Aesop wrote some fables. They were, and are, popular little tales, each with a moral at the end.

Kim Wylie is a playwright who updated Aesop’s fables for the stage. Elizabeth City State University Players is a drama troupe that will perform the fables.

“Whacky,” says ECSU drama professor Billicia Hines of the play.

Wylie, she says, penned “Aesop’s (Oh So Slightly) Updated Fables,” based on tales such as “The Tortoise and the Hare,” “The Fox and Grapes,” “The Country Maid” and more.

“The hare can never slow down and he drinks lots of coffee,” explains Hines, who says the race between the tortoise and the hare goes on and on throughout the production, interrupted other stories at times.

While Wylie has updated the fables and made them a little more madcap for the sake of entertaining the audience, Aesop’s Fables are still intact.

“All the morals are stated at the end of each fable,” she says. “Basically she just worked with the story and moral and expanded it into a play so you can find out what happened.”

Hines says all of the fables can stand on their own. The big change is the weaving of The Tortoise and the Hare throughout the stories.

The stories are classic Aesop. Dog and Bone tells the tale of the dog who is mesmerized by the reflection of his bone, thinking he would like the bone he sees in the pool of water.

“Be happy with what you have,” says Hines of the tale’s moral.

Fox and Grapes tells the story of a fox who wants a bunch of grapes that are out of his reach.

“People hate what they can’t have,” says Hines of the fable.

Fox and Crow tells the story of flattery. The fox uses flattery to steal a bag of food from the crow.

“Don’t get hooked into flattery,” she says.

Lion and the Mouse is a classic Aesop Fable. The lion wants to eat mouse but the mouse convinces him not to eat him. The mouse bows to the lion in thanks. Later the mouse saves the lion from death and the lion bows to the mouse.

“Always be nice,” says Hines.

The Miller’s Son and the Donkey teaches you that you can’t please everyone. The Country Maid shows you it’s not a good idea to count your chickens before they hatch.

Hines says this is a great show for the entire family. A number of area kids from elementary schools will be attending, but Hines also encourages families, home schoolers and private schools to take advantage of the show.

The show happens at the ECSU Fine Arts Center Auditorium next Wednesday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m.

Tickets are $4 for students and $6 for general admission. For more information, contact Billicia C. Hines at 335-3436 or bchines2@mail.ecsu.edu.