The fable shows that these are the wages of people who betray their country.
Fable 31 (Babrius 93 = Perry 153)
The Wolves, the Sheep, and the Ram
The wolves sent messengers to the sheep, offering to swear a sacred oath of everlasting peace if the sheep would just agree to hand over the dogs for punishment. It was all because of the dogs, said the wolves, that the sheep and the wolves were at war with one another. The flock of sheep, those foolish creatures who bleat at everything, were ready to send the dogs away but there was an old ram among them whose deep fleece shivered and stood on end. ‘What kind of negotiation is this!’ he exclaimed. ‘How can I hope to survive in your company unless we have guards? Even now, with the dogs keeping watch, I cannot graze in safety.’
NOTE: Demosthenes (see Fable 2) was said to have used this fable in an attempt to persuade the Athenians not to send their defenders into the hands of Alexander the Great (Plutarch, Life of Demosthenes) and Aesop tells the same story in Life of Aesop in an attempt to persuade the Samians not to turn him over to King Croesus. For a version of this story minus the wise ram, see Fable 32 (following).
Fable 32 (Ademar 43 = Perry 153)
The Wolves, the Sheep, and the Dogs
The sheep and the wolves were at war with one another but the sheep could not be defeated because the dogs’ protection kept them safe. The wolves sent ambassadors to the sheep, pretending to offer an end to the hostilities if the sheep would let the wolves serve as their guardians. Hoping that this would establish an accord once and for all, the sheep agreed to all the wolves’ demands. Afterwards, the wolves broke the treaty and were able to devour the sheep now that they no longer had anyone to protect them. The sheep recognized their error too late and regretted the decision they had made.
If you depend on someone else for help, you will be in trouble when that help is nowhere to be found.
Fable 33 (Chambry 231* = Perry 160)
The Sheep and the Injured Wolf
A wolf had been mauled by dogs and had cast himself down on the ground. Because of his injuries, the wolf could not go in search of food, so when he saw a sheep, he begged her to bring him something to drink from the river that ran nearby. ‘If you just give me something to drink,’ said the wolf, ‘I will find myself something to eat.’ The sheep replied, ‘But if I give you something to drink, then you will make me your dinner as well!’
The story can be used against a wicked man who hides his plots behind a veil of pretence.
NOTE: L’Estrange appends this bit of commentary: ‘It is a Charitable and Christian Office to Relieve the Poor and the Distressed; but this Duty does not Extend to Sturdy Beggars, that while they are receiving Alms with one Hand, are ready to Beat out a Man’s Brains with the Other.’
Fable 34 (Chambry 313* = Perry 209)
The Shepherd and the Wolf Cubs
A shepherd found some wolf cubs and he brought them up, thinking that the fully grown wolves would both guard his flock and steal other people’s sheep to bring back to his sheepfold. But when the cubs grew up, the first thing they did was to destroy the man’s own flock. The man groaned and said, ‘It serves me right! Why didn’t I kill them when they were little?’
The story shows that when people harbour a criminal they become his first victims without even realizing it.
NOTE: Compare the Greek proverb, ‘It is better not to raise a lion cub’ (e.g. Aristophanes, Frogs 1431; the disastrous results of raising such a cub are described in Aeschylus, Agamemnon 717 ff.).
Fable 35 (Chambry 315 = Perry 366)
The Shepherd and the Wolf Cub
A shepherd found a little wolf cub and raised it. Then, when the cub was bigger he taught it to steal from his neighbours’ flocks. Once he had learned how to do this, the wolf said to the shepherd, ‘Now that you have shown me how to steal, take care that many of your own sheep don’t go missing!’
The fable shows that people who are vicious by nature will often injure their teachers once they have been taught to steal and be greedy.
Fable 36 (Chambry 314 = Perry 267)
The Shepherd, the Wolf Cub, and the Wolf
A shepherd found a newborn wolf cub. Taking it home, he raised it with his dogs. After the cub had grown up, he would join the dogs in the chase if a prowling wolf ever stole one of the sheep. When the dogs were no longer able to keep up with the other wolf and turned back for home (as sometimes happened), the wolf would continue the chase until he caught the other wolf and received an equal share of the prey, true to his wolf’s nature. Then he too would go back home. If, however, no wolves came to seize the sheep, he would secretly slaughter one of the sheep and eat it together with the dogs. When the shepherd finally guessed what was happening, he hanged the wolf from a tree and killed him.
The fable shows that a wicked nature does not produce a good character.
NOTE: Compare the Greek proverb, ‘Thief knows thief, wolf knows wolf’ (Aristotle, Eudemian Ethics 1235a).
Fable 37 (Chambry 54 = Perry 37)
The Blind Man and the Cub
There was a blind man who was in the habit of identifying any animal that was placed in his hands by touching it. Once they gave him a wolf cub. Even after stroking the animal he was not sure of its identity, so he said, ‘I am not sure whether it is the cub of a wolf or a fox or some similar creature, but I do know that this is not the kind of animal that should accompany a flock of sheep!’
In the same way bad people are revealed by their features.
NOTE: Some editors have conjectured that this was not a wolf cub (lugkidiou) but a lynx cub (lugkidiou).
