FABLES ABOUT ANIMAL HYPOCRISY
Fable 369 (Aphthonius 11 = Perry 322)
The Crab and His Mother
A story about a crab, urging us not to advise things that are impossible.
The crab’s mother said to him, ‘My son, why do you walk in a crooked line when you should be walking straight ahead?’ The crab said to her, ‘O mother, lead the way, and I will try to walk accordingly.’ The crab’s mother was unable to walk in a straight line, and her son accused her of being out of her mind.
It is easier to advocate an impossible task than to accomplish it.
NOTE: A proverb about the crab’s walk is found in Aristophanes, Peace 1083: ‘you will never be able to make a crab walk straight.’
Fable 370 (Romulus 1.18 = Perry 324)
The Kite and His Mother
If someone is always blaspheming, what can he expect in times of trouble? Let us consider the fable on this subject proposed by our author.
The kite was sick and had spent many months in bed. When there was no longer any hope of his recovery, he tearfully asked his mother to make the rounds of all the shrines and to offer great vows for his recovery. ‘I will do what you want, my son, but I am afraid that I will not succeed. It scares and worries me, my child: since you pillaged all the temples and polluted all the altars, showing no reverence for the holy sacrifices, what can I pray for now on your behalf?’
This is a fable that should be heeded by those criminals who dare to visit the holy shrines while still bearing the stains of their sin. They need to busy themselves with good works, making every effort to efface their evil deeds.
NOTE: For a quite different fable about a human mother and her criminal son, see Fable 496.
Fable 371 (Chambry 228* = Perry 348)
The Donkey and the Wolves
There was a wolf who ruled over the other wolves and decreed that whatever they might catch while hunting would be kept in common and divided equally by the whole pack. A donkey who happened to be passing by remarked, ‘What a fine idea from the mind of a wolf! But how is it that yesterday I ran into you and saw you hiding your quarry away in your lair?’ Put to shame by the donkey, the wolf abolished the law he had made.
Fable 372 (Syntipas 6 = Perry 404)
The Hunter and the Wolf
A certain hunter saw a wolf attacking a flock and tearing to pieces as many of the sheep as he could. The hunter skilfully hunted down the wolf and set his dogs on him. Then he shouted at the wolf, ‘O you terrible beast, where is that former strength of yours? You cannot even withstand the attack of these dogs!’
This fable shows that each man makes his reputation in the field which is his specialty.
Fable 373 (Chambry 36 = Perry 41)
The Fox, the Lamb, and the Dog
A fox entered a flock of sheep, seized one of the suckling lambs, and pretended to kiss it. A dog asked the fox what she was doing. ‘I’m hugging and playing with the lamb,’ said the fox. The dog replied, ‘Well, you’d better let go of that lamb, or I’ll play the dogs’ game with you!’
This fable is suitable for an unscrupulous and foolish man who wants to be a thief.
Fable 374 (Syntipas 50 = Perry 136)
The Dog and the Hare
A dog was running after a hare, and when he caught him he would alternately bite the hare and then lick the blood that flowed from the wound. The hare thought that the dog was kissing him, so he said, ‘You should either embrace me as a friend, or bite me like an enemy.’
This fable shows that some people make an outward show of friendship but inwardly they are filled with wickedness and hostility.
Fable 375 (Babrius 14 = Perry 288)
The Bear and the Fox
The bear boasted that he was exceptionally fond of mankind since, as he explained, bears don’t pull dead people’s bodies to pieces. The fox remarked, ‘I’d prefer that you mangled the dead ones, if you’d leave the living alone!’
NOTE: An epimythiurn probably added by a later editor reads: ‘If someone injures me while I am alive, do not let him weep over me when I am dead.’
Fable 376 (Syntipas 11 = Perry 414)
The Lioness and the Wild Boar
A bull found a lion lying asleep and gored him with his horns until he was dead. The lion’s mother showed up and wept bitterly over her son. When the wild boar saw the mother lion lamenting, he stood at a safe distance and said, ‘Oh, how many people are also weeping at this very moment because their sons have been killed by you lions!’
