ONE of the most enduring forms of folk literature passed down from person to person throughout history is the fable.

Differing from the traditional story, a fable is a short narrative that makes a moral point, traditionally by means of animal or plant characters that speak and act like human beings.

The story of The Tortoise and the Hare is a well-known example of a fable that imparts the lesson that slow and steady wins the race.

Bermuda now has its own fable written by Joanne Burgess with the financial support of the Bermuda Arts Council.

Entitled The Lizard and the Rock, this new hardcover children's book about self-discovery in Bermuda will both entertain youngsters and inspire adults with its poignant social commentary.

Mrs. Burgess' new book ¿ her first commercial piece of work ¿ intertwines colourful illustrations by fellow first-time illustrator Lamelle Paynter with ideas about fate, individual struggle, triumph and the longing for, or resistance to, change.

"The main character's name is Sam and he's a lizard," she explained.

"He's different from the other lizards on the island. The other lizards are used to doing the same routine ¿ they do their work, they sleep, they eat, they struggle, they get old, they die ¿ they are in this repetitive cycle of 'this is how life is for us' and never questioned why. I used the quote 'wherever our fate leads, that is where we'll be found'.

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