The person who tries to correct his superiors will recognize himself in this fable.
Fable 220 (Babrius 39 = Perry 62)
The Dolphins and the Whales
The dolphins were always at war with the whales. A crab came forward to mediate between them, as if someone without any public reputation could bring about a peace between warring kings!
NOTE: For a bramble bush who makes the same foolish gesture, see Fable 201.
Fable 221 (Babrius 96 = Perry 98)
The Ram and the Wolf
A wolf was walking by a wall, while a ram was peeping over the top, making all kinds of rude remarks. The wolf, gnashing his teeth, replied, ‘It is only your situation that makes these insults possible. You yourself have nothing to boast about!’
NOTE: An epimythium probably added by a later editor reads: ‘This fable rightly tells us all that no one should boast when his prowess is a matter of mere circumstance.’
Fable 222 (Syntipas 17 = Perry 409)
The Fox and the Lion in a Cage
A fox saw a lion that had been imprisoned in a cage. The fox approached the lion and insulted him very rudely. The lion then said to her, ‘You are not responsible for my disgrace; the cause is my unfortunate situation.’
The fable shows that, after suffering a reversal of fortune, powerful people are often humiliated by mere riffraff.
NOTE: For the lion who is humiliated in his old age, see Fable 422.
Fable 223 (Phaedrus 3.6 = Perry 498)
The Fly and the Mule
A fly alighted on a wagon pole and began to harass the mule. ‘You are moving so slowly!’ she said. ‘Can’t you walk any faster than this? Watch out, or I will pierce your neck with my sting!’ The mule replied, ‘I don’t care what you say: the only thing that scares me is that man who sits up there in front, regulating my pace with his pliant whip and keeping my head in check with the foaming bit. I’ve had enough of you and your silly boasting: I know full well when I am supposed to go slowly and when I am supposed to run!’
This fable can be effectively used to ridicule a person who makes empty threats without having the power to back them up.
Fable 224 (Ademar 60 = Perry 137)
The Gnat and the Camel
A gnat happened to land on the back of a camel and lingered there on top of the baggage. When he finally decided to disembark, he said, ‘I will let myself down now as fast as I can so as not to burden you any longer, weighed down as you are.’ ‘Much obliged,’ said the camel, ‘but I was not even aware that you had landed, and your departure is not going to lighten my load.’
If you pay no attention to rank and try to rival your superiors, you will earn our scorn.
NOTE: The Greek versions of this fable are about a gnat and a bull, not a camel.
Fable 225 (Babrius 52 = Perry 45)
The Bulls and the Wagon
Four strong bulls were straining with their shoulders to pull a wagon into town, while the wagon kept on creaking. The driver was filled with rage and leaned down next to the wagon, speaking in a voice loud enough to be heard, ‘You vile creature, why are you raising such a ruckus? Those who are carrying you on their shoulders aren’t making a sound!’
NOTE: An epimythium probably added by a later editor reads: ‘Bad people are in the habit of weeping and wailing when others are working, just as if they were also exerting themselves.’
Fable 226 (Chambry 358 = Perry 273)
The Flea and the Ox
A flea once asked an ox, ‘Given that you are so exceedingly large and strong, why do you suffer this enslavement to people day after day? Look at me: I lacerate their flesh without pity, drinking great gulps of their blood!’ The ox said, ‘I cannot help but be grateful to the human race, since I am cherished and loved by them to an extraordinary degree, and they often rub my forehead and shoulders.’ The flea admitted, ‘Woe is me! This rubbing of which you are so fond is the worst thing that can happen to me: when they do that, I die.’
This fable shows that braggarts can be easily exposed.
Fable 227 (pseudo-Dositheus, Hermeneumata = Perry 391)
The Sailors and the Stones
While making a trip by sea, a certain well-to-do gentleman grew frustrated with the bad weather. As the sailors were rowing less strenuously on account of the weather, the man said to them, ‘Hey you, if you don’t make this ship go any faster, I will pelt you with stones!’ One of the sailors then said to the man, ‘I just wish we were somewhere where you could find stones to throw!’
