FABLE XVI
by Unknown · from Favourite Fables in Prose and Verse
Adapted Version
Jupiter is a big god. All creatures come to him. They ask for things. Birds come. Beasts come. Jupiter listens to all. He helps them. Creatures tell him wishes. Jupiter is very wise.
Then Horse came. He walked with head high. Horse felt very good. He was not polite. Horse walked near Jupiter. He stood before the god. Horse looked at Jupiter. He had a big wish.
Horse said, "I am strong. I am fast. I am pretty. But I am not happy. I want to be better. My body can change. Jupiter, help me. Make me new. I want more."
Horse said, "My legs are good. But I want longer legs. Then I can run faster. Man rides on my back. I want a saddle there. It will help man. It will help me."
Jupiter heard Horse. He smiled a little. Jupiter thought, "This is silly." Horse asked for strange things. Jupiter did not get angry. He saw no real wrong. He just saw a fool. Jupiter had a plan.
Jupiter hit the ground. He hit it with power. A new creature came up. It stood near Horse. It was a Camel. Horse saw the Camel. Horse was very scared. He shook with fear.
Jupiter said, "Look, Horse! See this creature? It has long legs. Longer than your legs. It has a big hump. This hump is like a saddle. It is on its back. This is your wish."
Jupiter asked Horse, "Tell me. Which body is better? Yours or the Camel's? Do you want to be him? Do you want his shape? Speak now, silly Horse. Tell me your wish."
Horse looked at Camel. He looked at his own body. Horse felt very small. He felt bad now. Horse had no words. He did not speak. He was quiet. He hung his head.
Jupiter spoke to Horse. "Go away now," he said. "Be happy with your gifts. Be thankful for your body. You have good things. Do not wish for more. Be glad for what you are."
Jupiter said, "Camel is good. Camel helps people. You are pretty, Horse. But you are proud. You are not happy." Horse went away. Horse learned a lesson. It is good to be happy. Do not wish for more.
Original Story
FABLE XVI.
THE DISCONTENTED HORSE.
As Jupiter once was receiving petitions
From birds and from beasts of all ranks and conditions;
With an eye full of fire, and mane quite erect,
Which, I'm sorry to say, shewed but little respect,
The Horse went as near as he dared to the throne,
And thus made his donkey-like sentiments known:
"For beauty of symmetry, fleetness, and force,
It is said that all animals yield to the Horse;
While my spirit I feel, and my figure I view
In the brook, I'm inclined to believe it is true;
But still, mighty Jupiter, still, by your aid,
In my form might some further improvements be made.
To run is my duty, and swifter and stronger
I surely should go, were my legs to be longer:
And as man always places a seat on my back,
I should have been made with a saddle or sack;
It had saved him much trouble, on journies departing,
And I had been constantly ready for starting."
Great Jupiter smiled (for he laughed at the brute,
As he saw more of folly than vice in his suit),
And striking the earth with omnipotent force,
A Camel rose up near the terrified Horse:
He trembled—he started—his mane shook with fright,
And he staggered half round, as preparing for flight.
"Behold!" exclaimed Jove, "there an animal stands
With both your improvements at once to your hands:
His legs are much longer; the hump on his back
Well answers the purpose of saddle or sack:
Of your shapes, tell me, which is more finished and trim?
Speak out, silly Horse, would you wish to be him?"
The Horse looked abashed, and had nothing to say
And Jove, with reproaches, thus sent him away:
"Begone, till you gratefully feel and express
Your thanks for the blessings and gifts you possess.
The Camel, though plain, is mild, useful, and good;
You are handsome, but proud, discontented and rude."
Story DNA
Moral
Be grateful for what you have, as discontentment can lead to foolish desires and a lack of appreciation for your own unique blessings.
Plot Summary
At Jupiter's court, a proud Horse complains about his physical form, wishing for longer legs and a built-in saddle. Amused by the Horse's folly, Jupiter creates a Camel, an animal possessing both the 'improvements' the Horse desired, but in an ungainly way. Confronted with the Camel, the Horse is shamed into silence. Jupiter then dismisses him with a lecture on gratitude and humility, urging him to appreciate his own blessings rather than envying others.
Themes
Emotional Arc
pride to humility
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Fables often draw on classical figures like Jupiter to lend authority to their moral lessons, a common practice in European literature.
Plot Beats (11)
- Jupiter holds court, receiving petitions from all animals.
- A proud and disrespectful Horse approaches Jupiter's throne.
- The Horse acknowledges his own beauty and strength but expresses discontent with his form.
- He requests longer legs for greater speed and a built-in saddle for man's convenience.
- Jupiter smiles, seeing the folly in the Horse's demands.
- Jupiter strikes the earth, causing a Camel to appear near the terrified Horse.
- Jupiter points out that the Camel has both the longer legs and the 'saddle' (hump) the Horse desired.
- Jupiter asks the Horse if he would now prefer to be the Camel.
- The Horse is abashed and has nothing to say.
- Jupiter reproaches the Horse, telling him to be grateful for his own blessings.
- Jupiter contrasts the Horse's pride with the Camel's usefulness and mildness, sending the Horse away.
Characters
The Horse
A majestic and powerful equine, known for its beauty, symmetry, fleetness, and force. It has a muscular build, long legs, and a flowing mane. Its coat color is not specified, but it is implied to be visually appealing.
Attire: None, as an animal.
Wants: To be 'improved' in its form, believing longer legs would make it swifter and stronger, and a built-in saddle/sack would make it more convenient for humans.
Flaw: Its pride and discontentment. It fails to appreciate its inherent gifts and beauty, constantly seeking flaws and demanding changes.
Starts as proud and discontented, demanding changes to its form. It is humbled and abashed by Jupiter's lesson, learning to appreciate its own blessings.
Proud, discontented, rude, foolish, ungrateful, and initially self-absorbed. It believes itself superior but constantly seeks improvement.
Jupiter
A powerful and omnipotent deity, ruler of the heavens and earth. His physical form is not explicitly described but implied to be grand and imposing, befitting a god.
Attire: Implied to be regal and divine, though not specified.
Wants: To teach humility and gratitude to his petitioners, maintaining order and wisdom in the animal kingdom.
Flaw: None apparent, as a deity.
Remains constant as the wise and powerful ruler, acting as a teacher.
Wise, powerful, amused, patient (initially), reproaching, just. He sees folly rather than vice in the Horse's demands.
The Camel
An animal with much longer legs than a horse and a distinctive hump on its back. It is described as 'plain' in appearance compared to the Horse.
Attire: None, as an animal.
Wants: To exist as a useful creature, fulfilling its purpose.
Flaw: None apparent in the story.
Appears as a static example, does not change.
Mild, useful, and good, serving as a contrast to the Horse's pride and discontent.
Locations
Jupiter's Throne Room
A grand, celestial hall where Jupiter receives petitions. The atmosphere is one of divine authority, yet also accessible for the animals to approach. The throne itself would be central, radiating power.
Mood: awe-inspiring, formal, powerful, slightly humorous due to Jupiter's reaction
The Horse presents his complaints to Jupiter, and Jupiter summons the Camel.