FABLE L
by Unknown · from Favourite Fables in Prose and Verse
Adapted Version
Once there was a young horse. He liked to run and play. But at times, he had to work. He did not like to work. This young horse felt sad. He talked to other horses. "Why do we work?" he asked. "We pull big carts. We work for people. This is hard work." Other horses heard him. They began to talk too.
All the horses came close. They stood in a big circle. They had a meeting. They wanted to talk. They talked about their work. They talked about people. The horses made a lot of noise. They stomped their feet. They wanted to find answers.
The Young Horse stepped forward. He spoke loudly to all. "We work so hard!" he said. "We pull big carts. We pull the plow. Humans just sit. They are small. We are big and strong. We can be free! We do not need people. He looked mad."
The other horses listened. They heard the Young Horse. They thought he was right. "Yes!" they neighed loudly. They nodded their big heads. They liked his words. They wanted to be free too. They felt very excited. They made more noise.
Then a Wise Old Horse walked out. He moved very slowly. He was old and calm. He knew many things. He looked at all the horses. He looked at the Young Horse. He wanted to speak to them. He had a quiet voice. He knew much about life.
The Wise Old Horse spoke. "We work for people," he said. "This is true. But people help us too. They give us good food. They give us a warm home. They keep us safe. They give us water. This is good for both. We help them. They help us."
The horses became quiet. They listened to the Wise Old Horse. They thought about his words. The Young Horse listened too. He knew the old horse. He saw the good things. People give them food and home. He was not angry now.
The Young Horse went to work. He let a person put on his bridle. He pulled the cart. He did his part. He was happy to help. This is like horses always do. The young horse knew. All help all. Horses help people. People help horses. It is a good way.
Original Story
FABLE L.
THE COUNCIL OF HORSES.
Upon a time, a neighing Steed,
Who grazed among a numerous breed,
With mutiny had fired the train,
And spread dissension through the plain.
On matters that concerned the state
The council met in grand debate.
A Colt, whose eye-balls flamed with ire,
Elate with strength and youthful fire,
In haste stepped forth before the rest,
And thus the listening throng addressed:—
"Good gods! how abject is our race!
Condemned to slavery and disgrace!
Shall we our servitude retain,
Because our sires have borne the chain?
Consider, friends, your strength and might;
'Tis conquest to assert your right.
How cumberous is the gilded coach!
The pride of man is our reproach.
Were we designed for daily toil,
To drag the ploughshare through the soil;
To sweat in harness through the road;
To groan beneath the carrier's load?
How feeble are the two-legged kind!
What force is in our nerves combined!
Shall, then, our nobler jaws submit
To foam and champ the galling bit?
Shall haughty men my back bestride?
Shall the sharp spur provoke my side?
Forbid it, heavens! reject the rein,
Your shame, your infamy disdain.
Let him the Lion first control,
And still the Tiger's famished growl!
Let us, like them, our freedom claim;
And make him tremble at our name."
A general nod approved the cause,
And all the circle neighed applause;
When, lo! with grave and solemn pace,
A Steed advanced before the race,
With age and long experience wise;
Around he casts his thoughtful eyes,
And, to the murmurs of the train,
Thus spoke the Nestor of the plain:—
"When I had health and strength, like you,
The toils of servitude I knew.
Now, grateful man rewards my pains,
And gives me all these wide domains.
At will I crop the year's increase;
My latter life is rest and peace.
I grant, to man we lend our pains,
And aid him to correct the plains.
But doth not he divide the care,
Through all the labours of the year?
How many thousand structures rise,
To fence us from inclement skies!
For us he bears the sultry day,
And stores up all our winter's hay.
He sows, he reaps the harvest gain;
We share the toil, and share the grain."
The tumult ceased. The Colt submitted;
And, like his ancestors, was bitted.
MORAL.
Since every creature is decreed
To aid each other's mutual need;
Submit with a contented mind
To act the part by heaven assigned.
Story DNA
Moral
Since every creature is decreed to aid each other's mutual need, one should submit with a contented mind to act the part by heaven assigned.
Plot Summary
A young, rebellious steed stirs up discontent among a herd of horses, leading them to question their servitude to humans. In a council, a fiery Colt passionately argues for their freedom, swaying the other horses. However, an old, wise Steed counters by explaining the reciprocal benefits of their relationship with humans, highlighting the care and provision humans offer in exchange for labor. Convinced by the elder's wisdom, the Colt and the other horses accept their roles, demonstrating the value of interdependence.
Themes
Emotional Arc
anger to acceptance
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Fables often reflect societal norms and power structures, using animal allegories to comment on human behavior and social order.
Plot Beats (8)
- A rebellious Steed spreads dissension among a herd of horses, questioning their servitude.
- The horses convene a council to debate their situation.
- A young, strong Colt passionately argues for the horses to assert their freedom, detailing the indignities of their labor and the weakness of humans.
- The other horses are convinced by the Colt's speech and express their approval.
- An old, wise Steed, experienced in life, steps forward to address the assembly.
- The old Steed explains that while horses provide labor, humans provide shelter, food, and care, making their relationship mutually beneficial.
- The horses, including the rebellious Colt, accept the old Steed's wisdom.
- The Colt submits to being bitted, continuing the tradition of his ancestors.
Characters
The Neighing Steed
A powerful, muscular horse, likely a warhorse or a strong draft horse breed, with a robust build and well-defined musculature indicative of strength and youthful vigor. His coat is a rich, solid color, perhaps bay or chestnut, gleaming with health.
Attire: None, as a horse. He is described as being subjected to 'the galling bit' and 'the sharp spur', implying he is accustomed to being ridden and harnessed.
Wants: To liberate his kind from servitude and assert their natural right to freedom and dignity, believing horses are superior to humans.
Flaw: Impulsiveness and lack of foresight; he focuses solely on the perceived injustices without considering the benefits of the human-horse relationship.
Starts as a fiery revolutionary, but is ultimately swayed by the wisdom of the Elder Steed and submits to his traditional role, becoming 'bitted like his ancestors'.
Rebellious, passionate, fiery, eloquent, idealistic, proud.
The Elder Steed
A horse showing the dignified signs of age and long experience. His coat might be slightly faded or dappled with grey, particularly around the muzzle and eyes. He has a lean, perhaps slightly stooped, but still noble build, reflecting a life of labor and eventual rest.
Attire: None, as a horse. He mentions 'grateful man rewards my pains', implying he is now free from harness.
Wants: To maintain peace and order, and to remind the younger generation of the mutual benefits and responsibilities in the human-horse relationship.
Flaw: Perhaps a tendency towards complacency or accepting the status quo, though presented as wisdom in the fable.
Remains consistent as the voice of wisdom and experience, successfully quelling the rebellion.
Wise, experienced, pragmatic, grateful, calm, diplomatic, traditional.
Locations
The Wide Plain
An expansive, open grassland where numerous horses graze. The ground is likely fertile, suggesting good pasture. It is a place of gathering and debate for the horses.
Mood: Initially tense and rebellious due to the mutiny, then shifting to thoughtful and ultimately submissive.
The setting for the entire council meeting of horses, where the young Colt incites rebellion and the elder Steed offers wisdom.