The Complete Fables Page 4

The Goatherd and the Wild Goats

  A goatherd, having led his goats to pasture, noticed that they were mixing with some wild goats. And, when evening fell, he herded all of them into his cave together. The next day, a great storm raged. Not being able to lead them out to pasture as usual, he left them inside. To his own goats he gave only a handful of fodder, just enough to keep them from starving. But for the strangers, on the other hand, he increased the ration, with the intention of keeping them as well.

  When the bad weather was almost over he let them all out to pasture. But, upon reaching the mountain, the wild goats ran away. As the goatherd shouted after them, accusing them of ingratitude for thus abandoning him after all the care he had taken of them, they turned round to reply:

  ‘All the more reason for us to be suspicious. For if you treated us, mere newcomers, better than your old flock, it’s quite clear that if some other goats came along you would then neglect us for them.’

  This fable shows that one ought not to welcome the over-friendly advances of new acquaintances in preference to old friendship. We must remember that when we have become old friends they will strike up friendships with others, and those new friends will become their favourites.

  18

  The Ugly Slave Girl and Aphrodite

  A master was in love with an ugly and ill-natured slave girl. With the money that he gave her, she adorned herself with sparkling ornaments and rivalled her own mistress. She made continual sacrifices to Aphrodite, goddess of love, and beseeched her to make her beautiful. But Aphrodite appeared to the slave in a dream and said to her:

  ‘I don’t want to make you beautiful, because I am angry with this man for thinking that you already are.’

  Thus, one must not become blinded by pride when one is enriched by shameful means, especially when one is of low birth and without beauty.

  19

  Aesop in a Dockyard

  One day, Aesop the fable-teller, having some time to spare, went to a dockyard. The workmen teased him and provoked him to reply. So he said to them:

  ‘In the beginning there was only chaos and water. But Zeus, wanting another element, the earth, to appear, required it to swallow the sea three times. The earth set to work and swallowed once, resulting in the mountains being formed. Then she swallowed the sea a second time, and she bore the plains. If she decides to swallow the sea the third time, you chaps will be without a job.’

  This fable shows that if you try and mock those who are smarter than you are, the retort will be that much sharper.

  NOTE: The fact that Aesop is described by the epithet logopoios, ‘writer of fables’, gives an approximate date for this fable, which was clearly not written by Aesop as it stands, since he is a character in it. Logopoios, which is the term used by Herodotus to describe Aesop (II, 134), is an early usage ending in the classic Athenian period. Already in Plato’s time the term was beginning to be reapplied (see Phaedrus (257c) and Euthydemus (289d)). Also, the moral here uses the word logos for ‘fable’, rather than the term mythos, which was used during the later ascendancy of the rhetorical schools. (See the discussion in the Introduction for these two terms and the dating which arises from them.)

  However, an earlier version of this very fable was actually recorded by Aristotle in his Meteorology (III, 356bII): ‘The belief held by Democritus that the sea is decreasing in volume and that it will in the end disappear is like something out of Aesop’s fables. For Aesop has a fable about Charybdis in which he says that she took one gulp of the sea and brought the mountains to view, a second one and the islands appeared, and that her last gulp will dry the sea up altogether. A fable like this was a suitable retort for Aesop to make when the ferryman annoyed him, but is hardly suitable for those who are seeking the truth.’

  Thus we can see that the injection of Aesop as a character into the fable as we have it occurred at a later stage than Aristotle’s time, that the original was a mythological fable just of the sort we believe Aesop to have composed himself, and that the process of ‘de-mythologizing’ the Aesop fables was well under way in the replacing of the mythical whirlpool Charybdis by ‘earth’ and setting the incident in a mundane shipyard.

  20

  The Two Cocks and the Eagle

  Two cockerels were fighting over some hens. One triumphed and saw the other off. The defeated one then withdrew into a thicket where he hid himself. The victor fluttered up into the air and sat atop a high wall, where he began to crow with a loud voice.

  Straight away an eagle fell upon him and carried him off. And, from then on, the cockerel hidden in the shadows possessed all the hens at his leisure.

  This fable shows that the Lord resisteth the proud but giveth grace unto the humble.

  NOTE: This moral, which calls the fable by the late term mythos, uses the term Kyrios (Lord) which, although it was used in inscriptions for Zeus and other Greek deities, is used as an epithet for both God and Jesus in the Christian gospels. S. A. Handford pointed out that the moral was the same as a passage in the New Testament Epistle to James (iv. 6). We have accordingly quoted the relevant words from the King James Bible. Handford believed that this moral was appended by a Christian, which is probably more likely than that the Epistle to James was quoting a popular maxim derived from an edition of Aesop. The moral is thus probably Byzantine in origin, and this fable does not come from the earliest collection since it is called a mythos rather than a logos; see Introduction and note to 19.

