THE WOMAN and THE FARMER
by Aesop · from Aesop's Fables; a new translation
Adapted Version
Once, there was a Sad Woman. She went to a special place each day. This place was her husband's grave. She missed her husband very much. She was always very sad. She cried at the grave. She went there each morning. She thought of her dear husband. She felt much sorrow in her heart.
A Farmer worked in a field nearby. He pushed his big plough. His strong oxen pulled it. He looked up from his hard work. He saw the Sad Woman. She was crying again. The Farmer wanted a wife. He wanted her. He thought she could be his new wife.
The Farmer stopped his plough. He left his big oxen there. He walked to the Sad Woman. He sat down right next to her. He began to cry. He made sad sounds. His tears were not real. He pretended to be very sad. He wanted her to think so.
The Sad Woman looked at him. "Why are you crying?" she asked. The Farmer wiped his eyes. He said, "I am very sad too." He lied. "I lost my dear wife," he said. "She was very good to me. I miss her so very much."
The Sad Woman nodded slowly. She knew his pain. They sat there side by side. They were both very quiet. They both looked very sad. They shared their sorrow for a while.
Then the Farmer spoke again. "We are both alone now," he said. "You lost your husband. I lost my wife. We can be as one. We can marry and live as one. What do you think of this?"
The Sad Woman thought about it. The idea seemed good to her. "Yes," she said. "I will marry you." They both felt better. They wiped their eyes dry. They stopped their crying. Their tears were gone.
They talked for a long time. The Farmer forgot his work. His plough sat in the field. His big oxen waited there. A Thief came by. He saw the big oxen. He took them away softly. The Thief was very fast.
The Farmer stood up at last. He walked back to his field. He looked for his oxen. They were not there! His big cows were gone. He cried out very loudly. He hit his chest. "Oh no!" he shouted. "My oxen are gone! My good oxen are gone!"
The Sad Woman heard his loud cries. She came to him quickly. She saw his very sad face. "Why are you crying again?" she asked. "Are you still sad?" She looked at him.
The Farmer looked at her. "Yes," he said. "I am crying now. I really mean it this time. My oxen are truly gone! My big cows are gone!" He was very sad. His tears were real. He cried for his loss.
The Farmer was sad for his cows. He was not sad for his wife. His sadness for things was real.
Original Story
THE WOMAN AND THE FARMER
A Woman, who had lately lost her husband, used to go every day to his grave and lament her loss. A Farmer, who was engaged in ploughing not far from the spot, set eyes upon the Woman and desired to have her for his wife: so he left his plough and came and sat by her side, and began to shed tears himself. She asked him why he wept; and he replied, "I have lately lost my wife, who was very dear to me, and tears ease my grief." "And I," said she, "have lost my husband." And so for a while they mourned in silence. Then he said, "Since you and I are in like case, shall we not do well to marry and live together? I shall take the place of your dead husband, and you, that of my dead wife." The Woman consented to the plan, which indeed seemed reasonable enough: and they dried their tears. Meanwhile, a thief had come and stolen the oxen which the Farmer had left with his plough. On discovering the theft, he beat his breast and loudly bewailed his loss. When the Woman heard his cries, she came and said, "Why, are you weeping still?" To which he replied, "Yes, and I mean it this time."
Story DNA
Moral
Some people's grief is easily consoled, while others only truly grieve for material loss.
Plot Summary
A recently widowed woman mourns daily at her husband's grave. A farmer, desiring her, feigns grief over a lost wife to gain her sympathy. They agree to marry, but shortly after, the farmer discovers his oxen have been stolen. His subsequent genuine and loud lamentation reveals that his true sorrow lies in material loss, not personal bereavement, exposing his earlier deception to the woman.
Themes
Emotional Arc
feigned sorrow to practical agreement to genuine distress
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Aesop's Fables are ancient Greek stories, often featuring animals or simple human characters to convey moral lessons. They reflect common human behaviors and societal observations of the time.
Plot Beats (11)
- A recently widowed woman regularly visits her husband's grave to lament.
- A farmer plowing nearby observes her and desires her as his wife.
- The farmer leaves his plough, sits by her, and begins to shed tears, feigning grief.
- The woman asks why he weeps, and he claims to have recently lost his dear wife.
- They both mourn in silence for a while, sharing their apparent sorrow.
- The farmer proposes they marry, as they are both in a similar situation of loss.
- The woman agrees to the plan, finding it reasonable, and they both dry their tears.
- During their conversation, a thief steals the oxen the farmer left with his plough.
- The farmer discovers the theft and begins to loudly bewail his loss, beating his breast.
- The woman, hearing his cries, asks if he is still weeping.
- The farmer replies, "Yes, and I mean it this time," revealing his true sorrow was for his oxen.
Characters
★
The Woman
Of average height and build for a woman of her time, perhaps a little gaunt from grief but otherwise healthy. Her movements are likely subdued and mournful.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant clothing suitable for ancient Greece or a similar agricultural society. Perhaps a plain, undyed chiton or peplos made of coarse linen or wool, possibly in muted earth tones like grey or brown, indicating mourning. No elaborate adornments.
Wants: To find comfort and companionship after the loss of her husband, and to secure her future.
Flaw: Her vulnerability to flattery and her quickness to accept a new partner, perhaps out of desperation or a desire for stability, makes her susceptible to deceit.
She moves from deep mourning to a pragmatic acceptance of a new marriage, only to be confronted again with the reality of loss, though this time it is not her own.
Mournful, practical, somewhat naive, adaptable, easily swayed by logical arguments.
⚔
The Farmer
A sturdy, sun-weathered man of average height and muscular build, typical of someone engaged in manual labor like ploughing. His hands are calloused.
Attire: Simple, functional peasant attire suitable for ancient Greece. A short, rough tunic (chiton) made of coarse linen or wool, possibly in natural undyed colors or muted earth tones. His legs are bare, and he wears simple leather sandals or goes barefoot. No elaborate adornments.
Wants: To acquire a new wife quickly and conveniently, and to protect his material possessions (oxen).
Flaw: His deceitfulness and his greater concern for material possessions over emotional connection or genuine grief.
He attempts to manipulate the Woman into marriage through feigned grief, succeeds, but then experiences genuine distress over the loss of his oxen, revealing his true priorities.
Opportunistic, deceptive, pragmatic, quick-thinking, self-interested, easily distressed by material loss.
○
The Thief
Unspecified, but likely agile and quick to escape detection.
Attire: Simple, dark, and practical clothing that allows for stealth and quick movement, typical of a common person in ancient Greece. Perhaps a dark tunic and cloak.
Wants: To steal valuable livestock for personal gain.
Flaw: Greed.
A static character who serves as a plot device.
Opportunistic, cunning, bold.
Locations
Husband's Grave
A somber burial spot, likely marked by a simple stone or mound, situated in an open field or on the edge of farmland.
Mood: Sorrowful, reflective, quiet, initially solitary.
The Woman laments her husband's death; the Farmer approaches her and feigns grief to court her.
Ploughing Field
An expansive agricultural field, recently ploughed or in the process of being ploughed, with rich, turned earth and the farmer's wooden plough.
Mood: Initially industrious and mundane, later frantic and despairing.
The Farmer leaves his plough and oxen to court the Woman; later, he discovers his oxen have been stolen from this spot.