FABLE LV
by John Gay · from Fables of John Gay (Somewhat Altered)
Adapted Version
There was a big bear. His fur was brown. He loved to eat sweet honey. He was very good at finding honey. He could smell it from far away. He found it in tall trees. He found it in old logs. He was the best honey finder. This made him feel very proud. He thought, “I am the best bear! I can do anything.”
One day, the bear went to the water. He saw a little boat there. The boat was white. It bobbed up and down on the water. It looked very pretty in the sun. The bear watched the little boat. 'That looks very easy,' he said loudly. 'I am a strong and smart bear. I can sail that boat.'
So the bear walked to the boat. He stepped into the water. He put one big paw in the boat. Then he put the other paw in. He sat down. He was in the boat now. His animal friends watched from the land. They were very quiet. They watched the bear.
The wind pushed the boat. It started to move. The bear was happy and he smiled. But he did not know how to sail. He pushed a long rope. He pulled a big stick. The boat did not go straight. It went around and around in circles. The bear was very confused now. The boat just spun and spun.
The boat spun faster and faster. It went toward the sandy shore. Bump! The boat hit the sand hard. The boat tilted to one side. It stopped. The bear was not holding on. He fell out of the boat. Splash! He fell right into the cold water. He got very, very wet from head to toe.
The bear stood up in the water. He walked to the dry sand. He was cold and wet and dripping. He sat down. He was a very sad bear now. He looked at the little boat. He thought, 'Sailing is not easy. I will ask for help next time.'
Original Story
FABLE LV.
The Bear in a Boat.
(To a Coxcomb.)
Ah! my dear fellow, write the motto
Nosce teipsum o'er your grotto;
For he must daily wiser grow,
Determined his own scope to know.
He never launches from the shore
Without the compass, sail, and oar.
He, ere he builds, computes the costs;
And, ere he fights, reviews the hosts.
He safely walks within the fence,
And reason takes from common sense:
Pride and presumption standing checked
Before some palpable defect.
To aid the search for pride's eviction,
A coxcomb claims a high distinction.
Not to one age or sex confined
Are coxcombs, but of rank and kind;
Pervading all ranks, great and small,
Who take and never give the wall.
By ignorance is pride increased;
They who assume most, know the least.
Yet coxcombs do not, all alike,
Our ridicule and laughter strike.
For some are lovers, some are bores,
Some rummage in the useless stores
Of folios ranged upon the shelf,
Another only loves himself.
Such coxcombs are of private station:
Ambition soars to rule the nation.
They flattery swallow: do not fear,—
No nonsense will offend their ear:
Though you be sycophant professed,
You will not put his soul to test.
If policy should be his care,
Drum Machiavelli in his ear;
If commerce or the naval service,
Potter of Mazarin and Jervis.
Always, with due comparison,
By him let all that 's done be done;
Troops, levies, and ambassadors,
Treaties and taxes, wars and stores;
No blunders or crude schemes are tost,
Each enterprise repays its cost.
He is the pilot at the helm
To succour and to save the realm.
Spare not your Turkey-poult to cram,
He never will suspect you flam.
There was a bear of manners rough,
Who could take bee-hives well enough:
He lived by plundered honey-comb,
And raided the industrial home.
Success had puffed him with conceit;
He boasted daily of some feat.
In arrogance right uncontrolled
He grew pragmatic, busy, bold;
And beasts, with reverential stare,
Thought him a most prodigious bear.
He grew dictator in his mood,
And seized on every spoil was good;
From chickens, rising by degrees,
Until he took the butcher's fees:
Then, in his overweening pride,
Over the hounds he would preside;
And, lastly, visiting the rocks,
He took his province from the fox.
And so it happened on a day
A yawl equipped at anchor lay.
He stopped, and thus expressed his mind:
"What blundering puppies are mankind!
What stupid pedantry in schools,
Their compasses and nautic tools!
I will assume the helm, and show
Vain man a dodge he ought to know."
He gained the vessel, took his stand.
The beasts, astonished, lined the strand;
He weighed the anchor, slacked the sail,
Put her about before the gale,
But shipped no rudder: ill then met her;
He ran ashore, and there upset her.
The roach and gudgeon, native there,
Gathered to quiz the floundering bear.
Not so the watermen: the crew
Gathered around to thrash him too;
And merriment ran on the strand
As Bruin, chained, was dragged to land.
Story DNA
Moral
Know your limitations and do not attempt tasks for which you are unqualified, lest you suffer humiliation and failure.
Plot Summary
The fable begins by cautioning against pride and advocating for self-knowledge, defining a 'coxcomb' as someone who lacks this wisdom. It then introduces a bear, initially successful at simple tasks, whose conceit grows to the point where he believes he can master anything, even taking over roles from other animals. Observing a human boat, the bear scoffs at human methods and attempts to sail it himself, despite lacking a rudder and proper nautical skill. Predictably, he runs the boat aground and capsizes it, leading to his public ridicule by fish and a beating from watermen, serving as a stark lesson in the consequences of hubris.
Themes
Emotional Arc
pride to humiliation
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. This fable reflects Enlightenment-era emphasis on reason and self-knowledge.
Plot Beats (10)
- The narrator advises the reader to know themselves and avoid pride, defining a 'coxcomb' as someone who lacks self-awareness and overestimates their abilities.