Fable 38 (Chambry 229 = Perry 234)
The Wolf and the Shepherd
A wolf followed along after a flock of sheep without doing them any harm. At first the shepherd kept his eye on the wolf as a potential enemy to the flock and never let him out of his sight. But as the wolf continued to accompany the shepherd and did not make any kind of attempt to raid the flock, the shepherd eventually began to regard the wolf more as a guardian of the flock than as a threat. Then, when the shepherd happened to have to go to town, he commended the sheep to the wolf in his absence. The wolf seized his chance and attacked the sheep, slaughtering most of the flock. When the shepherd came back and saw that his flock had been utterly destroyed, he said, ‘It serves me right! How could I have ever trusted my sheep to a wolf?’
The same is true of people: if you entrust your bank deposits to greedy men, you are certain to get robbed.
NOTE: ‘Leaving the sheep to be watched by the wolves’ was already a Roman proverb (e.g. Plautus, Pseudolus 141).
Fable 39 (Babrius 113 = Perry 365)
The Man, the Wolf, and the Dog
A man was gathering his sheep into the fold one evening and was about to enclose a tawny wolf inside with the flock. When the dog saw what he was doing, he said to the man, ‘How can you be serious about protecting the sheep when you are introducing this creature among us?’
FABLES ABOUT SELF-DESTRUCTION
Fable 40 (Babrius 142 = Perry 302)
Zeus and the Oak Trees
Once upon a time the oak trees came to Zeus and lodged a complaint. ‘O Zeus, founder of our species and father of all plant life, if it is our destiny to be chopped down, why did you even cause us to grow?’ Zeus smiled and replied, ‘It is you yourselves who supply the means of your destruction: if you didn’t create all the handles, no farmer would have an axe in his house!’
NOTE: There is a similar Greek proverb, ‘The ox supplies his own whip’ (Erasmus, Adages 1.2.77).
Fable 41 (Ademar 44 = Perry 302)
The Axe and the Trees
When a man had made an axe, he asked the trees to give him a handle made of the hardest wood. The other trees selected the wood of the wild olive. The man took the handle and fitted it to his axe. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he began to chop down the trees’ mighty branches and trunks, taking whatever he wanted. The oak tree then said
to the ash, ‘It serves us right, since we gave our enemy the handle he asked for!’
You should think twice before offering anything to your enemies.
Fable 42 (Babrius 38 = Perry 303)
The Pine Tree and the Wedges
Some woodcutters splitting a wild pine tree drove wedges into the trunk, prying it apart and thus making their work easier. The pine tree groaned and said, ‘I cannot blame the axe, who had no connection with my root, but these utterly despicable wedges are my own children. Pounded into me this way and that, they are going to tear me apart!’
This fable reminds everyone that the bad things that strangers do to you are never as terrible as the things done to you by the members of your own family.
Fable 43 (Aphthonius 32 = Perry 276)
The Eagle and the Arrow
A story about an archer, showing that it is bitter to be betrayed by one of your own.
An archer aimed at an eagle and let loose an arrow. The eagle was struck, and as he turned and looked at the shaft which was tipped with his own feathers, he said, ‘Many are betrayed by the very things that they themselves have wrought.’
NOTE: The proverbial motif of the eagle shot by his own feathers is also found in Aristophanes, Birds 808. For another fable about birds shot down with their own feathers, see Fable 488.
Fable 44 (Chambry 282 = Perry 238)
The Decoys and the Doves
A bird-catcher laid out his net, tying some tame doves to the net as decoys. He then stood off at a distance, waiting to see what would happen. Some wild doves flew up to the tame doves and became entangled in the knots of the net. When the bird-catcher ran up and began to grab them, the wild doves were angry at the tame doves, since the tame doves had not warned them about the trap even though they were all members of the same species. The tame doves replied, ‘Nevertheless, it is better for us to protect the interests of our masters than to please our relations.’
The same is true about household servants: they should not be blamed when their devotion to the master of the house causes them to set aside any loyalty to their kinfolk.
Fable 45 (Syntipas 26 = Perry 265)
The Bird-catcher and the Partridge
A bird-catcher had captured a partridge and was ready to strangle her right there on the spot. The partridge wanted to save her life so she pleaded with the bird-catcher and said, ‘If you release me from this snare, I will lure many partridges here and bring them to you.’ The bird-catcher was made even more angry by this and he killed the partridge immediately.
This fable shows that someone who lays a trap for others will fall victim to it himself.
NOTE: For another fable about a partridge decoy, see Fable 123.
FABLES ABOUT MISALLIANCES
Fable 46 (Phaedrus 1.8 = Perry 156)
The Wolf and the Crane
If you think a scoundrel will reward you for a job well done, you are making two mistakes: first, you are helping someone who doesn’t deserve it, and second, you will be lucky to escape unharmed.
A wolf swallowed a bone which got stuck in his throat. The pain was excruciating, so the wolf started looking for someone who could be induced to remove the accursed thing in exchange for a reward. The wolf asked each of the animals if they would help him, and finally the crane was convinced by the wolf’s solemn promises. Trusting her long beak to the wolf’s gaping maw, the crane carried out the dangerous cure. Yet when the crane demanded the promised reward, the wolf simply said, ‘You ungrateful creature! You extracted your head unharmed from my mouth and still you ask for a reward?’
