FABLE VI
by John Gay · from Fables of John Gay (Somewhat Altered)
Adapted Version
A man had a lot of gold. So much gold. But the man was very sad. He was not happy at all. He walked in his big room. The room was quiet and empty. He sat on a chair. He looked at the floor. He felt very, very sad.
The man had a big, heavy box. The box was made of dark wood. He went to his box. He used a key to open it. Click! He opened the big box. He saw all his gold inside. The gold was so shiny. It glowed yellow and bright. It made him feel happy. He smiled a little smile.
But the smile went away. The man was sad again. His happy feeling was gone. He looked down at the gold. "Oh, gold," he said with a sigh. "You make me so sad. You are not good for me." He felt very bad. He closed his eyes.
Suddenly, a soft light filled the room. A magic man was there. He was a wise old man. He had a long white beard. He had a kind face. The man got very scared. He shut the box fast. Bang! The sound was loud.
The wise man had a soft, calm voice. "Do not be scared," he said gently. "I am here to help." The wise man looked at the box. "The gold is not bad," he said. "The gold is not good. It is just gold. What you do with it matters."
The wise man pointed at the box. "The gold is just a thing. It cannot feel. It cannot think. It is like a stone. It is like a piece of wood."
"Use gold to do good," he said. "You can help people with it. Some people are hungry. You can buy them food. That is a good thing. Some people are cold. You can buy them warm coats. Helping people is good."
The wise man smiled. "It is good to share. It is good to help." He was gone. The man looked at his gold. He knew it could be used for good. He finally felt happy.
Original Story
FABLE VI.
Miser and Plutus
The wind was high, the window shook,
The miser woke with haggard look;
He stalked along the silent room,
He shivered at the gleam and gloom,
Each lock and every corner eyed,
And then he stood his chest beside;
He opened it, and stood in rapture
In sight of gold he held in capture;
And then, with sudden qualm possessed,
He wrung his hands and beat his breast:
"O, had the earth concealed this gold,
I had perhaps in peace grown old!
But there is neither gold nor price
To recompense the pang of vice.
Bane of all good—delusive cheat,
To lure a soul on to defeat
And banish honour from the mind:
Gold raised the sword midst kith and kind,
Gold fosters each, pernicious art
In which the devils bear a part,—
Gold, bane accursed!" In angry mood
Plutus, his god, before him stood.
The trembling miser slammed the chest.
"What rant and cant have you expressed,
Yon sordid wretch! It is the mind,
And not the gold, corrupts mankind.
Shall my best medium be accused
Because its virtues are abused?
Virtue and gold alike betrayed,
When knaves demand a cloak to trade;
So likewise power in their possession
Grows into tyrannous oppression.
And in like manner gold may be
Abused to vice and villany.
But when it flows in virtue's streams
It blesses like the sun's blest beams—
Wiping the tears from widowed eyes
And soothing bereft orphans' cries.
Speak not of misers who have sold
Their soul's integrity for gold—
Than bravoes and than cut-throats worse,
Who in their calling steal a purse."
Story DNA
Moral
It is not wealth itself, but the human mind and its intentions, that determine whether gold is a blessing or a curse.
Plot Summary
A miser, tormented by anxiety, inspects his hidden gold and then curses it as the source of all evil and corruption. Suddenly, Plutus, the god of wealth, appears before him. Plutus reprimands the miser, explaining that gold itself is neutral; it is the human mind and its intentions that determine whether wealth leads to vice or virtue. He concludes by stating that gold, when used virtuously, can be a great blessing, and misers who hoard it are worse than common criminals.
Themes
Emotional Arc
anxiety to enlightenment
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
John Gay was a prominent English poet and dramatist known for his fables and satirical works, often reflecting Enlightenment-era philosophical concerns about morality and human nature.
Plot Beats (8)
- A miser wakes in a stormy night, filled with anxiety.
