watercolour and ink on paper

Amoral Tales

Short graphic stories based on ideas in Aesop's fables often keeping the animal heads but usually with nude figures suggesting alternative amoral versions of the moral tales. A workshop of ideas to be brought together. Let me know what you think about them and if you think I should neaten these drawings into a collection.

Amoral
Welcome to the house of masks, an exploration of hedonism and failure through the...

Do not promise much and deliver little
The mountain was a beauty, though she shall not be named in this story. The labour...

On tyranny and excuses
THE WOLF AND THE LAMB /ˈtɪrəni/ cruel and oppressive government...

The Fox and the Crane
Fox invited Crane for dinner but served bean soup in a broad flat dish the soup...

On deception and gullibility
THE THEIF AND THE INNKEEPER /dɪˈsɛpʃn/ the action...

The Woodman and the Serpent
One winter Woodman found Serpent stiff and frozen with cold Woodman gently cradled...

The Fisher
Fisher went sailing on the lake Playing the bagpipes Saying: the fish will dance...

The Belly and the Members
The members of the body rebelled against the belly. They said: why should we do...

The Lioness
There was clamour and boasting amongst all the beast. Claiming their worth by the...

The Dancing Monkeys
Prince trained Monkeys to dance; He dressed them in fine flowing clothes; And...

On clothing notoriety
THE WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING /ˈkləʊðɪŋ/ clothes collectively:...

The Seaside Travellers
TRAVELLERS travelled along the seashore, Climbed up a tall cliff to...

The Mule
One Sunday after dinner with nothing to do MULE frolicked and pranced Saying my...

Two Soldiers and a Robber
When travelling wearily home Two soldiers were beset by a robber One hid The...

The Bat and the Weasels
BAT fell to the ground Caught by a WEASEL who said: BIRD is my favourite dinner! Oh...

The Man and the Satyr
MAN and SATYR shared a drink And another After a third they decided to be...

Pomegranate, Apple-Tree and Bramble
POMEGRANATE: Look at me, I am so beautiful. APPLE: Nay, look here, everyone turns...

The Ass and the Grasshoppers
GRASSHOPPER was singing, so beautiful and sweet. ASS was enchanted, the singer did...

On familiarity and content
THE FOX AND THE LION /fəˌmɪlɪˈarɪti/ close acquaintance with or...

BOY Hunting LOCUSTS
BOY hunting LOCUSTS BOY had a goodly haul BOY saw the best of all BOY...

Hercules and the Wagoner
Picture a Wagon in a country lane Wheels sunk deep in a rut, stuck And the Wagoner:...

The Mole and his Mother
MOLE, poor thing, blind from birth Said, MOTHER, I am sure I can see MOTHER laughed...

The Herdsman and the Lost Calf
HERDSMAN loved the flock, every one One day BABYCALF was lost HERDSMAN searched and...

The FARMER and the STORK
FARMER caught all the thieves in the nets Five resigned CRANES and one shameful...

The Charcoal-Burner and the Fuller
CHARCOAL-BURNER worked from home where black was black FULLER worked from home too,...

The Raven and the Swan
RAVEN lusted for SWAN Floating in the pond With dazzling white...

ANTS and the GRASSHOPPER
THE ANTS were industrious Working hard, planning for their future GRASSHOPPER was a...

The LION and the MOUSE
LION was woken by MOUSE, oh dear careless MOUSE LION lashed out: You’ll pay for...

On fairness and equality
THE KINGDOM OF THE LION /ˈfɛːnəs/ impartial and just treatment or...

Father and Sons
Everyday they would argue Bicker and squabble One against three, two against...

On vacuous magnificence
THE FOX AND THE MASK /ˈvakjʊəs/ having or showing a lack of thought or...

What is precious to one may have no value for another
COCK was searching for food for himself And the HENS When he found a precious...

DOG in the manger
DOG reclined, luxuriating in the manger. It was so soft, so gentle on sensitive skin OX...

On looking and leaping
THE FOX AND THE GOAT /ˈlʊkɪŋ/ having a specified appearance:"a...

The Dog and the Shadow
DOG snarled, greedily protecting his piece Suddenly DOG was confronted with a...

The BEAR and two TRAVELLERS
Two youngsters travelling together Came across an angry BEAR PANDA, quick thinking,...

On steady and race
THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE steady /ˈstɛdi/ firmly fixed, supported, or...

The FAWN and MOTHER
Young FAWN said MOTHER You are larger than DOG You are faster than DOG You have...

On death and respect
THE BEAR AND THE FOX /dɛθ/ the action or fact of dying or being killed; the...

The SWALLOW and the CROW
SWALLOW was a flutter and a flaunt Saying: Beauty and Grace, my natural...

On assumed collaboration
THE ASS, THE FOX AND THE LION /əˈsjuːm/ suppose to be the case, without proof:...

TORTOISE and EAGLE
TORTOISE luxuriated like only tortoises could Sunbathing lazily between the seabirds...

The FLIES and the HONEY-POT
These are the FLIES This is the HONEY Oh dear, the HONEY undone And,...

The MAN and the LION
MAN and LION, another night in the forest Boasting of strength and...

FARMER and the CRANES
The CRANES are in the field And FARMER chases them away. Oh look, the CRANES...

CAT and VENUS
CAT fell in love with a beautiful youngster So CAT fell at the feet of...

OXEN and AXLETREE
The WAGON was laden and heavily pre-loaded And OXEN was strong, industrious and...

Thirsty PIGEON
Fucking hell, PIGEON needed a drink PIGEON saw the sign and flew to it With...

GOATHERD and GOAT
You've heard this story before GOATHERD watching the GOATS A lazy, leery eye...

MISER
MISER invested everything in a gold bar: beautiful naked gold MISER buried it in...

On cunning and connivance
THE SICK LION /ˈkʌnɪŋ/ having or showing skill in achieving one's ends...

The GROOM and the HORSE
Oh GROOM currycomb HORSE Rub it, rub it, rub it, so it feel good Oh GROOM take...

On choices of the lithe
THE LAMB AND THE WOLF /tʃɔɪs/ an act of choosing between two or more...

On the conceit of the boast
THE WOLF AND THE FOX /kənˈsiːt/ excessive pride in oneself: "he was...

On righteous entitlement
THE WOLF AND THE LION /ˈrʌɪtʃəs/ morally right or justifiable:...

On mischief and insult
THE KID AND THE WOLF mischief /ˈmɪstʃɪf/ playful misbehaviour, especially on the...

On reaping and sowing
/riːp/ cut or gather (a crop or harvest): "many men were employed to reap the...

On counting and costs
THE HARES AND THE FOXES counting /ˈkaʊntɪŋ/ taking account of when reaching...

On words and teeth
THE HARES AND THE LIONS words /wəːd/ a single distinct meaningful element of...

From Hare and the Hound
No HARE in the lair, run HARE run Run run HARE run rabbit run Run HOUND,...

On sincerity and distrust
THE DOG AND THE HARE sincerity /s(ɪ)nˈsɛrɪti/ the absence of pretence, deceit,...

From the lion and the hare
Oh fuck, here comes LION with a swagger and a sway Sniffing out poor HARE sleeping...

From the Hares and the Frogs
Think of poor HARE, despair is not an amusement Opressed by timidity, weariness of...

From the sparrow and the hare
HARE did not care and HARE was undone A tasty snack for that archvillain...

From the Hunter and the Horseman
EAGLE was the hunter FOX played the horseman Trotting by and taking the...

Amoral
Welcome to the house of masks, an exploration of hedonism and failure through the...