FABLE V
by Unknown · from Favourite Fables in Prose and Verse
Adapted Version
A little Ant wants a drink. She goes to the water. The Ant is very thirsty. She walks to a small stream. The water moves fast. It pulls the Ant. The Ant cannot swim. The stream carries her away. She is in danger.
A kind Dove sits in a tree. She sees the Ant. The Ant is in the water. The Dove feels sad. She wants to help the Ant. The Dove looks at the stream.
The kind Dove picks a leaf. It is a big green leaf. She flies to the stream. The Dove drops the leaf. It falls near the Ant. The leaf floats on the water. The Ant sees the leaf.
The Ant climbs on the leaf. The leaf is her boat. The water moves the leaf. It moves to the land. The Ant is safe now. She gets off the leaf. She is happy to be safe.
Later, a Man comes. He has a big net. He wants to catch the Dove. The Man walks quietly. He puts the net on the ground. The Man hides the net. The kind Dove does not see him. She does not know about the net.
The Ant sees the Man. She sees the net. The Ant knows the Man is bad. She knows he wants the Dove. The Ant watches the Man.
The Man moves close to the Dove. He wants to throw the net. The Ant runs very fast. She runs to the Man's foot. The Ant bites his heel. She bites him hard. The Man feels the bite.
The Man shouts. He jumps up. He moves his foot. The Man looks at his heel. The Dove hears the shout. She sees the Man. The Dove sees the net.
The Dove sees the danger. She flies up high. She flies away fast. The Man cannot catch her. The Dove is safe now.
The Dove is safe. The Ant helped her. It is good to be kind. Small friends can help big friends.
Original Story
FABLE V.
THE DOVE AND THE ANT.
The Ant, compelled by thirst, went to drink in a clear, purling rivulet; but the current, with its circling eddy, snatched her away, and carried her down the stream. A Dove, pitying her distressed condition, cropped a branch from a neighbouring tree and let it fall into the water, by means of which the Ant saved herself and got ashore. Not long after, a Fowler, having a design against the Dove, planted his nets in due order, without the bird's observing what he was about; which the Ant perceiving, just as he was going to put his design into execution, she bit his heel, and made him give so sudden a start, that the Dove took the alarm, and flew away.
MORAL.
Kindness to others seldom fails of its reward; and none is so weak that he may not be able in some fashion to repay it. Let us show kindness without looking for a return, but a blessing will surely follow.
Story DNA
Moral
Kindness to others seldom fails of its reward; and none is so weak that he may not be able in some fashion to repay it.
Plot Summary
An Ant, swept away by a river, is saved by a Dove who drops a branch for it. Later, a Fowler attempts to capture the Dove with nets. The Ant, observing the danger, bites the Fowler's heel, startling him and allowing the Dove to escape. The story illustrates that kindness is often rewarded, and even the smallest among us can offer significant help.
Themes
Emotional Arc
danger to safety to danger to safety
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Fables are ancient forms of storytelling, often attributed to Aesop, used to convey moral lessons through animal characters.
Plot Beats (9)
- An Ant goes to drink from a rivulet but is caught by the current and carried downstream.
- A Dove sees the Ant's predicament and feels pity.
- The Dove crops a branch from a tree and drops it into the water near the Ant.
- The Ant uses the branch to save herself and reach the shore.
- Later, a Fowler sets nets to catch the Dove, unnoticed by the bird.
- The Ant observes the Fowler's actions.
- Just as the Fowler is about to execute his plan, the Ant bites his heel.
- The Fowler makes a sudden start, which alarms the Dove.
- The Dove flies away, escaping the Fowler's trap.
Characters
The Ant
A small, segmented insect, approximately 3-5 millimeters long, with a dark, reddish-brown exoskeleton. Its body is clearly divided into a head, thorax, and abdomen. It possesses six slender legs and two antennae. Its build is sturdy and compact for its size.
Attire: None, as it is an insect.
Wants: Survival, and later, to repay kindness.
Flaw: Small size and vulnerability to natural elements like water currents.
Initially a victim of circumstance, it transforms into a rescuer, demonstrating that even the smallest creature can perform a significant act of kindness.
Resourceful, determined, observant, grateful.
The Dove
A plump, medium-sized bird, about 30-35 cm in length, with soft, greyish-white plumage. Its body is rounded and graceful, with a short neck and a small head. Its wings are broad and its tail is moderately long.
Attire: None, as it is a bird.
Wants: To help those in distress, acting purely out of kindness.
Flaw: Unaware of human threats, making it vulnerable to traps.
Remains consistent in its compassionate nature, but learns the value of unexpected aid when its own life is saved.
Compassionate, observant, altruistic, trusting.
The Fowler
A lean, wiry man of average height, with sun-weathered skin, indicative of an outdoor life. His build is practical for moving through natural terrain, neither overly muscular nor frail.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant clothing suitable for hunting in a rural setting, likely made of coarse linen or wool in muted earth tones like browns, greens, and greys. He wears sturdy, worn leather boots and possibly a simple tunic and trousers, perhaps with a leather belt.
Wants: To capture birds, likely for food or sale, driven by practical needs.
Flaw: Vulnerable to unexpected pain, causing him to lose focus and reveal his presence.
Remains consistent in his role as a hunter, but his plans are thwarted by an unforeseen intervention.
Cunning, patient, opportunistic, somewhat ruthless in his pursuit of prey.
Locations
Clear, Purling Rivulet
A small, clear stream of water with a gentle, circling eddy, likely surrounded by natural vegetation.
Mood: Initially serene, then suddenly perilous and urgent for the ant, before becoming a place of rescue.
The Ant is swept away by the current and subsequently saved by the Dove's branch.
Area near the Rivulet with a Tree
The immediate vicinity of the rivulet, featuring a tree from which the Dove plucks a branch, and later where a fowler sets his nets.
Mood: Initially a place of observation and rescue, later becomes a tense scene of danger and quick action.
The Dove observes the Ant's plight and drops a branch; later, the Fowler sets his nets to catch the Dove, and the Ant intervenes.