Fable
A fable represents a type of allegory, often illustrating a moral through the use of animal characters.
Aesop's Fables are examples of this genre. For instance, in "The Tortoise and the Hare," a hare makes
fun of a tortoise for being slow. But, when the two race, the hare thinks he is so fast that he can afford
to take a break. The tortoise, who maintains a regular pace, wins. The moral of the story is "slow and
steady wins the race."
The Hart and the Hunter
The Hart was once drinking from a pool and admiring the noble
figure he made there. "Ah," said he, "Where can you see such
noble horns as these, with such antlers? I wish I had legs more
worthy to bear such a noble crown; it is a pity they are so slim
and slight." At that moment a Hunter approached and sent an arrow
whistling after him. Away bounded the Hart, and soon, by the aid
of his nimble legs, was nearly out of sight of the Hunter; but not
noticing where he was going, he passed under some trees with
branches growing low down in which his antlers were caught, so
that the Hunter had time to come up. "Alas! alas!" cried the
Hart:
Lesson:
"We often despise what is most useful to us."
The Crow and the Raven
A Crow was jealous of the Raven, because he was considered a bird
of good omen and always attracted the attention of men, who noted
by his flight the good or evil course of future events. Seeing
some travelers approaching, the Crow flew up into a tree, and
perching on one of the branches, cawed as loudly as she
could. The travelers turned towards the sound and wondered what
it foreboded, when one of them said to his companion, "Let us
proceed on our journey, my friend, for it is only the caw of a
crow, and her cry, you know, is no omen."
Lesson:
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The Fox and the Goat
A FOX one day fell into a deep well and could find no means of
escape. A Goat, overcome with thirst, came to the same well, and
seeing the Fox, inquired if the water was good. Concealing his
sad plight under a merry guise, the Fox indulged in a lavish
praise of the water, saying it was excellent beyond measure, and
encouraging him to descend. The Goat, mindful only of his
thirst, thoughtlessly jumped down, but just as he drank, the Fox
informed him of the difficulty they were both in and suggested a
scheme for their common escape. "If," said he, "you will place
your forefeet upon the wall and bend your head, I will run up
your back and escape, and will help you out afterwards." The Goat
readily assented and the Fox leaped upon his back. Steadying
himself with the Goat's horns, he safely reached the mouth of the
well and made off as fast as he could. When the Goat upbraided
him for breaking his promise, he turned around and cried out,
"You foolish old fellow! If you had as many brains in your head
as you have hairs in your beard, you would never have gone down
before you had inspected the way up, nor have exposed yourself to
dangers from which you had no means of escape."
Lesson:
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What type of person does each animal symbolize?
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The Dog and the Shadow
It happened that a Dog had got a piece of meat and was
carrying it home in his mouth to eat it in peace. Now on his way
home he had to cross a plank lying across a running brook. As he
crossed, he looked down and saw his own shadow reflected in the
water beneath. Thinking it was another dog with another piece of
meat, he made up his mind to have that also. So he made a snap at
the shadow in the water, but as he opened his mouth the piece of
meat fell out, dropped into the water and was never seen more.
Lesson:
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