FABLE LIII
by John Gay
The Greedy Monkey
Once there was a kind lady. The lady loved her animal friends. She had birds, a goose, and a monkey. Her big monkey was named Pug. The lady liked Pug the most. She made Pug the boss. He was the boss of all the food.
Pug the Monkey had one big job. He had to feed all the birds. The lady gave him a big bag. The bag was full of yellow corn. The birds loved the tasty corn. They sang happy songs. Every day, the birds waited for food.
Pug the Monkey walked like a boss. He thought, "I am boss." He thought, "I do what I want." All the birds were hungry. They waited for their yellow corn. They looked at Pug. Pug did not look at them.
One day, Pug saw a new lady. She had a small wooden cart. The cart had sweet, brown nuts. Pug smelled the sweet nuts. He wanted the nuts very much. He ran to get the birds' corn. He took the big bag of corn. He gave the corn to the lady. The lady gave Pug the nuts. Pug ate every single nut. He did not save any. The poor birds got no corn.
The birds were very sad. The birds were so hungry. Their tummies were empty. There was no yellow corn to eat. They were too weak to play games. They were too weak to sing songs. They just sat on the cool grass. They waited and waited.
The Kind Lady came outside. She saw the hungry birds. She saw the very sad birds. "Where are your happy songs?" she asked. She went to find Pug the Monkey. "Where is the corn, Pug?" she asked. Pug looked at the ground. He did not say a word. The lady said, "You were not kind. You are not the boss." Pug got a time-out.
Pug the Monkey was very sad. He sat in his time-out place. He was all alone. Then Goosey the Goose came by. The goose came to talk to him. He was a very kind goose. He brought bread for Pug.
Goosey the Goose looked at Pug. "The birds were hungry," he said. "You did not share the food. That was not kind at all. It is good to share with friends."
Pug the Monkey was sad. He learned it is important to share. He learned to be a good friend.
Original Story
FABLE LIII.
Ape and Poultry.
Esteem is frequently misplaced, Where she may even stand disgraced; We must allow to wealth and birth Precedence, which is due on earth: But our esteem is only due Unto the worth of man and virtue.
Around an ancient pedigree There is a halo fair to see, With "unwrung withers" we afford Our salutation to milord, As due unto his ancient house, Albeit his lordship be a chouse. And riches dazzle us—we know How much they might or should bestow: But power is nothing, *sans* the will, Often recalcitrant to ill: And yet the mob will stand and gaze On each, with similar amaze. But worst of all the lot, we grant, The parasite or sycophant: Such as can vilely condescend To dirty jobs; and bow and bend, With meanest tropes of adulation, To have and hold on to their station. E'en such a ministry among Are found amidst the waiting throng. Where'er are misdeeds, there are bevies; And wanting never at the levees, Men who have trimmed the stocks, been rabbled, In South Seas and in gold mines dabbled, Where sycophants applauded schemes Madder than the maddest madman's dreams.
When pagans sacrificed to Moloch, They gave the first-born of their low stock; But here, unless all history lies, Nations are made the sacrifice. For look through courts, and you will find The principle that rules mankind,— Worshipped beneath the sundry shapes Of wolves, and lions, fox, and apes.
Where, then, can we esteem bestow,— To-day in place, to-morrow low? And the winged insects of his power Gone—when they see the tempests lower: Like to the bubble, full and fair, With hues prismatic, puffed with air. Another puff—and down it tends— Earthward one dingy drop descends.
A maiden, much misused by Time— All aspirations of her prime, Like the soap bubble, puffed and burst,— Monkeys, and dogs, and parrots nurst; A whole menagerie employed The passing hours which she enjoyed. A monkey, big as a gorilla, Who stalked beneath a big umbrella, Was her prime minister: his finger Was wont in each man's pie to linger. She liked the monster, and assigned The poultry-yard to him, to find The daily rations of the corn. Behold him now, with brow of scorn, Amidst his vassals: come for picking— Swans, turkeys, peacocks, ducks, and chicken. The minister appeared, the crowd Performed the reverence due; and bowed And spoke their compliments and duties, Whilst he revolved in mind his new ties, And thought "What is a place of trust?— 'And first unto thyself be just, And then it follows that you can Not be unjust to any man.' That moral motto is most true; As Shakespeare teaches, will I do."
There was an applewoman's stall, With plums and nuts, beneath a wall; With her he then proposed to trade,— In corn, full payments to be made.
"Madam, in mind this dogma bear: 'Buy in the cheap; sell in the dear;' And, since my barley costs me nothing, My market is as cheap as stuffing."
Away then went the stores of grain,— The poultry died; and mistress, fain To know the cause, named a commission— Which ended in the Pug's dismission, And left our hero in a hash, With Newgate and refunded cash.
A gander met him in disgrace, Who knew him well when high in place. "Two days ago," said Pug, "you bowed The lowest of the cringing crowd."
"I always bob my head before I pass," said Goosey, "a barn-door. I always cackle for my grain, And so do all my gosling train: But if I do not know a monkey, Whene'er I see one,—I'm a donkey."
Moral of the Story
Esteem should be given based on a person's virtue and worth, not on their wealth, birth, or position, as power can corrupt and sycophants will only flatter those in authority.
Characters
The Maiden ◆ supporting
Her physical appearance is not explicitly detailed, but she is described as 'much misused by Time,' suggesting she might be past her youthful prime, perhaps with a somewhat weary or resigned demeanor. Her build is not specified.
