I would not have included this fable except for the fact that the drones refused the chance to prove their credibility.
NOTE: Compare the proverbial saying that ‘even wasps build combs’ (e.g. Tertullian, Against Marcion 4.5). The difference, of course, is that the wasps’ combs have no honey.
Fable 179 (Phaedrus 1.10 = Perry 474)
The Wolf, the Fox, and the Monkey
Once you get a reputation for dirty tricks, nobody is going to take you seriously, even if you are telling the truth, as one of Aesop’s fables attests.
The wolf had accused the fox of theft but the fox denied that she was guilty of the crime. The presiding judge was a monkey. Both of the plaintiffs pleaded their cases and the monkey is then said to have pronounced the following verdict: ‘As for you, wolf, I do not believe you lost the goods claimed in your suit; as for you, fox, I am convinced you stole the goods, no matter how firmly you deny it.’
Fable 180 (Aristophanes, Wasps 1435 ff. = Perry 438)
The Jar Goes to Court
There was a woman of Sybaris who broke a jar. The jar then got someone to testify as a witness, but the woman of Sybaris said, ‘I swear by the Maiden, you would have been far wiser if you’d gone right away to get a bandage, instead of making a court-case out of it.’
NOTE: Sybaris was a Greek city in southern Italy which was associated with a particular type of joking story, called a ‘Sybaritic’ fable (see Fable 344 for another example). ‘The Maiden’ (in Greek, Kore) was a cult name of Persephone, who was celebrated at the Eleusinian Mysteries, together with her mother Demeter.
Fable 181 (Babrius 118 = Perry 227)
The Swallow and the Snake
Spring had arrived, and a twittering swallow (that bird who dwells in human houses) built her nest in the wall of the place which is home to the elderly jurors of the court. In that hall of justice, the mother bird gave birth to seven baby birds. But a snake came creeping out from his hole and devoured all the chicks one by one. The wretched mother bewailed the untimely demise of her children and said, ‘Woe is me, and woe is my lot in life! This is the place where mankind’s laws and judgements are made but I, a swallow, am the victim of injustice and have to run away.’
NOTE: This fable can also be found in the Greek Anthology 7.210, although that version is not set in a courthouse (and the story ends with the snake falling into a fire).
DISPUTES AND DEBATES
Fable 182 (Babrius 68 = Perry 104)
Zeus and Apollo
As he made a distant shot with his bow and arrow, Apollo said to the gods, ‘No one can shoot farther than I, not even Zeus.’ Zeus played along and agreed to a contest. Hermes shook the lots in the helmet of Ares. The lot fell to Apollo, who went first, flexing the golden bowstring and swiftly letting loose an arrow which landed inside the Garden of the Hesperides. Zeus then covered the same distance in a single stride and stood there asking, ‘Where should I shoot my arrow, son? There’s nowhere for me to stand.’ So it was that Zeus won the archery contest without even taking a shot.
NOTE: Ares was the Greek god of war (Roman Mars). The Hesperides were the daughters of Atlas, and together with a dragon they guarded a tree of golden apples in a garden at the western edge of the world.
Fable 183 (Syntipas 55 = Perry 46)
The North Wind and the Sun
The Sun and the North Wind were quarrelling with each other as to which of the two of them would be able to make a man disrobe. The North Wind went first, blowing fiercely against the man. Yet as the man grew colder and colder, he only wrapped himself up more snugly in his cloak, clutching at it tightly so as to keep a firm grip no matter how hard the wind might be blowing. Thus the North Wind did the man no harm at all and failed to make him strip off his clothes. Next, the Sun began to shine upon the man so brightly that the very air of the day grew hotter and hotter. The man immediately took off his cloak and bundled it up on his shoulders.
The fable shows that to take a humble approach is always more effective and practical than making empty boasts.
NOTE: This fable is also found in Plutarch, Advice on Marriage 12.