That is how life is: we must put up with less serious losses in order to avoid worse ones.
FABLES ABOUT
OVER-CONFIDENT CREATURES
Fable 228 (Chambry 187* = Perry 132)
The Dog and the Lion
A dog was chasing a lion with all his might when the lion turned around and roared at him. The dog abandoned his pursuit, turned tail, and ran. A fox happened to see the dog and said, ‘Why on earth would you chase after something when you cannot even stand the sound of its voice?’
It is a foolish man who wants to rival his superiors. He is doomed to fail, and becomes a laughing-stock as well.
Fable 229 (Syntipas 12 = Perry 49)
The Shepherd and the Lion
A shepherd had lost one of his sheep and begged the god for help. The man vowed that if he succeeded in finding the sheep, he would offer up another sheep to the god as a sacrifice. As he wandered about, he saw the carcass of the missing sheep chewed to pieces by a lion, and then the man began to pray, ‘O god, if I can just escape the threat of this wild animal, I will offer up yet another sheep as ransom for my life!’
This fable shows that each man holds his own life dearer than any amount of wealth or profit.
NOTE: For another fable about being careful what you pray for, see Fable 462.
Fable 230 (Babrius 92 = Perry 326)
The Hunter and the Lion
A not very brave hunter was following the tracks of a lion in the deep dark woods of the mountain. When he came across a woodcutter near a large pine tree he asked, ‘In the name of the nymphs, have you noticed the tracks of a lion lurking in these parts?’ The woodcutter replied, ‘The gods must be with you! You have come in the nick of time: I can show you the lion himself at this very moment.’ The hunter turned pale and his teeth began to chatter. ‘It is very kind of you to do so much more than I asked,’ said the hunter. ‘Let’s talk about the tracks, but please, don’t show me the lion!’
Fable 231 (Syntipas 19 = Perry 406)
The Dogs and the Lion Skin
Some dogs found a lion’s skin and were tearing it to shreds, when a fox saw them and said, ‘If that lion were still among the living, you would see that his claws are stronger than your teeth!’
This fable is for people who attack a man of renown when he has fallen from his position of power and glory.
NOTE: Compare the biblical proverb, ‘A living dog is better than a dead lion’ (Ecclesiastes 9: 4).
Fable 232 (Syntipas 38 = Perry 407)
The Wolf and the Dog in Pursuit
As he chased after a wolf, the dog capered with pleasure at how quickly he was able to run, revelling in his own strength. In fact, the dog actually imagined that the wolf was running away from him because of his superior prowess. But then the wolf turned around and said to the dog, ‘I am not running away from you! I’m just afraid of being chased down by your master.’
The fable shows that you should not take pride in the good qualities that actually belong to someone else.
Fable 233 (Syntipas 40 = Perry 217)
The Bull and the Goats
A bull who was running away from a lion sought refuge in a cave. He found that there were already some wild goats in the cave, and the goats actually started to butt at the bull with their horns. The bull said to them, ‘I am not afraid of you! It is the one outside the cave who scares me.’
The fable shows that when you are besieged by powerful people, you are su
bject to vicious attacks by anyone and everyone.
Fable 234 (Romulus 4.16 = Perry 578)
The Horse and the Goats
Sometimes lesser folk are accustomed to speak disparagingly to one another about their superiors; listen to a fable on this topic.
There were three goats who saw a terrified horse running away from a lion. The goats made fun of the horse, and the horse replied, ‘O you hopeless fools, if only you knew who was chasing me! Then you would be just as terrified as I am.’
People with excellent qualities are often insulted by their inferiors.
NOTE: In Steinhowel (4.14), the fable is about three smaller goats who make fun of a larger goat who is running from a lion, while in Caxton (4.14) the story concerns ‘thre lytyll hedgehogges | whiche mocked a grete hedgehogge | whiche fled by fore a wulf’.
