FABLE XCIV
by Unknown · from Favourite Fables in Prose and Verse
Adapted Version
Once, there was a little bird. It was a bird. It loved to sing.
The bird sang all day. It sang all night too. The bird felt very hungry. Its tummy was empty. It needed food now. It looked for food.
The bird looked around. It looked on the ground. It saw a little light. A small light shone bright. It was a Glow-worm. The Glow-worm was on the ground.
The bird sat on a tree branch. It saw the bright light. The bird flew down. It flew fast to the ground. It wanted to catch the Glow-worm. It wanted to take the Glow-worm. It was very hungry.
The Glow-worm saw the big bird. It saw the bird coming. The Glow-worm was scared. It quickly spoke. It spoke to the bird.
"Stop!" said the Glow-worm. "You like my pretty song. I like your bright light. We are both special. You sing a nice song for all. I make a nice light for all. You would not hurt my song. So, please do not hurt my light. We are friends. We help each other."
"Nature made us both. Nature made you special. You sing a nice song. Nature made me special too. I have a nice light. We both make the night pretty. You make music for all. I make light for all. We both help the night. We are good. We are special. We are good. We shine in the dark. You sing in the dark."
The bird listened to the Glow-worm. It heard all the words. The bird thought about it. The Glow-worm was right. All are special. The bird knew. It did not want to hurt.
The bird let the Glow-worm go. It did not catch it. The bird flew away. It flew to find other food. It found a good supper. The Glow-worm was safe.
We should be kind to all. All are special. We can all be good friends.
Original Story
FABLE XCIV.
THE NIGHTINGALE AND THE GLOW-WORM.
A Nightingale, that, all day long,
Had cheered the village with his song,
Nor yet at eve his note suspended,
Nor yet when eventide was ended,
Began to feel, as well he might,
The keen demands of appetite;
When, looking eagerly around,
He spied, far off, upon the ground,
A something shining in the dark,
And knew the Glow-worm by his spark;
So, stooping down from hawthorn top,
He thought to put him in his crop.
The Worm, aware of his intent,
Harangued him thus, right eloquent:—
"Did you admire my lamp," quoth he,
"As much as I your minstrelsy,
You would abhor to do me wrong,
As much as I to spoil your song;
For 'twas the self-same power divine
Taught you to sing and me to shine;
That you with music, I with light,
Might beautify and cheer the night."
The songster heard his short oration,
And, warbling out his approbation,
Released him, as my story tells,
And found a supper somewhere else.
MORAL.
From this short fable, youth may learn
Their real interest to discern,
That brother should not strive with brother,
And worry and oppress each other;
But, joined in unity and peace,
Their mutual happiness increase:
Pleased when each others' faults they hide,
And in their virtues feel a pride.
Story DNA
Moral
It is in everyone's best interest for individuals to respect each other's unique contributions and live in unity, rather than striving against or oppressing one another.
Plot Summary
A hungry Nightingale, after singing all day, spots a glowing Glow-worm and intends to eat it. The Glow-worm, however, eloquently argues that both creatures were given their unique abilities by the same divine power to beautify the night, and therefore, they should appreciate each other rather than cause harm. Convinced by this reasoning, the Nightingale releases the Glow-worm and seeks its meal elsewhere, learning a lesson in mutual respect and unity.
Themes
Emotional Arc
tension to resolution
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Fables often served as moral instruction, particularly for youth, in pre-modern societies.
Plot Beats (8)
- A Nightingale, having sung all day and into the night, becomes very hungry.
- It looks around for food and spots a shining Glow-worm on the ground.
- The Nightingale swoops down from its hawthorn perch, intending to eat the Glow-worm.
- The Glow-worm, realizing the Nightingale's intent, speaks up to defend itself.
- The Glow-worm argues that if the Nightingale admired its light as much as it admired the Nightingale's song, it would not wish to harm it.
- It explains that the same divine power gave both of them their unique abilities – song to the Nightingale, light to the Glow-worm – to beautify the night.
- The Nightingale listens to the Glow-worm's speech and approves of its reasoning.
- The Nightingale releases the Glow-worm and flies off to find supper elsewhere.
Characters
The Nightingale
A small, slender bird, about 6-7 inches long, with a delicate build. Its plumage is predominantly plain brown, with a slightly rufous-brown back and tail, and a paler, grayish-white underside. Its legs are thin and dark.
Attire: Natural brown and rufous-brown feathers, providing camouflage within its natural habitat.
Wants: To sing and cheer the village, and to satisfy its hunger.
Flaw: Susceptibility to hunger, which can override its appreciation for beauty.
Begins as a creature driven by instinct (hunger) but learns to recognize and respect the shared divine purpose and beauty in another creature, choosing compassion over immediate gratification.
Artistic, appreciative of beauty (initially), pragmatic (when hungry), capable of empathy, and ultimately reasonable.
The Glow-worm
A small, elongated insect, typically about 15-25 mm long, with a soft, segmented body. Its most distinguishing feature is the bioluminescent organ at its tail end, emitting a steady, greenish-yellow light. The body is dark, often brownish or blackish, with a somewhat flattened appearance.
Attire: Its natural chitinous exoskeleton, dark and segmented, with the glowing segment at its posterior.
Wants: To survive and to fulfill its divine purpose of beautifying the night with light.
Flaw: Its small size and vulnerability to predators.
Remains consistent in its purpose and character, serving as the catalyst for the Nightingale's change.
Eloquent, philosophical, quick-witted, persuasive, and self-aware of its unique gift.
Locations
Hawthorn Top
The very top of a hawthorn bush, likely part of a hedgerow or small thicket, providing a vantage point for the nightingale.
Mood: Serene, but with a hint of predatory hunger, then shifting to thoughtful consideration.
The nightingale spots the glow-worm from here and prepares to swoop down.
Ground beneath the Hawthorn
The dark ground beneath the hawthorn bush where the glow-worm emits its light, likely covered in grass or fallen leaves.
Mood: Dark, quiet, with a small, steady point of light, initially vulnerable, then becoming a stage for eloquent persuasion.
The glow-worm is found here and delivers its speech to the nightingale.