Fable 184 (Chambry 346 = Perry 271)
Winter and Spring
Winter made fun of Spring and mocked her for the fact that as soon as spring appears, nobody can keep still: some people go off to the meadows or into the woods, others like to gather flowers and lilies or perhaps to gaze upon a rose as they twirl it in the air, or to twine it in their hair; while some board ships and even cross the sea to meet different kinds of people; no one worries any longer about the winds or the great downpours of rain from the sky. ‘Whereas I resemble a dictator or a despot’, said Winter. ‘I command everyone to look not at the sky but down toward the ground; I frighten them and make them tremble and sometimes I make them content themselves while having to stay indoors all day.’ Spring replied, ‘Indeed, that is exactly why mankind would be glad to get rid of you, whereas even the mere mention of my name is enough to bring them pleasure. By Zeus, there is no name more pleasant than mine! That is why they think fondly of me when I am gone and give thanks when I appear again.’
NOTE: This topos is also found in the medieval poem Conflictus veris et hiemis, attributed to Alcuin (d. 804).
Fable 185 (Babrius 15 = Perry 278)
The Athenian and the Theban
A man from Athens was journeying together with a man from Thebes in Boeotia. As you would expect, they struck up a conversation. The talk soon turned to heroes, and the men made all sorts of extravagant and pointless claims. The man from Thebes ended up singing the praises of Heracles, Alcmena’s son, saying that he was the greatest hero who ever lived on this earth and that he had now taken his place among the gods. The man from Athens replied that Theseus was mightier by far, since he had enjoyed a truly divine fortune in his lifetime, while Heracles had been a slave. With this argument, the Athenian won the debate, for he was a glib speaker. His opponent was only a Boeotian, after all, and could not hope to compete with the Athenian in words. ‘Enough!’ the Boeotian said, ‘You win!’ Then he added with a bit of rustic inspiration, ‘And may Theseus vent his anger on us, and Heracles on you Athenians!’
NOTE: Heracles was enslaved for three years to Omphale, the queen of Lydia, in order to expiate a murder. Theseus enjoyed ‘divine fortune’ as the king of a great city, Athens. The humour of this story depends on the smooth-talking Athenian being bested by a ‘country bumpkin’ from Boeotia since, when all is said and done, Heracles was a much more formidable hero than Theseus.
Fable 186 (Aphthonius 34 = Perry 284)
The Lion and the Man Disputing
A story about a lion and a man, urging us to be honest and to refrain from boasting.
A man and a lion were arguing. The man proclaimed the superiority of the human race, while the lion argued on behalf of his own kind. As they were contending with one another as to who was superior, the man produced as evidence the statue of a lion being defeated by a man. The lion retorted, ‘And if there were also sculptors among us lions, you would see more people being conquered by lions than lions by people!’
One who deals with others honestly will win the victory.
NOTE: For a more elaborate version of this same story, see Fable 187 (following).
Fable 187 (Ademar 52 = Perry 284)
The Lion and the Man Disputing
A man and a lion were arguing about who was best, with each one seeking evidence in support of his claim. They came to a tombstone on which a man was shown in the act of strangling a lion, and the man offered this picture as evidence. The lion then replied, ‘It was a man who painted this; if a lion had painted it, you would instead see a lion strangling a man. But let’s look at some real evidence instead.’ The lion then brought the man to the amphitheatre and showed him, so he could see with his own eyes, just how a lion strangles a man. The lion then concluded, ‘A pretty picture is not proof: facts are the only real evidence!’
When the evidence is
fairly weighed, a colourfully painted lie is quickly refuted by the facts.
NOTE: The visit to the amphitheatre which is included here in Ademar is not found in the Greek versions of the fable. Caxton (4.15) has the lion prove his point even more directly: ‘The lyon thenne ledde the man to a grete pytte | And there they fought to gyder | But the lyon caste the man in to the pytte | and submytted hym in to his subiection and sayd | Thow man | now knowest thow alle the trouthe | whiche of vs bothe is stronger.’
