Wildlife. I must thank Ben Hoare for taking a chance on an unknown writer: seeing the essay in print gave me the confidence boost I needed at the time I needed it most.

Ben recommended that I connect with Jim Martin, who had started a popular science imprint at Bloomsbury. It is not as neat a story as that but when, early in 2018, Jim tweeted that he was seeking new popular science submissions, I finally got my act together. Thank you, Jim your enthusiasm for the idea and flexibility through this has been hugely appreciated and everyone in the Bloomsbury team. Special thanks to my editors, initially Anna MacDiarmid and latterly Angelique Neumann, for everything they did to bring this to print. I couldnt have asked for a better copyeditor in Emily Kearns, whose scrutiny of the manuscript was invaluable, and Im also thankful for Jo Mortimers expert proof-reading. On the publicity and marketing side, Amy Greaves and Alice Graham have been fantastically helpful and patient guides. Finally, the book looks fantastic, and for that the whole design and production team deserves thanks. Each chapter has also been beautifully brought to life by Hana Ayoobs illustrations I couldnt be happier that she agreed to work on this.

Over the past few years, I have contacted many experts and, fortunately, most of them responded warmly. So my heartfelt thanks go to everyone who took the time to speak with me or email responses to my questions: Marc Bekoff, Greg Berns, Chris Bird, Natalia Borrego, Thomas Bugnyar, Faith Burden, Dick Byrne, Anthony Caravaggi, Gerry Carter, Lucy Cheke, Gordon Gallup, Ben Hart, Alexandra Horowitz, Alex Kacelnik, Chris Krupenye, John Marzluff, Dave Mech, Mathias Osvath, Craig Packer, Loma Pendergraft, Leanne Proops, Friederike Range, Manon Schweinfurth, Dawn Scott, Kaeli Swift, Erica van de Waal, Elisabetta Visalberghi, Andy Whiten, Anna Wilkinson. Thank you all for your generosity of time and spirit the book is so much better for your contributions. Several of you also took the time to read through and sense-check chapter drafts or sections, for which I am especially appreciative. Id like to single out Dick Byrne and Alex Kacelnik for special thanks you both went above and beyond in your willingness to help, and your detailed reviews and constructive critiques were instrumental in helping me to crystallise my thoughts.

Thanks are also due to everyone in the writing and publishing industry who took the time to provide advice and support. JV Chamary, my mentor in the ABSW pilot scheme, has been a fantastic guide, offering the perfect balance of honest feedback and encouragement. And Im indebted to fellow Sigma author Jules Howard, who took time away from his own looming deadline to review some of my work.

Ive been lucky to have a wonderful support network of family and friends, some of whom enthusiastically also signed up to read chapter drafts Mum, Josh and Annie, thank you so much for your encouragement and candid feedback, its exactly what I needed. Outside of the book, regular family video calls have provided welcome respite, while friends have been on hand for calls, walks, coffee and beer. Thank you to those that tolerated me imposing strict time limits on our strolls and who understood my increased flakiness as my deadline approached. Im grateful that every one of you is in my life, knowing when to ask about the book and when to coax me out of my book-shaped bubble.

Finally, to John, who has been there every step of the way. When I got stuck, you lent an ear and an alternative view. When I was flagging, you gave me hugs. When I was done, you poured the champagne. You are and always will be my rock.

Just one more, the little girl pleads. Pleeeeeaase.

Her brother joins in, though hes sleepy. Yes, please, Daddy, one more.

He sighs, reminds them thats what they said last time, and the time before, and they giggle conspiratorially.

Alright, little monkeys, but this is the last one. And then lights out its sleep time! He picks up the book and it falls open at a well-worn page. Ahh, here we go, one of my favourites: The Fox and the Crow. He shows the pages to his children, who gaze at the lavish illustrations, and begins.

A Crow having stolen a bit of meat, perched in a tree and held it in her beak. A Fox, seeing this, longed to possess the meat himself

Daddy, crows are clever, arent they? Its his son, but before he can respond his daughter chips in too.

No, but actually foxes are cleverer than crows. Foxes are the cleverest, arent they?

He smiles and continues. They snuggle down into their duvets foxes, crows and talking beasts filling their minds as they drift to sleep.

* * *

Aesops fables are the stories of our youth. How many of us were these children, revelling in a version of the fables at bedtime? Id wager quite a few, even if you dont remember the details. And I bet youre familiar with sayings like slow and steady wins the race, the lions share, sour grapes or crying wolf. They all have their roots in Aesops fables, a collection of short stories penned some 2,500 years ago.