Liberal Arts Blog — Aesop’s Fables II: The Fox and the Crow, the Lion and the Mouse, the Lion and the Gnat
Liberal Arts Blog — Tuesday is the Joy of Literature, Language, Culture, and Religion Day
Today’s Topic — Aesop’s Fables II: The Fox and the Crow, the Lion and the Mouse, the Lion and the Gnat
Every French speaker I have ever met from anywhere in the world — France, Haiti, the Democratic Republic of the Congo — knows countless La Fontaine fables by heart. And they recite them with glee! As they did when they were 5 or 7 or 10 or 12 years old in class, at home, or really just about anywhere. Kids love talking animals! What better way to teach the most important, the universally applicable lessons of life! Today, three more fables. Experts — please chime in. Correct, elaborate, elucidate.
THE FOX AND THE CROW — beware flattery!
1. The crow has a piece of cheese in his mouth.
2. The fox praises the crow for his beauty and asks the crow if his song is as beautiful as his feathers.
3. The crow shows off his voice, drops the cheese, which the fox eats.
THE LION AND THE MOUSE — mercy shall be rewarded
1. Mouse begs lion for mercy which lion grants.
2. Lion later caught in a net by a hunter.
3. Mouse gnaws away at the net, freeing the lion.
THE LION AND THE GNAT — the smallest foes can be the most dangerous
1. Lion insults the gnat.
2. Gnat declares war.
3. Gnat wins but exalting in his triumph gets caught in a spider’s web.
NB: Don’t miss the last link for article by Francine Du Plessix Gray which includes a description of the importance of LaFontaine’s fables in French culture.
The Fabulous Kingdom of La Fontaine
YOUR TURN
Please share the coolest thing you learned this week related to words, language, literature, religion, culture. Or, even better, the coolest or most important thing you learned in your life related to Words, Language, Literature (eg. quotes, poetry, vocabulary) that you have not yet shared.
This is your chance to make someone else’s day. Or to cement in your own mind something that you might otherwise forget. Or to think more deeply than otherwise about something dear to your heart. Continuity is key to depth of thought.