DEBATES AMONG THE ANIMALS
Fable 188 (Syntipas 14 = Perry 14)
The Fox, the Monkey, and His Ancestors
A fox and a monkey were travelling along the same road. They passed through a cemetery, and the monkey said to the fox, ‘All these dead people were the freedmen of my ancestors.’ The fox then said to the monkey, ‘This is an opportune moment for you to tell such lies: not a single one of the people entombed in this place can rise up and refute what you say!’
This fable can be used to indict charlatans and anyone who deals in lies instead of the truth.
Fable 189 (Chambry 35* = Perry 20)
The Fox and the Crocodile
The fox and the crocodile were disputing about their pedigrees. The crocodile was proudly enumerating the eminent qualities of his ancestors, and when he said that they had been the highest-ranking athletic officials, the fox remarked, ‘My dear sir, even if you had not mentioned it, the mere condition of your skin is evidence enough that you have suffered long years of athletic sports out of doors in the sun!’
NOTE: The joke is based on the crocodile boasting that his ancestors had been ‘Gymnasiarchs’, city officials who presided over the athletic gymnasiums in ancient Greece.
Fable 190 (Avianus 38 = Perry 584)
The Saltwater Fish and the Freshwater Fish
Carried from his freshwater pond by a rushing stream, a freshwater fish rushed headlong into the waters of the sea. The shameless creature scorned the scaly schools in the sea and boasted endlessly of his own illustrious origins. A saltwater fish could not suffer this refugee in his own ancestral waters and he spoke these pungent words, naturally salted with wit: ‘Enough of your empty lies and pretentious talk; you yourself are the best evidence of their absurdity. If the two of us are captured and hauled in by the same dripping net, I will be able to prove to you just who is more highly regarded by the crowd of onlookers: you will see that I am bought by the connoisseur at a very high price indeed, while you will be sold to an undiscriminating commoner for a mere penny or two!’
NOTE: Avianus simply refers to the freshwater fish as piscis, fish. As for the saltwater fish, phukis, it is not entirely clear what species he had in mind: Greek sources suggest it is some kind of wrasse, although Pliny (Natural History 9.26) seems to think it is a lamprey.
Fable 191 (Avianus 40 = Perry 12)
The Leopard and the Fox
The leopard, renowned for his spots and the fine fur of his chest, went out into the fields together with the other animals. As the coats of the mighty lions were all one colour, the leopard quickly concluded that the lions must be a wretched species indeed. Scorning the rest of the animals for their slovenly appearance, the leopard considered himself to be the only true example of nobility among them. As the leopard was rejoicing in the novelty of his apparel, the sly fox criticized him sharply and showed how useless his markings were. ‘Go ahead and put your faith in the excessive embellishment of your youth,’ said the fox, ‘so long as my intelligence is more attractive than yours: after all, mental endowments are more impressive than the glamour of good looks!’
NOTE: There is a version of this story in Plutarch, Passions of the Soul I and likewise in The Banquet of the Seven Sages 12.
Fable 192 (Syntipas 3 = Perry 229)
The Raven, the Swallow, and the Seasons
The swallow and the raven were quarrelling with each other about who was more beautiful. The raven said to the swallow, ‘Your beauty is seen only in the springtime, and when winter comes it cannot hold out against the cold. My physique, on the other hand, holds up admirably both during the cold of winter and the summer heat.’
This fable shows that the strength and well-being of the body are superior to physical beauty or the charms of youth.
NOTE: For another dispute between the swallow and a raven, see Fable 213; for the proverbial association of the swallow and the springtime, see Fable 274.
Fable 193 (Babrius 65 = Perry 294)
The Crane and the Peacock
The peacock kept waving his golden feathers back and forth while he argued with the grey-winged crane. The crane finally exclaimed, ‘You may make fun of the colour of my wings, but I can rise on them up to the stars and high into the sky. You, on the other hand, can only flap those gilded feathers of yours down there on the ground, just like a rooster. You are never seen soaring up high in the sky!’
