Aesop

Mercury and the Tradesmen

Mercury and the Tradesmen is an Aesop fable on the StoryBloom shelf, ready for families to open, read together, and return to when it fits the moment.

★★★☆☆ 3.0 (1) Listen AlongAges 7–11Grade 3

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A few story details

Who you'll meet

Jupiter: The chief god who commanded Mercury to make humans., Mercury: The messenger god tasked with mixing lies into the creation of tradesmen., Tallow-chandler: A tradesman who makes and sells candles., Greengrocer: A tradesman who sells fresh vegetables and fruits., Haberdasher: A tradesman who sells small items used in sewing, such as buttons and ribbons., Horse-dealer: The last tradesman to be created; received all the leftover lies and is known for dishonesty.

A few story details

Where the story goes

Heaven/Olympus: The mythological realm where Jupiter and Mercury create humans.

Guiding ideas

Themes

honesty, deception, human nature, morality

Moral

Takeaway

Tradesmen may sometimes be dishonest, but horse dealers have a reputation for being the most dishonest of all.

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