- The narrator describes various types of coxcombs, from private individuals to those with political ambition, all characterized by their ignorance and susceptibility to flattery.
- A bear, initially skilled at raiding beehives for honey, becomes conceited due to his success.
- His arrogance grows, leading him to take control from other animals, becoming a 'dictator' over chickens, butchers' fees, hounds, and even the fox's territory.
- One day, he sees a human yawl at anchor and criticizes human navigation, boasting he can show them a better way.
- He boards the vessel, with other beasts watching from the shore, and attempts to sail it by weighing anchor and slacking the sail.
- However, he fails to equip the boat with a rudder, leading to disaster.
- The bear runs the boat aground and upsets it, floundering in the water.
- Fish gather to mock him, and watermen arrive to beat him.
- The bear is chained and dragged ashore, becoming an object of public merriment and humiliation.
Characters
The Bear ★ protagonist
A large, robust bear with shaggy, dark brown fur. His build is powerful and somewhat clumsy, indicative of his rough manners and brute strength. He likely has strong claws and a broad snout.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To prove his superiority and competence in all matters, driven by immense pride and a desire for control and recognition.
Flaw: Overweening pride and presumption. He believes he knows best without any actual knowledge or skill, leading to his downfall.
Starts as a successful but rough bear, becomes increasingly arrogant and dictatorial, attempts a task far beyond his capabilities (sailing), and ends up humiliated, thrashed, and chained.
Conceited, arrogant, pragmatic, busy, bold, dictatorial, overweening, and ultimately foolish. He believes himself superior to others and capable of anything.
Image Prompt & Upload
A large, shaggy brown bear standing upright in a small wooden yawl, looking bewildered and out of place. He has dark fur, a broad snout, and small dark eyes. His paws are awkwardly placed on the boat's tiller, which is missing its rudder. The boat is listing heavily. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Beasts ◆ supporting
A diverse group of animals, typical of a forest or countryside setting, such as deer, wolves, foxes, etc., observing the bear. Their appearance would vary by species.
Attire: None, as they are animals.
Wants: To observe the actions of the 'prodigious bear'.
Flaw: Easily swayed by outward displays of confidence and success, even if unfounded.
They witness the bear's hubris and subsequent humiliation, learning a lesson about pride.
Observant, easily impressed by perceived strength or success, but also capable of astonishment.
Image Prompt & Upload
A group of various forest animals, including a deer, a fox, and a wolf, standing on a sandy shoreline. They are all facing forward, looking up with expressions of wide-eyed astonishment. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Watermen ⚔ antagonist
A group of sturdy, practical men, likely of average height and build, with weathered hands and faces from working on the water. They would be dressed for manual labor.
Attire: Practical 18th-century working-class attire, such as coarse linen shirts, sturdy breeches, and possibly leather aprons or vests. They might wear simple leather shoes or boots.
Wants: To protect their yawl and punish the bear for his destructive actions.
Flaw: None explicitly stated, but their anger makes them act decisively.
They appear to rectify the bear's blunder, serving as the agents of his comeuppance.
Practical, protective of their property, and quick to anger when their belongings are damaged. They are also capable of merriment at another's folly.
Image Prompt & Upload
A group of three sturdy adult men, facing forward, with weathered faces and strong builds. They wear coarse linen shirts, sturdy brown breeches, and simple leather boots. One man holds a thick rope. They have determined expressions. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
The Bear's Forest Home
A rough, natural habitat within a forest, likely near sources of wild bee-hives and other small prey. The ground would be uneven, covered with leaves and undergrowth.
Mood: Initially wild and self-sufficient, later becoming a stage for the bear's growing arrogance and boasting.
Where the bear lives and initially gains success by plundering honeycombs, leading to his inflated conceit.
Image Prompt & Upload
A dense, temperate forest floor, dappled with sunlight filtering through a thick canopy of oak and beech trees. Exposed roots crisscross the leaf-strewn ground, and patches of wild berries grow amidst ferns. In the distance, a glimpse of a rocky outcrop can be seen. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Riverbank with Moored Yawl
A muddy or pebbly riverbank where a small sailing vessel, a yawl, is anchored. The water would be calm enough for a boat to be moored, and the bank would be accessible for animals and later, humans.
Mood: Initially calm and unsuspecting, then quickly turning chaotic and humiliating.
The bear discovers the yawl, decides to prove his superiority to mankind, and attempts to sail it.
Image Prompt & Upload
A tranquil riverbank with a small, wooden yawl gently bobbing at anchor near the shore. The water is a calm, reflective grey-blue, and the bank is composed of smooth, water-worn pebbles and sparse reeds. A few gnarled willow trees overhang the water's edge, their branches dipping towards the surface. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Shallow Waters/Shoreline
The immediate area where the yawl runs aground and overturns. This would be shallow water close to the shore, likely muddy or sandy, with small fish (roach and gudgeon) present.
Mood: Chaotic, humiliating, and later, one of public ridicule.
The bear's disastrous attempt at sailing, his subsequent capsizing, and his capture and public humiliation by the watermen.
Image Prompt & Upload
A scene of shallow, turbulent river water churning around the hull of an overturned wooden yawl, its mast partially submerged. The water is murky, revealing a sandy-muddy bottom with small fish darting away. On the nearby bank, a small group of rough-looking watermen gather, some holding ropes. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
