FABLE IX
by John Gay · from Fables of John Gay (Somewhat Altered)
Adapted Version
A big, big bull lives in a field. The field is green. The sun is warm. He is a happy bull. All day, he eats the green grass. The grass is sweet. He drinks cool water from a small stream. The field is quiet and warm. The bull likes his quiet, happy field. He is a very calm animal.
One day, a dog comes to the field. He is not a quiet dog. He is a loud dog. He runs fast into the green field. He makes a very loud noise. "Woof! Woof! Woof!" he barks at the sky. The dog is angry. He looks all around. He sees the Big Bull.
The Big Bull looks at the Loud Dog. The bull is not scared. He is a big bull. The dog is a small dog. The bull watches the dog run and bark. He is very calm. He asks a simple, low question. "Why are you so angry? Why are you so loud in my field?"
The Loud Dog stops. He looks at the Big Bull. "Woof! I am strong! I am fast! This is my field now! I will be the boss here. You are big, but I am the boss. You must leave!" The dog looks very proud. He holds his head high.
The Big Bull shakes his big head. He shakes it slowly. "No," he says in his low, calm voice. "This is a happy field. It is a peaceful field. We can share. There is much grass. There is much water. There is no boss here. Fighting is not good."
The Loud Dog does not listen. He does not want to share. He wants to be the boss. "No! I am the boss!" he barks. He runs in a circle. He barks and barks. The Big Bull stops eating. He stomps his big foot. Stomp! The whole ground shakes. A small rock falls. Then he says a big "MOO!". It is a very loud sound.
The Loud Dog is scared. The big sound hurts his ears. The shaking ground feels funny. He has never heard a sound so loud. He has never felt the ground shake. He is not proud now. He puts his tail down. He is a very scared dog.
He starts to run. He runs away from the Big Bull. He runs far, far away. He does not stop. He does not look back. He just runs and runs. The Loud Dog is gone. He does not come back to the field. The Big Bull is happy again. The field is quiet and peaceful. He eats the sweet, green grass.
Original Story
FABLE IX.
The Bull and the Mastiff.
Deem you to train your son and heir,
For his preceptor then take care;
To sound his mind your cares employ,
E'er you commit to him your boy.
Once on a time on native plain
A bull enjoyed a native reign.
A mastiff, stranger there, with ire
Beheld the bull, with eyes of fire.
The bovine monarch, on his part,
Spurned up the dust with dauntless heart,
Advised the mastiff to think twice,
And asked—if lust or avarice,
From which, in main, contention springs,
Caused him to break the peace of kings?
The mastiff answered him, 'twas glory—
To emulate the sons of story;
Told him that Cæsar was his sire,
And he a prince baptized in fire;
That rifles and the mitrailleur
Had thrown his bosom in a stir.
"Accursed cur!" the bull replied,
"Delighting in the sanguine tide:
If you are Revolution trained,
Doubtless your paws with blood are stained—
Demons that take delight in slaughter,
And pour out human blood as water—
Take then thy fate." With goring wound
The monarch tossed him from the ground
In air gyrating—on the stones
He fell a mass of broken bones.
Story DNA
Moral
Beware of those who seek conflict for the sake of glory or revolution, for their pride can lead to their downfall.
Plot Summary
A peaceful bull, reigning on his native plain, is confronted by an aggressive mastiff seeking glory. The bull attempts to understand the mastiff's motives, but the mastiff proudly declares his revolutionary lineage and desire for conflict. Denouncing the mastiff's bloodlust, the bull swiftly defeats him with a goring wound, tossing him to his death. The fable serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of pride and reckless ambition.
Themes
Emotional Arc
pride to destruction
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
John Gay was an English poet and dramatist, known for his fables which often satirized contemporary society and politics. The mention of 'rifles and the mitrailleur' (a type of early machine gun) suggests a context of evolving warfare and political unrest, possibly reflecting anxieties of his time or later interpretations.
Plot Beats (8)
- The fable begins with a moral about choosing a good preceptor for one's son.
- A bull enjoys his peaceful reign on his native plain.
- A mastiff, a stranger, approaches the bull with anger and fiery eyes.
- The bull, with a dauntless heart, advises the mastiff to reconsider and asks if lust or avarice is the cause of his aggression.
- The mastiff proudly declares his motivation is glory, claiming Caesar as his sire and himself as a prince trained in revolution and violence.
- The bull condemns the mastiff as an "accursed cur" who delights in slaughter and revolution.
- The bull attacks the mastiff, goring him and tossing him into the air.
- The mastiff falls to the ground, breaking his bones and dying.
Characters
The Bull ★ protagonist
A large, powerful bull with a muscular, broad-shouldered build. His hide is a deep, rich brown, and he possesses formidable, sharp horns that curve upwards and slightly outwards. His eyes are dark and intelligent, and his snout is wide and strong.
Attire: None, as he is an animal. His natural hide serves as his 'clothing'.
Wants: To maintain peace and his 'native reign' on his plain, avoiding unnecessary conflict.
Flaw: His pride in his established rule and his quick temper when his authority is challenged by what he perceives as a lesser being.
He begins as a peaceful monarch attempting to reason, but quickly shifts to a decisive and violent defender of his domain when faced with an unyielding challenger.
Majestic, confident, regal, wise, and ultimately fierce. He attempts diplomacy first but is decisive and brutal when provoked.
Image Prompt & Upload
A large, muscular bull with a deep brown hide, standing proudly, facing forward. He has powerful, sharp horns that curve upwards. His dark eyes are intelligent, and his broad snout is strong. He is pawing at the ground with one foreleg, kicking up a small cloud of dust. His posture is dauntless and regal. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Mastiff ⚔ antagonist
A large, powerful mastiff dog, likely with a stocky, muscular build. His coat is probably short and coarse, perhaps brindle or fawn, with a dark muzzle. His eyes are described as 'eyes of fire', indicating intensity and aggression.
Attire: None, as he is an animal. His natural fur serves as his 'clothing'.
Wants: To achieve 'glory' and emulate historical figures like Caesar, driven by a desire for contention and a revolutionary spirit.
Flaw: Overconfidence, hubris, and a reckless pursuit of 'glory' that leads him to challenge a far superior opponent.
He remains static in his aggressive, glory-seeking nature, leading directly to his demise without any change or learning.
Aggressive, glory-seeking, boastful, and revolutionary. He is driven by a desire for fame and conflict, showing no fear of superior power.
Image Prompt & Upload
A large, muscular mastiff dog, standing aggressively, facing forward. He has a stocky build, a short brindle coat, and a dark muzzle. His eyes glow with an intense fiery red. His posture is tensed and challenging, ready to confront. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Native Plain
An open, expansive grassy plain, the natural domain of the bull, where the confrontation takes place.
Mood: Initially peaceful and sovereign, quickly turning tense and confrontational, ending in violence.
The initial encounter between the bull and the mastiff, their verbal exchange, and the bull's fatal charge.
Image Prompt & Upload
A vast, sun-drenched grassy plain stretches to a distant horizon under a clear, bright sky. The ground is covered in short, dry grasses with patches of exposed, light brown earth and scattered grey, smooth river stones. A gentle breeze rustles the grass, creating subtle waves across the landscape. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
