FABLE XXIII
by John Gay · from Fables of John Gay (Somewhat Altered)
Adapted Version
An old woman lives in a small house. The house is old. The house is dark. The windows are not clean. The woman is very grumpy. She has a grumpy face. Her chair is hard. Her fire is too hot. She sits all day. She looks at the fire. She is always grumpy. She has many cats.
A black cat is hungry. A white cat is hungry. A brown cat is hungry. A gray cat is hungry. So many cats are hungry. They are all around her. They sit on her feet. They pull on her dress. They walk on her table. They cry all day. They say, "Mew, mew, mew!" The cats want food. They want milk. They want their food now.
The old woman is cross. The cats are too loud. The noise is very big. Her head hurts. She puts her hands on her head. She stamps her foot on the floor. "Be quiet!" she shouts. She points a long finger. "You are bad, bad cats! Go away from me now! Go outside!"
The woman is still cross. She looks at the cats. She says, "You are bad cats. Everyone thinks I am mean. It is all your fault. People see you all day long. They see so many cats. They think I am a bad woman. Then they are scared of me. They are very, very scared."
She says, "The boys in town are scared. I see them play every day. They play in the street. They laugh and shout. They have fun. Then they see my house. They see my cats in the window. The boys stop playing. They whisper to their friends. They point at my house. Then they run away very fast."
A small brown tabby cat looks up. It has big, green, sad eyes. Its ears are down. It is a very sad cat. It says to the woman, "No. Stop. It is not our fault. We are not bad cats. We are good cats. We want to be happy cats."
The tabby cat says, "We live here. We live here with you. You are never nice to us. You never pet us on the head. You do not give us good food. So we are always very hungry. We are always very sad cats."
The cat says, "People see us in the yard. They see our thin bodies. They see our sad faces. They see us with you. You are a grumpy woman. You are always grumpy. You always frown. People see your grumpy face. Then they see our sad faces. So they think we are grumpy cats. They think we are grumpy, too."
The cat's voice is small and sad. It says, "The boys see us too. They see us in the street. They do not pet us. They do not give us nice milk. They shout at us. They shoo us away. They say, 'Go away, grumpy cats!' They think we are mean. They think we are mean, just like you."
Original Story
FABLE XXIII.
Old Dame and Cats.
He who holds friendship with a knave,
Will reputation hardly save;
And thus upon our choice of friends
Our good or evil name depends.
A wrinkled hag—of naughty fame—
Sat hovering o'er a flickering flame,
Propped with both hands upon her knees
She shook with palsy and the breeze.
She had perhaps seen fourscore years,
And backwards said her daily prayers;
Her troop of cats with hunger mewed,—
Tabbies and toms, a numerous brood.
Teased with their murmuring, out she flew
In angry passion: "Hence, ye crew!—
What made me take to keeping cats?
Ye are as bad as bawling brats:
With brats I might perhaps have grown rich;
I never had been thought a known witch.
Boys pester me, and strive to awe—
Across my path they place a straw;
They nail the horse-shoe, hide the broom-stick,
Put pins, and every sort of trick."
"Dame," said a tabby, "cease your prate,
Enough to break a pussy's pate.
What is our lot beneath your roof?
Within, starvation; out, reproof:
Elsewhere we had been honest mousers,
And slept, by, fireside carousers.
Here we are imps who serve a hag,
And yonder broom-stick's thought your nag;
Boys hunt us with a doom condign,
To take one life out of our nine."
Story DNA
Moral
He who holds friendship with a knave, will reputation hardly save; and thus upon our choice of friends our good or evil name depends.
Plot Summary
An old hag, known for her ill repute, complains to her hungry cats about how keeping them has led people to believe she is a witch, causing her to be tormented by local boys. A tabby cat responds, arguing that their suffering from starvation and persecution is a direct result of their association with her, implying that her bad reputation has tainted theirs, rather than the other way around. The fable concludes by reinforcing the moral that one's reputation is tied to the company one keeps.
Themes
Emotional Arc
frustration to mutual accusation
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
John Gay's fables were popular in 18th-century England, often satirizing contemporary society and politics while delivering moral lessons. The belief in witchcraft, though waning, was still present in popular culture.
Plot Beats (10)
- The fable begins with a moral about the importance of choosing friends wisely.
- An old, wrinkled hag, known for naughtiness, sits by a flickering flame, shaking with age.
- Her many cats, tabbies and toms, mew with hunger.
- Annoyed by their noise, the hag angrily scolds her cats, regretting ever keeping them.
