FABLE XXII
by John Gay · from Fables of John Gay (Somewhat Altered)
Adapted Version
Once, there was a goat. He lived on a green hill. The hill had soft, green grass. The sun was warm there. The goat played all day long. He was a happy goat. But he was a bit silly.
One day, he went to a small pond. The water was very still. He looked down into the water. He saw his face for the first time. He saw his long, gray beard. "What is this hairy thing?" he asked. He shook his head. The beard wiggled in the water. "I do not like my beard," he said. "I must get it off my face."
He left the pond to find help. He walked through the cool woods. Soon, he saw a monkey. The monkey sat under a big tree. He had a small shop. Big scissors were on a table. "Hello!" said the Monkey with a smile. The goat pointed to his hairy chin. "I want this off," he said. The monkey nodded his head. "I can help you. Please, sit here."
The Goat sat on a big, red chair. The Monkey picked up the scissors. Snip, snip, snip. The long beard fell to the ground. Soon, it was all gone. The Monkey brushed the goat's chin. It felt smooth and new. The Goat was very pleased. He gave the Monkey a shiny rock.
The Goat had no beard now. He felt the breeze on his chin. He felt so happy and free. "I am so handsome now!" he said. He smiled a big, wide smile. He skipped all the way home.
He got back to his green hill. The other goats were eating. They all stopped and stared. They were very surprised. "Look at your face!" one goat said. "Where did your beard go?" The goat stood up tall. "People do not have beards," he said. "I want to look just like them."
"No beard is good," he said proudly. "Now I look clean and smart."
Then, the Old Goat came. He had a long, white beard. He looked at the beardless goat. "We are not people," he said slowly. "We are goats. Goats have beards." The Old Goat looked sad. "You did not want people to laugh." "Now your brothers will laugh at you." The other goats laughed. They pointed at his smooth face.
The goat was sad. He had no beard. He was all alone.
Original Story
FABLE XXII.
The Shaven and Shorn Goat.
'Tis strange to see a new-launched fashion
Lay on the soul and grow a passion.
To illustrate such folly, I
Proffer some beast to the mind's eye.
Now I select the goat. What then?
I never said goats equal men.
A goat of singularity—
Not vainer than a goat need be—
Lay on a thymy bank, and viewed
Himself reflected in the flood.
"Confound my beard!" he thought, and said;
"How badly it becomes my head;
Upon my honour! women might
Take me to be some crazy wight."
He sought the barber of the place,—
A monkey 'twas, of Moorish race,
Who shaved mankind, drew teeth, and bled.
A pole diagonal—striped red,
Teeth in their row in order strung,
And pewter bason by them slung,
Far in the street projecting stood—
The pole with bandage symboled blood.
Pug shaved our friend and took his penny,
And hoped to shave him oft and many;
Goatee, impatient of applause,
Then sought his native hills and shaws.
"Heigh-day! how now? whoever heard—
What gone and shaven off your beard?"
The fop replied: "All realms polite,
From Roman to the Muscovite,
Now trim their beards and shave their chins;
Shall we, like Monkish Capuchins,
Alone be singular and hairy?
One walks amidst the cities cheery,
And men and boys all cease to poke
Fun at the beard by way of joke—
In days of old, so Romans jeered
Stoic philosophers with beard."
"Friend," said a bearded chieftain, "you
At Rome may do as Romans do;
But if you refuge with our herd,
I counsel you to keep your beard:
For if you dread the jeers of others,
How will you bear it from your brothers?"
Story DNA
Moral
Conforming to external trends for vanity's sake can lead to rejection by one's own community.
Plot Summary
A vain goat, disliking his beard, decides to shave it off to conform to what he believes is polite fashion, seeking out a monkey barber for the task. Proud of his new look, he returns to his herd, who are shocked by his appearance. When he explains his reasoning, citing human trends from various cultures, a wise chieftain advises him that while he may conform elsewhere, within their community, his beard is integral, and he will face ridicule from his own kind for abandoning it.
Themes
Emotional Arc
pride to humility
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
John Gay's fables often satirized contemporary English society and politics, using animal characters to comment on human folly and social trends of the 18th century.
Plot Beats (10)
- The narrator introduces the folly of new fashions and selects a goat to illustrate it.
- A particular goat, not overly vain, observes his reflection and despises his beard, fearing he looks like a 'crazy wight' to women.
- He decides to get rid of his beard and seeks out a monkey barber, who also draws teeth and bleeds patients.
- The monkey shaves the goat and is paid a penny, hoping for repeat business.
- The now beardless goat, pleased with himself, returns to his natural habitat.
- His fellow goats are astonished and question why he has shaved off his beard.
- The shaven goat explains that all polite realms, from Roman to Muscovite, trim their beards, and he doesn't want to be singular and hairy like 'Monkish Capuchins'.
- He boasts that in cities, people no longer mock beards, unlike in ancient Rome where Stoic philosophers were jeered.
- A bearded chieftain responds, telling the shaven goat that while he can do as Romans do in Rome, among their herd, he should keep his beard.
