Aesop

This is a late 19th Century card game in which each of the 17 pairs is composed of a card with a recap and moral from one of Aesop's fables, and another with an illustration of that fable. The odd card is a portrait of Aesop himself, and all the artwork is fantastic. All the cards are dealt out. The player to the left of the dealer takes one card from the player to his right (the dealer in this case) and then lays down in front of him as many pairs as possible. Each player in turn repeats until all pairs have been laid. The Aesop card may be played at any time, and has the effect of doubling the number of matches beneath it. Winner is the player with the greatest number of matched pairs at the end of the game. The box is undated, but Alex G. Malloy, American Games: Comprehensive Collector's Guide, dates it to 1890 (p. 34. #1001).