Lesson One
The Fable
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
Identify the moral message in fables.
Create your own original fable.
Recognize the fable’s conflict in other instances.
Outline an original story utilizing the fable’s conflict.
Further Reading
Aesop’s Fables
References
Overview
Welcome to the Mimetic Order’s Fable Lesson One. In this lesson you will learn the brief history of the fable, what it is, and how it can help improve your own storytelling. You will have the opportunity to practice storytelling in action through imitation and emulation exercises.
What is the Fable
The fable is a short narrative intended to show the flaws of human nature and leave the reader with a clear and moral message. The fable uses personified animals, plants, or forces of nature to get the intended message across.
In Western literature, these short narratives have their origin in ancient Greece with Aesop (c. 6th century BCE), a somewhat mythic figure credited with shaping the framework of the classic fable.
Fables reached their literary peak during the 17th century in France through the works of Jean de La Fontaine, who adapted Aesop’s themes and satirized human vanity and courtly life.
George Orwell’s Animal Farm is a modern adaptation of the fable which has long evolved since the time of Aesop.
Aesop (620-554)
A Town Mouse and a Country Mouse were acquaintances, and the Country Mouse one day invited his friend to come and see him at his home in the fields. The Town Mouse came, and they sat down to dinner of barleycorns and roots, the latter of which had a distinctly earthy flavour. The fare was not much to the taste of the guest, and presently he broke out with “My poor dear friend, you live here no better than the ants. Now, you should just see how I fare! My pantry is a regular horn of plenty. You must come and stay with me, and I promise you you shall live on the fat of the land.” So when he returned to town he took the Country Mouse with him, and showed him into a pantry containing flour and oatmeal and figs and honey and dates. The Country Mouse had never seen anything like it, and sat down to enjoy the luxuries his friend provided: but before they had well begun, the door of the pantry opened and in came The Cat. The two Mice scampered off and hid themselves in a narrow and exceedingly uncomfortable hole. Presently, when all was quiet, they ventured out again; but again, the Cat came in, and off they scuttled again. This was too much for the visitor. “Good-bye,” said he, “I’m off. You live in the lap of luxury, I can see, but you are surrounded by dangers; whereas at home I can enjoy my simple dinner of roots and corn in peace.”
Comprehension Check
What is the core moral message in The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse?
Choose one answer to see feedback.
Unity of the moral
What is this story really about?
The story begins with the humble dwellings of the Country Mouse and his simple food and life. The Town Mouse takes pity on his country friend. He invites him back to the town where he’ll show him a wonderful time. Indeed, it is like nothing the Country Mouse has ever experienced but it is quickly interrupted by danger.
It is far better to live a humble existence filled with peace and quiet than to risk one’s life for the excess of luxury.
Philosophy
To live well is to live in accordance with reason, and moderation in all things is the key to a quiet life.
—Aristotle
But having food, and wherewith to be covered, with these we are content.
—St. Paul
Character Psychology
Reasons for character actions and motivations
Characters that are interesting are usually curious by nature. The Country Mouse, while cautious, is a curious character. If the mouse was too cautious the fable wouldn’t work because without his curiosity nothing would drive him to visit his friend, and therefore, the story events would not happen. The Country Mouse prefers his peace to the anxieties that come with luxury is what the reader comes away with.
A character like the Town Mouse is interesting not because he is curious, but because he is set in his ways. He is an incorrigible character. These kinds of characters offer a sharp contrast to the story’s main character.
There is a conflict here. One character holds the belief that luxury, no matter the risk, ought to come first. This belief is countered, by a gratitude for the peace that comes with a humble subsistence.
Central Conflict
The problem driving the story
This is the driving force behind a great story—conflict. It is the point from which the story emerges.
Do not confuse conflict with the moral message. Conflict is what leads the reader to the moral message. The moral message can sometimes be hard to spot, but conflict is always out in the open.
In The Country Mouse and the Town Mouse, the central conflict is the fight between greed and gratitude.
Driven by an appetite for excess, the Town Mouse entices his friend to abandon a humble existence for a taste of extravagance, blind to how his own greed obscures the constant, life-threatening risks of his environment. But when that pursuit indulgence leads directly into peril the Country Mouse's capacity for quiet appreciation allows him to reject the allure of status and chooses gratitude for a safe, tranquil life over the anxiety of high living.
Practice
Make a copy of the worksheet to practice.
