FABLE LXVIII
by Unknown · from Favourite Fables in Prose and Verse
Adapted Version
A Farmer drove his big cart. The road was soft. It rained before. The road was very wet. Oh no! The cart got stuck in the mud! It sank very deep. The cart could not move at all. The Farmer was very sad. He felt stuck too.
The Farmer whipped his Horses. "Pull!" he said. The Horses pulled very hard. They pulled and pulled. They tried their best. The mud was too strong. The cart did not move. The Horses were very tired. They breathed very fast. The cart stayed stuck in the mud.
The Farmer did not know what to do. He felt very sad. He scratched his head. He looked at the cart. He looked at the deep mud. The cart was still stuck. He sighed a big, sad sigh. He had no ideas.
A little Butterfly was on the cart. She ate a flower. She was very happy there. Then she heard a big noise. The Horses pulled and pulled. The Farmer sighed loudly. The cart shook a little. The Butterfly woke up. She opened her pretty eyes.
The Butterfly saw the Farmer. He looked very, very sad. She saw the stuck cart. She saw the tired Horses. "Oh dear," she thought. "This was bad. She felt sad. She wanted to help."
The little Butterfly thought, "Oh no! My small weight is too much!" She said, "I must fly now!" She flew up from the cart. She called, "Go now, Farmer!" She helped. She was a very, very small bug.
But wait! Did the Butterfly really help the cart move? No, not really. She was so very, very small. Her little weight was not much. She thought she was very important. She thought her help was very big. She was a little bit silly, you see.
So, remember the little Butterfly. It is good to be kind. It is good to help others. But we do not need to boast. Do not boast. Small help is good. But it is not always the biggest help.
Original Story
FABLE LXVIII.
THE WAGGONER AND THE BUTTERFLY.
The rain so soft had made the road,
That, in a rut, a waggon-load,
The poor man's harvest, (bitter luck!)
Sank down a foot, and there it stuck.
He whipped his horses, but in vain;
They pulled and splashed, and pulled again,
But vainly still; the slippery soil
Defied their strength, and mocked their toil.
Panting they stood, with legs outspread;
The driver stood, and scratched his head:
(A common custom, by-the-bye,
When people know not what to try,
Though not, it seems, a remedy).
A Butterfly, in flower concealed,
Had travelled with them from the field;
Who in the waggon was thrown up,
While feasting on a buttercup.
The panting of each labouring beast
Disturbed her at her fragrant feast;
The sudden stop, the driver's sigh,
Awoke her generous sympathy.
And, seeing the distressing case
She cried, while springing from her place,
(Imagining her tiny freight
A vast addition to the weight,)
"I must have pity—and be gone,
Now, master Waggoner, drive on."
MORAL.
Do not admire this Butterfly,
Young reader; I will tell you why.
At first, goodnature seems a cause,
Why she should merit your applause;
But 'twas conceit that filled her breast:
Her self-importance made a jest
Of what might otherwise have claimed
Your praise,—but now she must be blamed.
Should any case occur, when you
May have some friendly act to do;
Give all your feeble aid—as such,
But estimate it not too much.
Story DNA
Moral
Do not overestimate the importance of your own small contributions, even when acting with good intentions.
Plot Summary
A waggoner's cart becomes deeply stuck in a muddy rut, and despite his and his horses' strenuous efforts, they cannot free it. A small Butterfly, who had been resting in the cart, observes their distress. Believing her tiny weight to be a significant burden, she dramatically announces her departure to lighten the load and help the waggoner. The fable concludes with a direct moral, cautioning readers against admiring the Butterfly's conceit and instead encouraging humble contributions without overestimating their value.
Themes
Emotional Arc
amusement to reflection
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Fables were a common form of moral instruction, often featuring anthropomorphic animals, popular in various cultures for centuries.
Plot Beats (8)
- The road, softened by rain, causes a waggoner's cart to sink deeply into a rut.
- The waggoner and his horses struggle fruitlessly to pull the heavy, stuck cart.
- The waggoner, at a loss, scratches his head in frustration.
- A Butterfly, who had been feasting on a buttercup in the cart, is disturbed by the commotion.
- The Butterfly observes the distressing situation and feels a sense of sympathy.
- Mistakenly believing her tiny weight is a significant factor, the Butterfly declares she must leave to lighten the load.
- The narrator then directly addresses the reader, explaining that the Butterfly's actions, while appearing good-natured, are actually born of conceit.
- The moral advises readers to offer their help humbly and not to overestimate its importance.
Characters
The Waggoner
A man of average height and sturdy build, accustomed to manual labor. His hands are likely calloused, and his face weathered from exposure to the elements.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant clothing suitable for manual labor and the outdoors. Likely a coarse linen or wool tunic, sturdy breeches, and worn leather boots. Colors would be earthy and muted, such as browns, greys, or undyed fabrics.
Wants: To deliver his harvest and overcome the obstacle of the stuck waggon.
Flaw: His inability to solve the problem on his own, leading to despair.
He starts determined, becomes frustrated and helpless, and ends in a state of resignation, scratching his head.
Hardworking, persistent (initially), frustrated, perplexed, resigned.
The Butterfly
A delicate, small insect with vibrant, patterned wings. Its body is slender and covered in fine hairs.
Attire: Its natural wing patterns serve as its 'clothing'. The story implies it's a common field butterfly, so perhaps a species like a Painted Lady or a Cabbage White, with white, orange, or yellow wings and black markings.
Wants: To feel important and believe its actions have significant impact, even when they don't.
Flaw: Extreme vanity and a complete lack of self-awareness regarding its actual size and influence.
Remains unchanged, continuing in its state of self-importance.
Conceited, self-important, deluded, superficially sympathetic, dramatic.
The Horses
Strong, draft horses, likely large and muscular, suitable for pulling a heavy waggon. Their coats might be dark, such as bay or brown, and their manes and tails thick.
Attire: Simple leather harnesses and bridles, showing signs of wear from labor.
Wants: To pull the waggon forward, driven by their master's commands.
Flaw: Their physical limits against the overwhelming obstacle of the mud.
They start strong, become exhausted, and ultimately fail to move the waggon.
Hardworking, strong, persistent (initially), obedient, exhausted, defeated.
Locations
A muddy country road
A rural dirt road, softened by recent rain, with a deep rut where a heavy waggon has become stuck. The soil is slippery and defiant.
Mood: Frustrated, stuck, challenging
The waggon gets stuck, and the waggoner struggles to free it.
A buttercup in the waggon
A vibrant buttercup flower, recently plucked from a field, now rests within the harvest load of the waggon. A small butterfly is feasting on its nectar.
Mood: Initially peaceful, then disturbed
The butterfly, disturbed by the waggon's predicament, decides to 'help' by flying away.