NOTE: Other versions of this story (e.g. Babrius 94) are about a heron, not a crane. The Buddhist Javasakuna-jataka tells the same story about a lion and a crane.
Fable 47 (Aristotle, Rhetoric 1393b = Perry 269)
The Stag, the Horse, and the Man
There was a horse who was the sole owner of a meadow. Then a stag came and wreaked havoc in the meadow. The horse wanted to get revenge, so he asked a certain man if he would help him carry out a vendetta against the stag. The man agreed, provided that the horse took the bit in his mouth so that the man could ride him, wielding his javelin. The horse consented and the man climbed on his back, but instead of getting his revenge, the horse simply became a slave to the man.
NOTE: In some versions of this story, it is a boar, not a stag, who provokes the horse’s reckless anger (e.g. Phaedrus 4.4). There is an interesting version of this story in a fragment of the Greek historian Conon (cited in van Dijk 7T3), and the fable is also found in Horace, Epistles 1.10. 34 ff.
Fable 48 (Aphthonius 14 = Perry 194)
The Stork and the Cranes
A story about a stork, urging us not to associate with wicked people.
The cranes were making trouble for the farmer by snatching the seed he had scattered on the ground. There was a stork who associated with the cranes and lived together with them although he never did any harm to the farmer. When the farmer was fed up with the damage being done to his crops, he prepared a snare and captured the stork together with the cranes. Thus the stork was actually held accountable for crimes he had never committed.
If you consort with wicked people, you will receive the same punishment they do.
Fable 49 (Syntipas 60 = Perry 228)
The Swans and the Geese
Some swans and some geese became friends and went out onto the meadows. As they were feeding contentedly together, they were discovered by hunters. The swans, owing to the swiftness of their bodies, were immediately able to take wing and fly away. The geese, however, were naturally more heavy and so they were left behind and caught by the hunters.
The fable represents people who are not whole-heartedly devoted to their friends but instead abandon them at the critical moment.
Fable 50 (Babrius 99 = Perry 335)
The Eagle and the Lion as Partners
An eagle flew up to a lion and asked him to be his partner. ‘I don’t see why not,’ replied the lion. ‘But first you must give me your long wing-feathers as a pledge that you will keep your promise. How will I be able to trust you as a friend if you do not stay here with me?’
Fable 51 (Syntipas 22 = Perry 256)
The Hares and the Foxes
The hares were at war with an eagle and they asked the foxes to be their allies. The foxes said in reply, ‘We would agree to be your allies, if we didn’t know what sort of creatures you are and who you are fighting against!’
This fable indicts people who attack someone who is more powerful than they are and thus bring ruin upon themselves.
Fable 52 (Avianus 11 = Perry 378)
The Two Pots
The banks of a river caved in, tossing two pots into the river where they were swept away together in the raging waters. Each of the pots had been created by a different technique from a different material: one was made of poured bronze and the other was moulded clay. There was thus an uneasy alliance between the two of them, one fragile and one unbreakable, as they moved along the winding course of the wandering stream. The bronze jar solemnly promised to keep her hulking progress at a distance from the other jar, not wanting to strike and shatter her. The jar of clay, meanwhile, was afraid that the heavier object might do damage to her lighter frame, because something slight can put no trust in something superior. ‘Although your words are reassuring,’ the clay pot said, ‘I cannot shake this fear from my soul. Whether the wave crashes me into you or you into me, in either case I will be the only victim of the catastrophe.’
NOTE: There is also a similar image at work in the Bible, Ecclesiasticus 13: 3: ‘What agreement shall the earthen pot have with the kettle? for if they knock one against the other, it shall be broken.’ (For a modern instance, compare Lord Steyne’s advice to Becky in Thackeray’s Vanity Fair, ch. 48: ‘You poor little earthenware pipkin, you want to swim down the stream along with the great copper kettles.’)
FABLES ABOUT USELESS ALLIES
Fable 53 (Ademar 53 = Perry 570)
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The Goose and the Stork
A stork had gone to her usual pond and saw a goose there who kept plunging down deep into the water. The stork then asked the goose what she was doing and the goose replied, ‘We geese go down into the muddy bottom of the pond to look for food and to escape the hawk’s attack.’ The stork said, ‘I am stronger than the hawk! You should be friends with me, and I will allow you to scoff at that other bird!’ The goose agreed, and not long afterwards she called on the stork to come help her. The goose had not plunged into the water, so the hawk immediately swooped down and caught her up in his talons. As the hawk was about to devour her, the goose replied, ‘A wretched death awaits anyone who puts his trust in such a worthless defender!’
For people who expect to be defended by someone who cannot offer them any protection.
NOTE: There appears to be a gap between the hawk’s attack and the goose’s final remarks, since Ademar’s version says that the goose ‘replied’ to someone. Because this story is extant only in Ademar, there are no other versions that can supply the missing words.
Aesop's Fables Page 7
