N. V. Leontiev’s Fables Adapted from J. La Fontaine

Abstract

Nikolai Leontiev is a Russian 18th-century fabulist, esteemed by contemporaries but later forgotten. The paper shows that seven of his fables are based on J. La Fontaine’s examples. There are two patterns of reception. In one of them the plot and personae are the same as in the source text, while in the other pattern they are changed. The moral usually stays the same, but in some cases, Leontiev makes certain changes, which reflect his ideology. Among his fables The Three Kings is especially interesting. It is based on la Fontaine’s fable The Frogs Who Desired a King, but the plot is transformed so as to express an opposite idea: unlike the pessimistic French poet, Leontiev optimistically believes in the reality of a good social order.