FABLE VIII
by Unknown · from Favourite Fables in Prose and Verse
Adapted Version
There was a big, hungry Wolf. He loved to eat. Wolf ate his food very fast. A bone got stuck in his throat. Oh no! Wolf felt very, very bad. It hurt him much. He could not eat more. He was very uncomfortable. He needed help.
Wolf made sad sounds. He walked here and there. He asked every animal for help. "Please help me!" Wolf said. He promised a special gift for help. He promised a good gift. He promised a big reward.
Crane heard Wolf. Crane had a very long neck. Crane thought about the special gift. "Will you give the gift?" Crane asked. Wolf said yes and made a promise. Crane believed Wolf. Crane wanted to help. Crane was a good helper. Crane liked to help others.
Crane was very brave. Crane was very careful. Crane put its long neck inside. It went into Wolf's big mouth. It went deep into Wolf's throat. Crane looked for the bone. Wolf stayed very still. He did not move.
Crane found the bone. Crane took the bone with its beak. Crane pulled the bone out. Pop! The bone was out. Wolf felt good again. Wolf was happy now. The bone was gone. He could breathe.
Crane took its long neck out. Crane looked at Wolf. Crane waited for the special gift. Crane waited for the nice treat. "My gift now?" Crane asked Wolf. Crane was happy to help. Crane did a good job. It saved Wolf.
Wolf looked at Crane. Wolf was not nice. "No gift for you," Wolf said. Wolf said safety was your only gift. "You are safe," he growled. Wolf did not give a treat. Crane was very surprised. Crane was a little sad. Wolf did not keep his big promise. Wolf was not kind. Crane flew away. It felt cheated.
Crane learned a lesson. It was a hard lesson. Do not help unkind people. They do not give back. Crane flew away. Crane was a little sad. Crane was much wiser. Be kind. But be careful who you help. Choose your friends well.
Original Story
FABLE VIII.
THE WOLF AND THE CRANE.
A Wolf, after too greedily devouring his prey, happened to have a bone stick in his throat, which gave him so much pain that he went howling up and down, and importuning every creature he met to lend him a kind hand in order to his relief; nay, he even promised a reward to anyone who should undertake the operation with success. At last the Crane, tempted with the lucre of the reward, and having first made the Wolf confirm his promise with an oath, undertook the business, and ventured his long neck into the rapacious felon's throat.
In short, he plucked out the bone, and expected the promised gratuity; when the Wolf, turning his eyes disdainfully towards him, said, "I did not think you had been so unreasonable! Have I not suffered you safely to draw your neck out of my jaws? And have you the conscience to demand a further reward?"
MORAL.
When we do good to bad men, we must not expect good from them.
Story DNA
Moral
When we do good to bad men, we must not expect good from them.
Plot Summary
A greedy Wolf gets a bone stuck in his throat and, in great pain, promises a reward to anyone who can remove it. A Crane, tempted by the promised payment, bravely inserts its long neck into the Wolf's mouth and successfully extracts the bone. However, when the Crane asks for its reward, the Wolf disdainfully refuses, claiming that allowing the Crane to escape with its life was payment enough, illustrating that one should not expect good from bad men.
Themes
Emotional Arc
hope to disappointment
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Fables often served as moral instruction, using animal characters to represent human traits and situations.
Plot Beats (7)
- A Wolf, after eating too greedily, gets a bone stuck in his throat.
- The Wolf is in great pain and howls, asking every creature for help and promising a reward.
- A Crane is tempted by the reward and makes the Wolf swear an oath to pay.
- The Crane bravely puts its long neck into the Wolf's mouth and throat.
- The Crane successfully pulls the bone out.
- The Crane expects the promised payment from the Wolf.
- The Wolf disdainfully refuses to pay, stating that allowing the Crane to withdraw its neck safely was payment enough.
Characters
The Wolf
A large, powerful, and muscular wolf with a thick coat of coarse, dark grey fur, almost black along his spine and shoulders, fading to lighter grey on his belly. His build is lean and predatory, suggesting strength and speed. He has sharp, yellowed claws and a long, bushy tail.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: Self-preservation (initially to remove the bone), then to avoid fulfilling his promise and exploit others.
Flaw: His own greed and predatory nature, which leads him into trouble and prevents him from forming genuine alliances.
He does not change; he remains true to his ungrateful and predatory nature, reinforcing the fable's moral.
Greedy, ungrateful, cunning, rapacious, deceitful, and self-serving. He shows no remorse or appreciation for help received.
The Crane
A tall, slender crane with long, stilt-like legs and a graceful, elegant build. His plumage is primarily white, with striking black primary flight feathers visible when his wings are folded. His neck is exceptionally long and flexible.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To earn the promised reward, driven by 'lucre'.
Flaw: His trust in the Wolf's oath and his desire for reward, which blinds him to the Wolf's true nature.
He learns a harsh lesson about the nature of evil and the futility of expecting gratitude from the ungrateful. He becomes wiser, though poorer.
Cautious, intelligent, brave (to a degree), and motivated by reward. He is trusting enough to believe a sworn promise, but also practical.
Locations
Forest Edge / Wilderness
A wild, untamed area where the wolf roams, likely near where it hunts its prey. The ground would be uneven, possibly with sparse undergrowth and trees.
Mood: Desperate, wild, untamed, dangerous.
The wolf, in immense pain from the bone in its throat, roams and seeks help.
Clearing for the Operation
A relatively open space where the wolf and crane can interact, allowing the crane to perform the delicate operation without obstruction.
Mood: Tense, precarious, focused, with an underlying sense of danger.
The crane performs the risky operation of removing the bone from the wolf's throat.