Attire: Not specified, but likely reflects a comfortable, if somewhat eccentric, lifestyle given her menagerie. No specific era or region is given for her, so a generic but refined 18th-century English lady's attire would be appropriate, perhaps a simple, well-made gown of silk or brocade, possibly with a lace cap.
Wants: To find enjoyment and companionship, perhaps to fill a void left by unfulfilled aspirations.
Flaw: Poor judgment, gullibility, a tendency to misplace trust, especially in those who flatter her.
She learns a harsh lesson about misplaced trust and the consequences of poor delegation when her poultry dies and she has to dismiss her 'prime minister.'
Eccentric, indulgent, somewhat naive, easily swayed or perhaps too trusting. She finds enjoyment in her menagerie and is quick to appoint her monkey to a position of trust.
The Monkey (Pug) ⚔ antagonist
A large monkey, described as 'big as a gorilla,' suggesting a powerful and imposing build for a monkey. His fur color is not specified, but given the context of a 'Pug,' it might imply a darker, perhaps brownish or blackish, coat. He has a 'brow of scorn' when dealing with his 'vassals.'
Attire: His most distinctive item is a 'big umbrella' which he stalks beneath, implying a sense of self-importance. No other clothing is mentioned, but the umbrella acts as a symbol of his perceived status.
Wants: To enrich himself through his position of power, to maintain his 'station' and influence.
Flaw: Greed, overconfidence, a lack of true moral compass, which leads to his downfall.
He rises to a position of power, abuses it for personal gain, and is subsequently dismissed and disgraced, facing legal consequences ('Newgate and refunded cash').
Arrogant, self-serving, cunning, hypocritical, opportunistic, and ultimately dishonest. He quotes Shakespeare but acts purely for his own gain.
The Gander (Goosey) ○ minor
A typical gander, with white feathers and an upright posture. He is observant and quick-witted.
Attire: His natural white feathers.
Wants: To survive and get his grain, and to speak his mind when he sees injustice or hypocrisy.
Flaw: None explicitly shown, but perhaps a tendency to be overly direct.
He serves as a voice of reason and a commentator on the Monkey's downfall, highlighting the fickle nature of power and flattery.
Observant, pragmatic, sarcastic, and not easily fooled. He is quick to point out hypocrisy.
Locations
Maiden's Residence/Estate
The home of a maiden who, having been 'much misused by Time,' nurtures a menagerie of monkeys, dogs, and parrots. It implies a domestic setting, likely a manor or large house, given her ability to maintain such a collection and a 'poultry-yard.'
Mood: eccentric, somewhat melancholic, bustling with animals
The maiden assigns the monkey the role of 'prime minister' over her poultry-yard, setting the stage for his corrupt actions.
The Poultry-Yard
An enclosed outdoor area within the maiden's estate, where various fowl reside. It is the domain over which the monkey is appointed 'minister' for distributing corn rations.
Mood: initially orderly, then chaotic and deprived
The monkey, acting as minister, oversees the poultry, who bow and offer compliments, before he diverts their corn supply for personal gain.
Applewoman's Stall
A small, temporary market stall selling fruits and nuts, located 'beneath a wall,' likely in a village or town square adjacent to the maiden's estate.
Mood: commercial, everyday, slightly illicit
The monkey trades the poultry's corn supply with the applewoman, demonstrating his corruption.
Story DNA
Moral
Esteem should be given based on a person's virtue and worth, not on their wealth, birth, or position, as power can corrupt and sycophants will only flatter those in authority.
Plot Summary
The fable begins by criticizing society's tendency to value wealth and power over virtue, and condemning sycophants. It then tells the story of a maiden who appoints a monkey as her 'prime minister' in charge of the poultry yard. The monkey, misinterpreting a moral motto, selfishly trades the poultry's corn for his own profit, leading to the birds' starvation and his subsequent dismissal and disgrace. In his downfall, he is mocked by a gander who previously flattered him, highlighting the fickle nature of those who only respect power.
Themes
Emotional Arc
disillusionment to moral clarity
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
John Gay's fables often satirized contemporary English society, politics, and human follies, particularly those related to wealth and power during the Georgian era. The South Sea Bubble was a major financial scandal of his time.
Plot Beats (10)
- The narrator introduces the theme that esteem is often misplaced, given to wealth, birth, and power rather than virtue, and criticizes sycophants.
- The narrator laments how society sacrifices nations for false idols of power, comparing them to wolves, lions, foxes, and apes.
- A maiden, who has wasted her life, keeps a menagerie of animals, with a large monkey serving as her 'prime minister'.
- The monkey is put in charge of feeding the poultry, including swans, turkeys, peacocks, ducks, and chickens.
- The poultry show reverence to the monkey, who muses on his new power, misinterpreting a moral motto to justify self-serving actions.
- The monkey decides to trade the poultry's corn with an applewoman for plums and nuts, reasoning that since the corn costs him nothing, he can profit.
- The corn stores are depleted, and the poultry starve and die.
- The mistress investigates the deaths, leading to the monkey's dismissal and legal repercussions (Newgate and refunded cash).
- A gander, who once bowed to the monkey, encounters him in disgrace.
- The gander explains his bowing was merely a habit for barn doors and that he knows a monkey when he sees one, refusing to show respect to the disgraced official.