I would prefer to be admired while dressed in my well-worn clothes than to live without honour, no matter how fine my clothes might be.
Fable 194 (Chambry 302* = Perry 202)
The Dove and the Crow
A dove who lived in a certain dovecote was boasting about the number of children she had given birth to. The crow heard her and said, ‘Stop your bragging! The more children you have, the greater the slavery you bring into the world!’
The fable shows that the most unfortunate house slaves are the ones who give birth to children in captivity.
Fable 195 (Chambry 194* = Perry 257)
The Sow and the Lioness
The story goes that a sow who had delivered a whole litter of piglets loudly accosted a lioness. ‘How many children do you breed?’ asked the sow. ‘I breed only one,’ said the lioness, ‘but he is very well bred!’
The fable shows that a single man who is remarkable for physical strength and bravery and wisdom is mightier than many weak and foolish people.
NOTE: Other versions of this fable (included in Chambry’s first edition of the Greek fables) feature a fox, not a sow, debating with the lioness.
Fable 196 (Chambry 342* = Perry 223)
The Sow, the Dog, and Their Litters
A sow and a dog were arguing about their litters. The dog said that she had the easiest delivery of all the four-footed animals but the sow responded, ‘Be that as it may, the puppies you give birth to are blind!’
The fable shows that an enterprise is not to be judged in terms of its speed but its outcome.
NOTE: The dog’s blind puppies were proverbial in Greek: ‘the dog gives birth in a hurry but her pups are born blind’ (Erasmus, Adages 2.2.35).
Fable 197 (Chambry 329 = Perry 222)
The Dog, the Sow, and Aphrodite
A sow and a dog were viciously arguing with one another. The sow, for her part, swore by Aphrodite that she would tear the dog to pieces with her teeth. The dog replied ironically, ‘Yes indeed, you do well to swear by Aphrodite! It’s clear just how much she loves you, since she absolutely forbids anyone who has tasted your filthy flesh to enter her temple.’ The sow retorted, ‘This is even more evidence of the goddess’s love for me, since she turns away anyone who has slain or mistreated me in any way. As for you, you just smell bad, dead or alive!’
This story shows how a discerning speaker can deftly turn the insults of his enemies into compliments.
NOTE: Aphrodite supposedly hated pigs because her lover, Adonis, had been killed by a wild boar. The Greek proverb ‘he sacrificed a pig to Aphrodite’ (Erasmus, Adages 3.1.30) was used to refer to someone who gave an inappropriate or unwanted gift.
Fable 198 (Phaedrus 4.25 = Perry 521)
The Ant and the Fly
The ant and the fly were bitterly arguing about who was more important. The fly presented her case first. ‘Do you really mean to compare yourself to my exalted status? I pass my time among the altars, I wander through the temples of the gods; whenever there is a sacrifice, I am the first to taste all the entrails; I can sit on the head of the king if I want and I enjoy
the forbidden kisses of all the married women; I do not work and yet I reap the very best of all the spoils. What has life given you that can compare with all that I have, you country bumpkin?’ The ant replied, ‘It is truly a wonderful thing to dine at the gods’ table, but only for someone whom the gods have invited, not for someone whom they hate. You say that you frequent their altars? Agreed, but you are driven away as soon as you arrive. As for the kings you mention and the women’s kisses, you are boasting about something that it is shameful to mention. Moreover, if you do no work then it is no surprise that you have nothing at hand when you need it. I, on the other hand, assiduously gather a store of grain for the winter, while I see you feeding on manure piled up against the walls. Later on, when the cold winds make you shrivel up and die, I am safe and at peace in my well-furnished abode. Now that it is summer you try to provoke me, but in winter you have nothing to say. That should be enough to take the edge off your pride.’
Aesop's Fables Page 15