- He secretly checks his chest of gold, initially feeling rapture.
- Suddenly, he is overcome with dread and curses the gold, blaming it for all evil, vice, and conflict.
- Plutus, the god of wealth, appears before the trembling miser.
- Plutus scolds the miser, stating that gold itself is not evil, but the human mind corrupts it.
- Plutus argues that gold is a neutral medium, and its virtues are only abused by knaves.
- He explains that gold, when used virtuously, can bring blessings, like aiding widows and orphans.
- Plutus concludes by condemning misers who sell their integrity for gold as worse than thieves.
Characters
The Miser ★ protagonist
A gaunt, stooped man of average height, with a thin build, likely appearing frail due to malnourishment and anxiety. His skin is sallow and wrinkled, suggesting a life of worry and deprivation despite his wealth.
Attire: Simple, worn, and drab clothing, likely made of coarse wool or linen in muted browns or greys, reflecting his parsimonious nature. Perhaps a threadbare doublet and breeches, patched and mended, with worn leather shoes. He would avoid anything new or ostentatious.
Wants: To accumulate and guard his gold, believing it will bring him security, yet paradoxically, it brings him only misery and fear.
Flaw: His overwhelming avarice and paranoia. He is enslaved by his wealth, unable to enjoy it or use it for good, and constantly tormented by the fear of loss.
He remains unchanged, still trapped in his fear and avarice, even after being confronted by Plutus. He slams his chest shut, indicating his continued attachment to his gold.
Paranoid, avaricious, anxious, self-pitying, hypocritical. He hoards wealth but lives in fear of losing it, and blames the gold itself for his moral failings.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly, gaunt man with a stooped posture, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a sallow, deeply wrinkled face with sunken, darting grey eyes and thin, unkempt grey hair. He wears a patched, threadbare dark brown wool doublet over a faded cream linen shirt, and worn grey breeches with scuffed leather shoes. His hands are clasped nervously in front of him, and his expression is one of profound anxiety and suspicion. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Plutus ◆ supporting
A figure of imposing presence, radiating an aura of divine authority and perhaps a subtle golden glow. He would appear well-proportioned and powerful, not necessarily muscular, but with a commanding bearing.
Attire: Flowing, rich robes, perhaps in deep purples, blues, or greens, made of fine silk or brocade, possibly with subtle gold embroidery, reflecting his domain over wealth. His attire is dignified and timeless, not ostentatious but clearly divine.
Wants: To correct misconceptions about the nature of wealth and its moral implications, asserting that it is the user, not the medium, that corrupts.
Flaw: None apparent in the fable; he embodies divine wisdom.
He serves as a catalyst for the Miser's brief moment of self-reflection, but his primary role is to deliver the fable's moral lesson. He does not change.
Wise, just, stern, didactic. He is a moral arbiter, correcting the Miser's misguided views on wealth.
Image Prompt & Upload
A majestic, ageless man with a noble and stern face, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has strong, classical features, with discerning dark eyes and flowing, dark hair. He wears a flowing, deep purple silk robe with subtle gold embroidery, draped elegantly over his form, and simple, sturdy sandals. His posture is upright and authoritative, and his expression is one of calm wisdom and judgment. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
The Miser's Silent Room
A sparsely furnished, silent room, likely in a humble dwelling, where the miser keeps his treasure chest. The window shakes from a high wind outside, casting shifting gleam and gloom into the room.
Mood: Eerie, anxious, secretive, tense
The miser wakes, checks his gold, and laments its corrupting influence, leading to the appearance of Plutus.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, austere room within a 17th-century English cottage, with rough-hewn timber beams supporting a low ceiling. A single, small leaded-pane window rattles violently from an unseen wind, casting deep, dancing shadows across the uneven plaster walls. In the center, a heavy, iron-bound wooden chest sits on a worn flagstone floor. The only light comes from the faint moonlight filtering through the window, creating a stark, high-contrast scene. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
