Jean de la Fontaine

Jean de la Fontaine

"Assuming the attitude, she began, "La Ligue des Rats, de La Fontaine." (pg. 104)

Jean de la Fontaine was a French poet who collected hundreds of fables in his time. He borrowed from Aesop and Greek mythology for his fables, of which there are upwards of 200. Most of these fables are simple-minded tales about nature and animals. The use of Adele telling a Fontaine poem shows the simplicity of the little girl and what she knows. It also helps to show her culture and that she has been distinctly influenced by her French upbringing.

Link: http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/fontaine.htm