As we are more ignorant, and that it has less experience, we see more miracles. The first men saw So much and as naturally happy fathers to their children what they saw and what they did, there was nothing but wonders in the stories of those times. When we tell something surprising, our imagination on an object heats up, and stands by itself to expand and add what is lacking to make it quite wonderful, as if she had sorry to leave a beautiful thing imperfect. In addition, we are flattered by the feelings of surprise and admiration that is due to its listeners, and we are glad to increase further, because it seems he comes back I do not know what our vanity. These two reasons joined together, mean that such a man who has no intention of starting a story lie a little extraordinary, may still be surprised himself by lying, if there is careful, and hence that 'we need some kind of effort and attention to do exactly that truth. What will happen after that of course those who like to invent and impose upon others?
The stories that made the first men to their children, being so often wrong in themselves because they were made by people prone to see many things that were not, and it has been over exaggerated, or good faith, as we have just explained, or in bad faith, it is clear that this is already spoiled from their source. But surely it will be even worse when they pass from mouth to mouth, each will take away in some little trait of true, and there will someone wrong, and mostly false wonderful is the most pleasant and perhaps that after a century or two, not only is there nothing left of some truth that was there first, but even there will be little the first thing wrong.
Bernard Bovier de Fontenelle - On the origin of fables