This fable shows that what you have done to others will likewise be done to you, according to the same measure.
Fable 377 (Chambry 271 = Perry 189)
The Donkey and the Frogs
A donkey was carrying a load of wood across a swamp when he slipped and fell into the water. Unable to get up, the donkey began to weep and moan. When the frogs who lived in the swamp heard the donkey complaining, they said, ‘Hey you! What would you do if you had to spend as much time here as we do, given that you make such a fuss about having fallen in for just a few minutes?’
A person who easily endures great hardships can use this fable to reproach a lazy person who is put out by the least inconvenience.
Fable 378 (Phaedrus 1.22 = Perry 293)
The Man and the Weasel
A man caught a weasel but the weasel, hoping to escape her imminent demise, pleaded with the man. ‘Spare me, please,’ she said, ‘since I am the creature who rids your house of pesky mice.’ ‘If you chased those mice on my behalf,’ replied the man, ‘I would be grateful indeed and would spare you. But the fact is that you do the work in order to enjoy the remains of what the mice are going to nibble, and also eat the mice themselves. So don’t expect any gratitude from me for your so-called favours!’ With these words, the man consigned the treacherous creature to her doom.
You should recognize that this is a story about you, if you are the sort of person who takes care of your own private business while vainly boasting to gullible people that you are doing them a favour.
NOTE: For a similar fable about the cat, the mice, and the cheese, see Fable 435.
Fable 379 (Romulus Mon. 18 = Perry 657)
The Farmer, the Cattle, and the Manure
A certain farmer was using his cattle to haul manure out of the stables. The cattle complained to the farmer that their labour allowed him to harvest his wheat and barley crops, supplying his household with ample food year in and year out. Therefore, said the cattle, it was hardly fair for them to have to perform the vile task of hauling manure out of the stables. The farmer then asked, ‘Is it not the case that you yourselves are the source of the substance which you are now carrying away?’ The cattle replied, ‘Yes, that is true.’ The farmer then concluded, ‘So, since you are the ones who made a mess of the stable in your spare time, it is only right that you should also make some effort to clean it up!’
The same is true of grumbling, arrogant servants: they never stop reproaching their master if they have done him some good service, heedless of the rewards that have been bestowed on them, and they would like it if all of their failures were passed over in silence.
Fable 380 (Syntipas 16 = Perry 415)
The Dog and the Blacksmiths
There was a dog living in the house of some blacksmiths. When the blacksmiths were working, the dog would go to sleep, but when they sat down to a meal he would wake up and approach his masters in a friendly fashion. The blacksmiths said to the dog, ‘How is that you sleep undisturbed when our heaviest hammers are clanging away, but you are immediately awakened by the slightest sound of our teeth chewing?’
This fable shows that even inattentive people quickly notice anything that they think will benefit them, while they are completely unaware of things which are not their immediate concern.
Fable 381 (Chambry 312* = Perry 206)
The Shepherd, the Dog, and the Sick Sheep
A shepherd had a whelp that he fed on dead or dying sheep. One day he saw
this dog standing near a sick lamb, looking sad and seeming to weep. The shepherd urged him to put a stop to this ostentation. ‘You put on a fine show of sympathy!’ he said to the dog. ‘But let’s hope instead that what you want is not going to happen after all.’
The fable shows that in the same way every heir to property pretends to sympathize with the sick man by making a hollow show of weeping.
Fable 382 (Babrius 42 = Perry 328)
The Cook and the Dog
Someone was hosting a splendid feast in the city after having performed a sacrifice. A dog belonging to the host ran into another man’s dog who was a friend of his and invited him to come to the feast. The other dog came but the cook grabbed him by the leg and threw him out over the wall and into the street. When some other dogs asked him how the party had gone, the dog answered, ‘Couldn’t have been better! I can’t even quite tell how I made my exit.’