Fable 235 (Chambry 269* = Perry 82)
The Lion, the Rooster, and the Donkey
A donkey and a rooster lived together on a farm. A lion who had noticed the donkey crept up and was about to pounce when the rooster let loose a squawk. This frightened the lion (for they say that lions are terrified of the rooster’s crowing) and he turned tail and ran. The donkey was elated by the thought of the lion, running away from a rooster. He took off in pursuit of the lion but when the donkey had gone some distance away from the farm, the lion turned around and ate him.
The same thing happens to people: when someone sees his enemies humbled, he becomes presumptuous, and this makes it possible for his enemies to destroy him before he even realizes what is happening.
NOTE: For another story about the lion’s fear of the rooster, see Fable 247.
Fable 236 (Odo 39 = Perry 605)
The Fox and the Cat
Against lawyers and the like.
The fox ran into the cat and asked, ‘How many tricks and dodges do you know?’ The cat replied, ‘Actually, I don’t know more than one.’ The fox then asked the cat, ‘What trick is that?’ The cat said, ‘When the dogs are chasing me, I know how to climb trees and escape.’ The cat then asked the fox, ‘And how many tricks do you know?’ The fox said, ‘I know seventeen, and that gives me a full bag of tricks! Come with me, and I’ll show you my tricks so that the dogs won’t be able to catch you.’ The cat agreed and the two of them went off together. The hunters began to chase them with their dogs, and the cat said, ‘I hear the dogs; I’m scared.’ The fox replied, ‘Don’t be afraid! I will give you a good lesson in how to get away.’ The dogs and the hunters drew nearer. ‘Well,’ said the cat, ‘I’m going to have to leave you now; I want to do my trick.’ And so the cat jumped up in the tree. The dogs let the cat go and chased the fox until they caught him: one of the dogs grabbed the fox by the leg, another grabbed his belly, another his back, another his head. The cat, who was sitting up high in the tree, shouted, ‘Fox! Fox! Open up your bag of tricks! Even so, I’m afraid all of them put together are not going to save you from the hands and teeth of those demons!’
NOTE: Compare the Greek proverb in Archilochus, c.650 BCE: ‘The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one great thing’ (frag. 201 West).
FABLES ABOUT THE UNDERDOG
Fable 237 (Chambry 352* = Perry 226)
The Tortoise and the Hare
The hare laughed at the tortoise’s feet but the tortoise declared, ‘I will beat you in a race!’ The hare replied, ‘Those are just words. Race with me, and you’ll see! Who will mark out the track and serve as our umpire?’ ‘The fox,’ replied the tortoise, ‘since she is honest and highly intelligent.’ When the time for the race had been decided upon, the tortoise did not delay, but immediately took off down the race-course. The hare, however, lay down to take a nap, confident in the speed of his feet. Then, when the hare eventually made his way to the finish line, he found that the tortoise had already won.
The story shows that many people have good natural abilities which are ruined by idleness; on the other hand, sobriety, zeal, and perseverance can prevail over indolence.
Fable 238 (Plutarch, Political Precepts 12.806e = Perry 434)
The Eagle and the Wren
Aesop’s wren was carried along on the shoulders of the eagle; then all of a sudden he flew off and beat the eagle to the finish line.
Fable 239 (Achaeus)
The Eagle and the Tortoise
So the swift was undone by the weaker, just as the eagle was undone by the tortoise.
NOTE: Like the lions rebuking the hares (see Fable 21), this is not a complete fable but only an allusion to a fable preserved in a fragment of Achaeus, a Greek playwright of the fifth century BCE. None of the traditional collections of Aesopica include this allusion to a fable, although it is listed as a fable by van Dijk (15A1). Without a full account of the fable, we will never know just how the tortoise got the better of the eagle, although the reference to the eagle’s swiftness suggests the possibility of some sort of race.
