Cast: 4m., 1w., 1 either gender, plus many extras. When Xanthus the philosopher goes to the market in Samos to buy a slave, little does he know that he is about to buy a gourmet cook, a counselor for his adolescent child, rescue from the consequences of a rash boast, and a political ambassador to negotiate the freedom of his native island. In other words, he buys Aesop. Aesop works his magic by the fables he tells as the actors don simple masks to play out tales of crows and frogs, mice, a fox and a lion. The resource guide in the script includes background on the fables and their morals, the historical Aesop (to the extent it's known), slavery in Aesop's day, and activities and topics for discussion. Area staging. Approximate running time: 1 hour.