FABLE LV
by Unknown · from Favourite Fables in Prose and Verse
Adapted Version
Once, a body had many parts. Hands, Mouth, Teeth were there. And there was the Belly.
The Hands worked hard. The Mouth worked hard. The Teeth worked hard. They thought The Belly did nothing. The Belly just ate all the food. The other parts did not like this. They thought it was not fair.
Hands, Mouth, Teeth made a big plan. They said, 'No food for Belly!' They would not help Belly. This was their big choice.
Hands said, 'We will not work for Belly.' We will not find food for it. The Belly does not work. So we will not work for The Belly.'
The Mouth said, 'I will not eat for Belly. I will not open for its food. The Belly must get its own food. I will not help The Belly.'
The Teeth said, 'We will not chew for Belly. We will not chew one small bite. The Belly does not help us. So we will not chew for The Belly.'
All the parts kept their big promise. They did not give The Belly food. No food went to The Belly. This went on for some time.
But then, a strange thing happened. The Hands got very weak. The Mouth got very weak. The Teeth got very weak. All the parts looked very thin and tired. They felt very hungry too. They could not work.
The parts felt very bad. They were all sick now. They knew things were wrong. They needed The Belly. They could not live without it.
The Belly took the food. It sent good power to all parts. The Belly helped them all. It did not look like work. But The Belly did very big work. All the parts knew this. They started to work as one again.
The Hands worked. The Mouth ate. The Teeth chewed. The Belly worked too. All parts were happy and strong. See? All need all. Work as one. All are strong and happy!
Original Story
FABLE LV.
THE BELLY AND THE MEMBERS.
In former days, when the Belly and the other parts of the body enjoyed the faculty of speech, and had separate views and designs of their own; each part, it seems, in particular, for himself, and in the name of the whole, took exception at the conduct of the Belly, and were resolved to grant him supplies no longer.
They said they thought it very hard that he should lead an idle, good-for-nothing life, spending and squandering away upon his own vile appetites all the fruits of their labour; and that, in short, they were resolved for the future to strike off his allowance, and let him shift for himself as well as he could.
The hands protested they would not lift a finger to keep him from starving; and the mouth wished he might never speak again if he took in the least bit of nourishment for him as long as he lived; and the teeth said, "May we be rotten if ever we chew a morsel for him for the future!" This solemn league and covenant was kept so long, until each of the rebel members pined away to the skin and bone, and could hold out no longer. Then they found there was no doing without the Belly, and that, as idle and insignificant as he seemed, he contributed as much to the maintenance and welfare of all the other parts as they did to his.
MORAL.
Men are dependent upon their fellow-creatures, and it is foolish to expect we can do without the help of others.
Story DNA
Moral
Men are dependent upon their fellow-creatures, and it is foolish to expect we can do without the help of others.
Plot Summary
In a time when body parts could speak, the Hands, Mouth, and Teeth grew resentful of the Belly, believing it to be idle and wasteful of their labor. They formed a pact to stop supplying the Belly with food, vowing not to work or eat for it. As a result, all the body parts began to waste away, realizing too late that the seemingly unproductive Belly was essential for their collective sustenance and well-being. They then understood their interdependence and resumed their functions.
Themes
Emotional Arc
pride to humility
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This fable is often attributed to Aesop and was famously retold by Livy in ancient Rome to quell a plebeian secession, illustrating the interdependence of different social classes.
Plot Beats (9)
- The body parts (Members) complain about the Belly's idle life, accusing it of consuming all the fruits of their labor.
- The Members decide to cut off the Belly's food supply.
- The Hands protest they will not lift a finger for the Belly.
- The Mouth vows not to take in nourishment for the Belly.
- The Teeth swear not to chew a morsel for the Belly.
- The Members uphold their 'solemn league and covenant' for a period.
- Each of the rebel Members begins to pine away, becoming skin and bone.
- The Members realize they cannot survive without the Belly.
- They understand that the Belly, despite appearing idle, contributes equally to their welfare.
Characters
The Belly
A large, rounded, and somewhat distended central mass, appearing soft and unmoving compared to the other parts. It is depicted as the core, the recipient of all sustenance, and initially perceived as sluggish and inactive.
Attire: N/A (as a body part, it has no wardrobe)
Wants: To receive sustenance and process it for the good of the whole body, though its active role is not immediately apparent to others.
Flaw: Its dependence on the other members for direct input of sustenance, making it vulnerable to their rebellion.
Initially seen as a lazy burden, its true value is revealed through the suffering of the other members, proving its essential role.
Passive, seemingly idle, recipient, essential (though not initially perceived as such).
The Hands
Two dexterous, strong, and capable human hands, with visible sinews and joints, appearing ready for work. They are depicted as the primary instruments of labor.
Attire: N/A (as body parts, they have no wardrobe)
Wants: To cease what they perceive as unfair labor for an idle Belly; to assert their perceived independence.
Flaw: Their inability to sustain themselves without the nourishment provided by the Belly.
From strong and rebellious to weak and pining, they learn their interdependence with the Belly.
Hardworking, resentful, rebellious, ultimately weakened and dependent.
The Mouth
A human mouth, with lips, tongue, and the opening to the throat, appearing capable of speech and ingestion. Initially full and healthy, later becoming parched and shrunken.
Attire: N/A (as a body part, it has no wardrobe)
Wants: To cease providing nourishment to the Belly; to assert its perceived independence.
Flaw: Its inability to sustain itself without the nourishment provided by the Belly.
From vocal rebellion to silent suffering, it learns its interdependence with the Belly.
Vocal, resolute, rebellious, ultimately weakened and dependent.
The Teeth
A set of human teeth, white and strong, capable of chewing and grinding. Initially robust, later becoming brittle and possibly loose due to lack of nourishment.
Attire: N/A (as body parts, they have no wardrobe)
Wants: To cease chewing food for the Belly; to assert their perceived independence.
Flaw: Their inability to sustain themselves without the nourishment provided by the Belly.
From strong defiance to decay, they learn their interdependence with the Belly.
Resolute, rebellious, ultimately weakened and dependent.
Locations
The Interior of a Human Body (Allegorical)
An allegorical, abstract representation of the internal human body, where different 'members' (hands, mouth, teeth) are personified and capable of speech and independent thought. It is not a literal anatomical depiction but a conceptual space where these parts interact.
Mood: Initially contentious and rebellious, later becoming weak, desperate, and ultimately harmonious.
The initial rebellion of the body parts against the Belly, their subsequent weakening, and eventual realization of interdependence.