  21

  The Cocks and the Partridge

  A man who kept some cocks at his house, having found a partridge for sale privately, bought it and took it back home with him to feed it along with the cocks. But, as the cocks pecked it and pursued it, the partridge, with heavy heart, imagined that this rejection was because she was of a foreign race.

  However, a little while later, having seen that the cocks fought among themselves as well and never stopped until they drew blood, she said to herself:

  ‘I’m not going to complain at being attacked by these cocks any longer, because I see that they do not have any mercy on each other either.’

  This fable shows that sensible men easily tolerate the outrages of their neighbours when they see that the latter do not even spare their parents.

  22

  The Fishermen and the Tunny-fish

  Some fishermen who had gone fishing were very worried about the fact that they had caught nothing for a long time. Sitting in their boat, they wallowed in dejection. Just at that moment a tunny-fish, who was being chased, attempted to save himself and, with a loud thump, jumped accidentally into their boat. They seized him and took him back to their village where they sold him.

  Thus it is that what skill denies us, chance often gives us freely.

  23

  The Fishermen Who Caught a Stone

  Some fishermen were hauling in a large drag-net. As it was so heavy, they rejoiced and danced, imagining that the catch was a good one. But when they had pulled the drag-net to the bank, they found very few fish. It was mostly filled with stones and debris.

  The fishermen were deeply upset, less because of what had happened than because of the disappointment to their heightened expectations.

  But one of them, an old fellow, said to the others:

  ‘Don’t let’s be depressed, friends. For it would seem that Joy has for its sister Affliction. And if we rejoice prematurely then we should expect its contrary to follow.’

  Neither should we delude ourselves into always expecting the same success, considering how changeable life is. But we should tell ourselves that there is never such good weather that a storm might not follow.

  24

  The Fisherman Who Played the Flute

  A fisherman who was a skilled flute-player made his way to the sea one day, taking with him both his flute and his nets. Taking up a position on a projecting rock, he started to play the flute, thinking that the fish would be attracted by the sweetness of his tune and would, of their own accord, jump out
of the water to come to him.

  But, after much effort, no fish had come, and so he put his flute aside. He then picked up his casting-net and threw it into the water, catching many fish. He took the fish out of the net and threw them on to the shore. When he saw them wriggle he cried out to them:

  ‘You bloody fish, when I played the flute you wouldn’t dance, but as soon as I stopped you started up!’

  Some people always do things at the wrong moment.

  NOTE: The aulos was not, strictly speaking, a flute. It was played by a mouthpiece and thus resembled more an oboe or a clarinet. The instrument is mentioned as early as the Iliad. It was made of reed, bone, wood, ivory or metal. This fable is recorded as a story told by the Persian Emperor Cyrus, in Herodotus (I, 141).

  25

  The Fisherman and the Large and Small Fish

  A fisherman drew in his net from the sea. He could catch big fish, which he spread out in the sun, but the small fish slipped through the mesh, escaping into the sea.

  People of a mediocre fortune escape danger easily, but one rarely sees a man of great note escape when there is a disaster.

  26

  The Fisherman and the Picarel

  A fisherman who had lowered his net into the sea pulled out a picarel. As it was very small, the picarel begged the fisherman not to take it yet, but to release it on account of its small size.

  ‘But when I have grown,’ it went on, ‘and have become a big fish, then you can retake me. That way I will be more profitable for you.’

  ‘But wait a minute!’ replied the fisherman. ‘I’d be a fool to let you go when I’ve got you in my hand just in hope of better things to come, no matter how large you might become!’

  This fable shows that it is foolish to forfeit the profit that is in one’s hand upon the excuse that it is too small.

  NOTE: The picarel is a small marine fish of the family Maena, found in the eastern Atlantic and the Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean.

  27

  The Fisherman Who Beat the Water

  A fisherman was fishing in a river. He had stretched his nets across and dammed the current from one bank to the other. Then, having attached a stone to the end of a flaxen rope [kalos], he beat the water with it, so that the fish would panic and throw themselves into the mesh of the net as they fled.

  One of the locals from the vicinity saw him doing this and reproached him for disturbing the river and making them have to drink muddied water.

  The fisherman replied:

  ‘But if the river is not disturbed, I shall be forced to die of hunger.’

  It is like this in a city-state; the demagogues thrive by throwing the state into discord.

  28

  The Halcyon

  The halcyon is a bird who loves solitude and who lives constantly on the sea. It is said that to protect himself from men who might hunt him, he builds a nest in the rocks of the bank or shore.

  Now, one day, a halcyon who was broody went up on to a promontory and, seeing a rock which projected out over the sea, made her nest there. But some time later, when she had gone in search of food, a squall blew up. The sea rose up under the force of the strong winds, rising as far as the nest, which was filled with water and the young birds were drowned.

  When the halcyon returned and saw what had happened, she cried out:

  ‘How unfortunate I am! I who distrusted the ambushes which can take place on the land and have taken shelter on the sea find that from the sea there is even greater treachery!’

  It is thus that some men, through fear of their enemies, come to rely upon supposed friends who are even more dangerous to them than their enemies were.