- She complains that keeping cats has led people to believe she is a witch, unlike if she had kept children.
- The hag recounts how boys pester her, placing straws in her path, nailing horseshoes, hiding her broomstick, and playing other tricks.
- A tabby cat responds, telling the hag to stop complaining.
- The cat argues that under her roof, they face starvation and reproof, whereas elsewhere they would have been honest mousers.
- The cat points out that their association with the hag makes them seem like her imps, and her broomstick is thought to be her nag.
- The cat concludes by stating that boys hunt them, believing they are witches' familiars, and try to take their lives.
Characters
The Old Dame ★ protagonist
A very old woman, likely in her eighties, with a frail, hunched build. Her skin is deeply wrinkled, suggesting a life of hardship and exposure. She is described as shaking with palsy, indicating a tremor or weakness in her limbs.
Attire: Simple, worn, and perhaps patched clothing suitable for a poor, elderly woman in 18th-century England. Likely a dark, coarse wool or linen gown, possibly with a plain apron. The colors would be muted and practical, such as browns, greys, or dull blues, showing signs of age and wear.
Wants: To be left alone and perhaps to escape the reputation of being a witch, though she seems resigned to it. She desires peace and relief from her perceived burdens.
Flaw: Her bitterness and self-pity. She externalizes blame and fails to see her own role in her predicament, leading to a cycle of resentment.
She remains unchanged in the story, expressing her long-held grievances and frustrations without any resolution or shift in perspective.
Irritable, bitter, self-pitying, and prone to angry outbursts. She blames others for her misfortunes and resents her circumstances.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly woman, appearing in her eighties, with a frail, hunched build and deeply wrinkled, gaunt fair skin. Her sparse, unkempt grey hair is pulled back loosely from her face. She has sunken, dark eyes and thin lips. She wears a dark, coarse wool gown with a plain, patched linen apron. Her posture is hunched, and her hands are clasped over her knees, suggesting a tremor. She has a bitter, resentful expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Tabby Cat ◆ supporting
A typical tabby cat, likely of average size and build, with the distinctive striped or spotted coat pattern. Its fur might be somewhat matted or thin due to starvation.
Attire: None, as it is an animal.
Wants: To find food and escape the negative reputation and treatment they receive under the Dame's roof. They desire to be 'honest mousers' and live a normal cat's life.
Flaw: Their dependence on the Old Dame for shelter, despite her ill-treatment.
The Tabby Cat vocalizes the cats' suffering but does not achieve a change in their circumstances within the fable.
Articulate, resentful, and direct. It speaks for the collective frustration of the cats, expressing their grievances with clarity and a touch of sarcasm.
Image Prompt & Upload
A lean tabby cat with distinct brown and grey stripes, sitting upright on its haunches, facing forward. Its eyes are intelligent and slightly narrowed, conveying a sense of weariness and indignation. Its fur is somewhat disheveled. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
The Hag's Cottage Interior
A small, cramped, and likely unkempt interior of a cottage, dimly lit by a flickering flame. The air is probably stale and filled with the scent of old age and perhaps a hint of woodsmoke.
Mood: Gloomy, tense, impoverished, and slightly eerie due to the hag's reputation.
The hag complains about her cats and her reputation as a witch, leading to a confrontation with one of the cats.
Image Prompt & Upload
A cramped, low-ceilinged cottage interior, dimly lit by the orange glow of a small, sputtering hearth fire. The rough-hewn timber walls are dark with age, and the packed earth floor is uneven. A gnarled, ancient woman sits hunched on a low stool by the fire, her silhouette casting long, dancing shadows. Numerous cats with glowing eyes are scattered around the room, some peering from dark corners, others gathered near the fire. A simple, worn wooden broom leans against a wall. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
The Village/Cottage Exterior
The immediate surroundings of the hag's cottage, where village boys play pranks and harass her, suggesting a rural or semi-rural setting.
Mood: Hostile, superstitious, mischievous, reflecting the villagers' fear and dislike of the hag and her cats.
The hag recounts how boys pester her and her cats, reinforcing her reputation as a witch.
Image Prompt & Upload
A narrow, muddy dirt path winding past a small, dilapidated half-timbered cottage with a sagging thatched roof. Overgrown weeds and thorny bushes press against the weathered wooden walls. A rusty horseshoe is nailed crookedly above a splintered wooden door. In the distance, the faint outlines of other simple village houses can be seen amidst rolling green hills under a pale, overcast sky. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
