The greatest genius of his age, Leonardo da Vinci was also a prolific writer. Collected here are some of his most remarkable thoughts, sayings, and fables. Fascinated by word play, Leonardo created a series of riddles, cleverly disguised as apocalyptic prophecies and fantasies. The "solution" to each of these inspired sayings--often simply the image of an animal or beast--reveals much about both Leonardo and his art. Ingenious, witty, and, at times, scurrilous, these fragments are the work of a brilliant mind, as fascinating today as they were in his own time.