  NOTE: The halcyon was a mythical bird, although the name was sometimes applied to the kingfisher. In this fable, the nesting habits of a kingfisher -who nests in a bank – are described. But the mythical bird’s habit of living on the water’ is also assumed. Actual kingfishers flit across the water but continually perch on branches. This fable therefore mixes real and imaginary characteristics. For this reason, we have not simply translated the title as ‘The Kingfisher’.

  29

  The Foxes on the Bank of the Maeander River

  One day, some foxes assembled on the banks of the Maeander with the intention of quenching their thirst. But as the flowing waters roared past them they became fearful and got one another worked up about the dangers of the current, so that they did not dare approach it.

  Then, one of the foxes thought he would show his superiority by mocking the others in a humiliating way about their cowardice. He made out that he was the bravest of them all. In order to prove his point, he jumped boldly into the rushing waters. As the current pulled him out towards the middle of the river, the others left on the bank called out to him:

  ‘Wait! Don’t abandon us! Come back and show us how we can find the place where we can drink from the river without danger!’

  The fox who was being carried away by the current shouted back to them:

  ‘I have an urgent message for the Oracle of Apollo at Miletus. I want to take it to him now! I’ll show you the place when I get back.’

  This story applies to those who, by boasting, put themselves in danger.

  NOTE: The Maeander is a great river which winds its way through Asia Minor. The Oracle of Apollo at Miletus was at the mouth of the Maeander.

  30

  The Fox with a Swollen Stomach

  A starving fox, having spotted a bit of bread and some meat that some shepherds had left inside the hollow of an oak tree, squeezed his way into the space and ate the food. But his stomach became swollen from so much food and he could not get out again. He began to wail and bemoan his lot.

  Another fox passed by and heard these complaints. He went up to him and asked him what was wrong. When he learned what had happened, he said:

  ‘Ah, well! Stay where you are until you become the size you were when you climbed in, and then you will be able to get out easily enough.’

  This fable shows that time resolves difficulties.

  31

  The Fox and the Bramble

  A fox who was jumping over a fence suddenly slipped. As he fell he grabbed a bramble to stop himself from falling. The thorns of the bramble stuck into his paws and made them bleed. Crying out in pain, the fox said:

  ‘Alas! I turned to you for help and now I am worse off!’

  The bramble replied:

  ‘I’m afraid you’ve got it all wrong, friend. You tried to cling to me, but I’m the one who clings to everybody else!’

  This fable shows that it is a foolish man who seeks help from those who, by their instincts, would rather do him harm.

  32

  The Fox and the Bunch of Grapes

  A famished fox, seeing some bunches of grapes hanging [from a vine which had grown] in a tree, wanted to take some, but could not reach them. So he went away saying to himself:

  ‘Those are unripe.’

  Similarly, certain people, not being able to run their affairs well because of their inefficiency, blame the circumstances.

  NOTE: This famous fable gave rise to the common English expression: ‘Sour grapes.’ Omphakes can mean ‘sour’, but it is more accurate to translate it as ‘unripe’, since the sourness was a result of the unripeness, and when Greeks used the word to describe grapes they were usually referring to their unripe state rather than to their taste. The same word was used to describe girls who had not yet reached sexual maturity.

  33

  The Fox and the Huge Serpent [Drakōn]

  A fox, seeing a huge serpent asleep beneath a fig tree by the roadside, greatly envied him for his length. He wanted to equal him. He lay down beside him and elongated his own body until, overdoing it and stretching himself far too much, the silly animal split.

  And thus it is with people who compete with those stronger than themselves: they rupture themselves in striving to compete.

  NOTE: The serpent referred to here does not need to be
a real creature, as the story is a joke. The normal word for ‘snake’ in Greece was ophis. Sometimes this word drakōn was used for a serpent; Homer used the two interchangeably. But apart from the mythological connotations of Greek dragons, such as the one supposed to have lived beneath the site of Delphi, the actual origin of the word seems to have been an attempt to give a name to the python or boa constrictor to differentiate it from normal snakes, hence the word is meant to suggest a very big snake such as that required by the fable. Normally in the fables, when a snake is referred to, it is called an ophis. Another point is that snakes do not normally sleep extended, but then this is only a story!

  34

  The Fox and the Woodcutter

  A fox who was fleeing ahead of some hunters saw a woodcutter and pleaded with him to find a hiding-place. The woodcutter promised to hide him in his hut, and did so. Some moments later the huntsmen arrived and asked the woodcutter if he had seen a fox in the vicinity. He replied in words that he had not seen one go past, but by signalling with his hands he indicated where the fox was hidden. The huntsmen, however, took no notice of his gestures and simply took him at his word.

  After they had gone, the fox emerged from the hut without saying anything. When the woodcutter reproached him for showing no gratitude for having saved him, the fox replied:

  ‘I would thank you if your gestures and your conduct had agreed with your words.’