Fable 383 (Chambry 29 = Perry 232)
The Foxes at the River
There were once some foxes who had gathered together on the banks of the River Meander looking for a drink of water. They urged one another to approach the river, but no one dared to get too close because of the rushing current. Then one of the foxes came forward in order to embarrass her fellow foxes. Laughing at their cowardice and convinced that she was braver than the rest, she boldly leaped into the water. As the current carried her out into the middle of the river her companions stood on the riverbank and shouted at her, ‘Don’t leave us! Come back and show us how to get down to the water so that we can also take a drink.’ The fox replied as she was being swept downstream, ‘I’ve got a message to take to Miletus, and I need to carry it there; when I come back I will show you!’
This is a story for people who get themselves into trouble because of their boasting.
NOTE: Miletus was a Greek city near the mouth of the River Meander in western Anatolia (modern Turkey).
FABLES ABOUT HUMAN HYPOCRISY
Fable 384 (Phaedrus 5.1 = Perry 523)
Demetrius and Menander
King Demetrius of Phalerum had seized control of Athens unlawfully. As is the general custom, the people all came rushing, vying with one another to salute the victor. The most prominent citizens kissed the hand which had caught them in its clutches, while silently bemoaning this grievous reversal of fortune. Not even the retired gentlemen and men of leisure were absent, although they came creeping in last of all simply in order to have their attendance duly noted. Among them was Menander, famous for his comedies. Demetrius had read his work, and although he did not know Menander personally, he admired the man’s poetic genius. Menander made his entrance on dainty, dawdling footsteps, reeking of perfume and dressed in flowing robes. When the king noticed him at the end of the line, he said, ‘Who is that faggot, and how dare he strut about like that in my presence!’ The men standing next to him replied, ‘That is Menander, the poet.’ Demetrius abruptly changed his demeanor and said, ‘Why, no man could be more handsome!’
NOTE: Demetrius of Phalerum had been appointed governor of Athens in 317 BCE and was himself a man of letters, no doubt well acquainted with the contemporary playwright Menander. A few years later, in 307 BCE, Demetrius Poliorcetes seized power and Demetrius of Phalerum went into exile. Phaedrus seems to have conflated Demetrius of Phalerum with Demetrius Poliorcetes in this story.
Fable 385 (Babrius 83 = Perry 319)
The Horse and His Groom
There was a groom who used to sell his horse’s barley to the innkeepers and drink all evening long. He would then spend the whole next day combing and currying the horse. The horse said to the groom, ‘If you really want me to look good, then don’t sell the food that nourishes me!’
NOTE: An epimythium probably added by a later editor reads: ‘Someone who wants to help his friend must give him what is essential and appropriate. No fancy decorations can help someone who lacks life’s basic necessities.’
Fable 386 (Babrius 51 = Perry 212)
The Widow and Her Sheep
There was once a widow who kept a sheep at home. Wanting to gather more wool, she sheared the sheep awkwardly, clipping the wool so close to the flesh that she made the sheep bleed. Smarting with pain, the sheep said to the woman, ‘Please stop torturing me! Will my blood really add so much to the weight of the wool? If it is my flesh that you want, mistress, there is a butcher who will be able to put me to death quickly; but if it is my wool you want, rather than my flesh, then the shearer can clip me without killing me.’
NOTE: Compare a proverb reportedly used by the emperor Tiberius (d. 37 CE), as reported by Suetonius, Life of Tiberius 32: ‘Good shepherds shear their flock; they do not flay them.’
