Da Silva performed Esopaida or Vida de Esopo (Aesopid or Aesop’s Life) in the Bairro Alto theatre in April 1734, six months after the successful Vida do grande D. Quixote; Esopo (Aesop) alludes to this first play in Esopaida. The libretto draws inspiration from antique texts, exploiting the burlesque potential of the story of Aesop (a fabulist from the 7-6th centuries BC). His story leads to a series of comical allegories during the play, for instance when he is sold as a slave at the cattle market, or when he proves himself on the battlefield against Temístocles (Themistocles).

This opera was staged with music by Antόnio Teixeira, the score of which has been lost. It continued to explore the metatheatrical and playful poetry of Vida do grande D. Quixote. Esopo is both a historical character and a contemporary of the audience here: he thus alludes to the Bairro Alto neighbourhood, where his phenomenal life unfolds, or to da Silva’s Vida do grande D. Quixote. Through the character of Esopo, da Silva criticises the language used by philosophers, promoting instead that of fables—fanciful, malleable and geared towards parody.

In Esopaida, objects come alive, investing the puppets with another level of discourse: the statues of the garden echo the romantic complaint of Periandro (Periander). The play therefore points to the paradoxical relation between the living and the inanimate. Conversely, the objects used to build the characters are regularly mentioned: Esopo alludes to the material dimension of cork puppets, when he refers to Filena as a painted figure, with which one cannot help but fall in love; or when he defines himself as “algum bonecro de cortiça”—a cork dummy.

At the market, Esopo (Aesop) is sold to a new master: the philosopher Xanto. Xanto’s daughter, Filena, is in love with one of her father’s followers, Periandro: Esopo is bought as a matchmaker. Xanto confides in him: he is in love with his wife’s lady-in-waiting, Geringonça. The latter becomes infatuated with Esopo, who rejects her. During a symposium, Xanto bets that he can empty the sea: Esopo helps him untangle himself from this bet, in exchange for freedom. Esopo, drunk, tells Geringonça that his master loves her; his wife Eurípedes hears this too: upset, she leaves the house. Disguised as another woman, Filena is courted by Periandro: she accuses him of being unfaithful and leaves him. Esopo has been sent to prison. He is freed by Xanto, who thus settles his promise; he now promises to free Esopo on condition that he bring Eurípedes back. While Temístocles (Themistocles) and Cresso are waging war against Athens, one of Jupiter’s eagles lands on Esopo, who becomes commander of the armies.

Esopo manages to make Eurípedes so jealous that she decides to go back to her husband. As Cresso’s army is standing outside Athens, Esopo begins to tell a fable about love, punctuated with macaronic Latin. The two couples (Xanto and Eurípedes, Periandro and Filena) reconcile. Esopo, who is in love with Filena, recites a sonnet to her, and makes her write an ambiguous letter intended for him. Called to duty, Esopo triumphs over Temístocles, through betrayal and plays on words. During a night scene, Eurípedes goes to the court where Xanto is meeting Geringonça. Xanto meets his daughter there, waiting for her lover. Eurípedes pretends to be Geringonça, to expose her husband’s infidelity. Esopo is fooled, and Geringonça shouts that she has been robbed. After the defeat of the town has been announced, Esopo dresses as a woman and draws Temístocles’ attention: he has fallen in love with the beautiful young woman. Esopo is imprisoned and Cresso tasks him with building a tower in the air. After another turnaround, the King pardons him and he goes back to Athens, where his fellow citizens make peace with him as he narrates a fable to them.