Fable 240 (Babrius 4 = Perry 282)
The Fisherman and the Fish
A fisherman was pulling in the net which he had just cast and, as luck would have it, the net was filled with all kinds of sea creatures. The little fish escaped to the bottom of the net and slipped out through its many holes, but the big fish was caught and lay stretched out flat aboard the boat.
To be small is a way to stay safe and avoid problems, whereas you rarely see a man with a big reputation who is able to keep out of danger.
Fable 241 (Babrius 112 = Perry 353)
The Bull and the Mouse
A bull was bitten by a mouse. Smarting from the sting, the bull began to chase the mouse but the mouse was too quick for him and managed to hide in the depths of his mouse-hole. The bull came to a halt and dug his horns into the wall until finally he sank down in exhaustion and went to sleep right there in front of the hole. The mouse peeped out from inside his hole, crept up on the bull, bit him again, and ran back inside his hole. The bull leaped to his feet but he had no idea what to do. ‘It’s not always the big one who has the power,’ said the mouse. ‘In some cases being humble and small is a strength!’
Fable 242 (Ademar 36 = Perry 564)
The Gnat and the Bull
When a gnat had challenged a bull to see who was the stronger of the two, all the people came to watch the show. Then the little gnat said to the bull, ‘It’s enough for me that you have accepted my challenge. This makes me your equal: you yourself have admitted as much!’ The gnat then rose into the air on his light wings and sported for the crowd, ignoring the threats of the bull. If the bull had been mindful of his own mighty bulk, he would have dismissed this opponent as beneath contempt and the impertinent creature would not have had anything to boast about.
People who enter into contests with unworthy opponents lower their own reputation.
NOTE: For a similar story with a quite different conclusion, see Fable 243 (following).
Fable 243 (Chambry 188 = Perry 255)
The Gnat and the Lion
A gnat came to the lion and said, ‘I am not afraid of you and you are not more powerful than me. You don’t agree? Well, what kind of power do you have? The fact that you can scratch with your claws and bite with your teeth? That’s the sort of thing even a woman can do when she is arguing with her husband! I am, in fact, far stronger than you are. If you agree, let’s go and fight it out.’ The gnat sounded his trumpet and then attacked, biting the lion around the nose where his face was not covered with hair. The lion could only wear himself out with his claws, until he finally admitted defeat. Having emerged victorious in this battle with the lion, the gnat sounded his trumpet and sang his victory ode. He then flew away—only to get entangled in the web of a spider. As he was being eaten by the spider, the gnat bitterly lamented the fact that while he had done battle with the high and mighty, he was about to be killed by such an insignificant creature.
NOTE: There is a version of this story in Achilles Tatius, Leucippe and Cleitophon 2.22.
FABLES ABOUT FEAR
Fable
244 (Greek Anthology 6.217 = Perry 436)
The Priest and the Lion
One of the Galli, those priests of the Great Mother Rhea, slipped inside a deserted cave, seeking shelter from the onslaught of a winter storm. Just as the priest was brushing the snow from his hair, a ravenous lion, who was following his trail, burst into the entrance of the cave. The cave offered no other means of escape, but the priest held a huge tambourine in his hand. He struck the instrument with the flat of his palm and the whole cave resounded with the shattering sound. The wild lion could not endure the awesome clatter of the goddess Cybele, so he raced away and fled into the wooded mountainside, terrified by this effeminate servant of the goddess. The priest then hung up these robes and dedicated these fair locks of hair as an offering to the goddess.
NOTE: The great mother goddess Cybele or Cybebe (who is also referred to by the name Rhea in this poem) was worshipped throughout Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), and her cult then spread to both Greece and Rome. The priests of Cybele, called ‘Galli’, were famous for their raucous devotional music (see Fable 6 for the Galli and their tambourines). Several other poems in the Greek Anthology also depict a priest of Cybele confronting a lion: 6.217, 6.218, 6.220, and 6.237.
Aesop's Fables Page 17