Fable 387 (Phaedrus App. 28 = Perry 22)
The Hare and the Cowherd
A swift-footed hare was fleeing from a hunter. A cowherd happened to see where the hare had concealed himself in a thicket. The hare then said to the cowherd, ‘I beg you by the power of the gods on high and all that you hold dear, do not give me away! I have never done any harm to this field.’ The cowherd replied, ‘Do not be afraid! Hide yourself, and do not worry.’ Then the hunter arrived hot on the trail of the hare, shouting, ‘Hey there, cowherd, did a hare happen to come this way?’ ‘He did,’ said the cowherd, ‘but then he ran off that way, to the left.’ Yet as he spoke, the cowherd actually turned his head to the right and winked. The hunter did not take the hint and quickly vanished out of sight. At this point the cowherd said to the hare, ‘So, are you going to thank me for having concealed you?’ The hare replied, ‘Well, I cannot deny that I am grateful to your tongue, many thanks. But as for your lying eyes, I wish someone would just rip them right out of your head!’
NOTE: In the Greek tradition (e.g. Chambry 34), the story is told about a fox, not a hare. In the Latin tradition, represented here, Phaedrus’ lepus, ‘hare’, became a lupus, ‘wolf’, in later Latin texts.
Fable 388 (Phaedrus 5.10 = Perry 532)
The Old Dog and His Master
There was a dog who had been swift and strong when attacking all kinds of wild beasts, never failing to do what his master wanted, but now he found himself beginning to grow feeble under the burden of old age. On one occasion he was sent forward to fight with a bristling boar. The dog seized the boar by the ear, but the weak grip of his decaying teeth allowed the quarry to get away. The hunter was angry and scolded the dog. The stalwart old hound said to the man in reply, ‘I did not fail you in spirit, only in strength. Praise me for what I once was, even if you must condemn me for what I am now!’
Philetus, you can clearly see why I have written this story.
NOTE: Phaedrus makes no other reference to this ‘Philetus’. For another fable which Phaedrus seems to imbue with cryptic personal meaning, see Fable 572, the story of the old woman and the wine jar.
Fable 389 (Aphthonius 5 = Perry 280)
The Goatherd and the Goat
A story about a goat, urging us not to try to conceal something obvious.
A goatherd tried to induce a goat who had strayed from the flock to join the other goats. He was not able to accomplish anything by shouting or whistling, so he threw a rock at the goat, and the rock broke one of her horns. The goatherd begged the goat not to tell the master what had happened, but the goat replied, ‘You must be the stupidest goatherd in the world! The horn itself will proclaim the deed, even if I remain silent.’
Only an utter fool would try to hide what is obvious for all to see.
Fable 390 (Chambry 274 = Perry 190)
The Wolf and the Raven
A donkey who had a sore on his back was grazing in a meadow. A raven alighted on his back and began to peck at the wound, while the donkey brayed and reared up on his hind legs in pain. The donkey’s driver, meanwhile, stood off at a distance and laughed. A wolf who was passing by saw the whole thing and said to himself, ‘How unfairly we wolves are treated! When people so much as catch a glimpse of us, they drive us away, but when someone like that raven mak
es his move, everyone just smiles at him.’
The fable shows that even before they act, dangerous people can be recognized at a distance.
NOTE: L’Estrange provides a delightful epimythium: ‘One Man may better Steal a Horse, than Another Look over the Hedge.’
Fable 391 (Romulus Ang. 49 = Perry 670)
The Wolf, the Raven, and the Ram
A wolf once saw a raven sitting on a ram. The wolf sighed deeply and said, ‘That raven is a happy fellow, born under a lucky star! Wherever he sits, whatever he says, whatever he does, nobody criticizes him in any way. But if I were to clamber up on a ram like that, anyone who saw me would start shouting and hurry to chase me away—as if they had the ram’s best interests at heart!’
The unjust man is envious of anyone else’s good fortune. Even if he is aware of his own failings, he nevertheless feels sorry for himself when he sees others enjoying the things he cannot have.
Fable 392 (Plutarch, Banquet of the Seven Sages 13.156a = Perry 453)
Aesop's Fables Page 24