- The chieftain warns that if he fears jeers from others, he will find it even harder to bear ridicule from his own brothers.
Characters
The Shaven and Shorn Goat ★ protagonist
A medium-sized goat, initially with a full, shaggy beard typical of his species. After being shaven, his chin is smooth and bare, contrasting sharply with his natural appearance. His build is sturdy, suited for navigating hilly terrain.
Attire: None, as he is an animal. His natural coat is likely a mix of brown, grey, and white, with shaggy fur.
Wants: To be fashionable and avoid ridicule, to fit in with what he perceives as 'polite society'.
Flaw: Excessive vanity and a strong desire for external validation, leading him to abandon his natural state and cultural norms.
He transforms from a naturally bearded goat to a shaven one, driven by fashion. He attempts to justify his change but is ultimately confronted with the disapproval of his own kind, suggesting a potential return to his original state or continued alienation.
Vain, easily swayed by fashion, insecure about his natural appearance, eager for social acceptance, somewhat foolish.
Image Prompt & Upload
A male goat standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a smooth, pinkish-grey chin where a beard would typically be, contrasting with his shaggy brown and grey fur. His eyes are amber with horizontal pupils, and his ears are alert. He has a slightly self-conscious yet hopeful expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Monkey Barber ◆ supporting
A monkey of Moorish race, implying a darker fur color and possibly a lean, agile build. He is skilled in human trades like shaving, dentistry, and bloodletting.
Attire: Likely simple, functional clothing, perhaps a tunic or vest, suitable for a barber in a bustling street. Given his 'Moorish race', perhaps a simple, loose-fitting garment in earthy tones.
Wants: To earn money by providing services (shaving, dentistry, bloodletting).
Flaw: None explicitly stated, but his focus is purely on profit.
Static, he performs his service and hopes for more business.
Entrepreneurial, opportunistic, skilled in his trade, eager for repeat business.
Image Prompt & Upload
A male monkey standing upright, facing forward, full body visible head to toe. He has dark brown fur, a lean build, and intelligent, quick brown eyes. He wears a simple, loose-fitting cream linen tunic. He holds a straight razor in one hand and a pewter shaving basin in the other. A small, knowing smile plays on his lips. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Bearded Chieftain ◆ supporting
A large, imposing goat with a magnificent, full beard, signifying wisdom and authority within the herd. His build is robust and strong, befitting a leader.
Attire: None, as he is an animal. His natural coat is likely thick and shaggy, perhaps a darker shade of brown or grey.
Wants: To maintain the traditions and social cohesion of his goat herd, to offer sound advice based on experience.
Flaw: None explicitly stated, he represents wisdom and stability.
Static, he serves as a voice of reason and tradition, challenging the protagonist's folly.
Wise, traditional, firm, protective of his herd's customs, pragmatic.
Image Prompt & Upload
A large, elderly male goat standing upright, facing forward, full body visible head to toe. He has a magnificent, long, thick, shaggy grey beard that reaches his chest. His fur is a mix of dark brown and grey, and his build is robust. His eyes are deep-set and wise, with a stern yet knowing expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Thymy Riverbank
A gently sloping bank covered in fragrant thyme, situated beside a clear, reflective river. The sunlight is bright, making the water's surface act like a mirror.
Mood: Peaceful, self-contemplative, slightly vain
The goat admires himself in the water and decides his beard is unfashionable.
Image Prompt & Upload
A sun-drenched riverbank covered in low-growing, purple-flowered thyme, sloping gently down to a perfectly still, clear river that reflects the bright blue sky. The water's surface is like polished glass, with subtle ripples near the edge. Warm afternoon light illuminates the scene, casting soft shadows. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Moorish Barber's Shopfront
The exterior of a barber's shop, likely in a bustling street. A distinctive diagonal pole, striped red and white (symbolizing blood and bandages), projects prominently into the street. A row of teeth is strung up, and a pewter basin hangs nearby, indicating the barber's diverse services.
Mood: Bustling, professional, slightly macabre due to the teeth
The goat visits the monkey barber to have his beard shaved.
Image Prompt & Upload
A vibrant, sunlit street scene in a North African town, featuring the entrance to a barber's shop. A prominent diagonal pole, painted with bold red and white stripes, juts out from the building facade. Below it, a string of human teeth hangs like a macabre garland, and a polished pewter basin reflects the bright light. The building is made of light-colored, rough-hewn stone with a dark wooden door. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Native Hills and Shaws
The goat's natural habitat: rugged hillsides interspersed with dense thickets of woodland (shaws). This is a wild, untamed environment, contrasting with the 'polite realms' mentioned.
Mood: Wild, natural, judgmental
The shaven goat returns to his herd and is ridiculed by his peers.
Image Prompt & Upload
A rugged, windswept hillside covered in coarse grasses and dotted with dense, dark green thickets of hawthorn and blackthorn (shaws). Jagged rock outcrops break through the sparse vegetation, and a clear, wide sky stretches overhead. The light is bright and unfiltered, highlighting the textures of the wild landscape. In the distance, more rolling hills fade into a hazy horizon. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
