FABLE XXVII
by Unknown · from Favourite Fables in Prose and Verse
Adapted Version
Once there was a small, hungry Mouse. He looked for food. He saw a big basket. The basket had corn. Mouse was very hungry. He found a small hole. The hole was in the basket. It was a tiny hole. Mouse wanted the corn. He pushed his head in.
The hole was very small. Mouse pushed and pushed. He squeezed his body. It was a tight fit. Mouse worked very hard. He got through the hole. He was inside the basket. Now he could eat. He felt very happy.
Mouse saw much corn. He ate and ate. The corn was sweet. He ate a lot of corn. Mouse felt very full. His belly got big. He got very plump. Mouse was round now. He ate more and more. He was not hungry anymore. He felt sleepy now. His body was fat.
Mouse wanted to leave. He went to the hole. He tried to go out. He pushed his head. His body was too big. He could not fit. Mouse pushed hard. He got stuck. Oh no! Mouse was stuck. He felt very sad. He felt very worried. He tried again and again. He could not get out.
A Weasel was near. Weasel watched Mouse. He saw Mouse push and push. He saw Mouse get stuck. Weasel stood far away. He watched Mouse try. Mouse could not move. Weasel saw everything. He looked at the stuck Mouse.
Weasel spoke to Mouse. "Hello, Mouse," he said. "You are stuck in there." Mouse looked at Weasel. Weasel came a little closer. "I see your problem," he said. "I can tell you a way."
Weasel spoke clearly. "You came in small," he said. "You were very thin then." "You ate much corn." "Now you are big and plump." "You cannot go out of the hole." "You must be small again." "You must get thin again." "Do not eat for some days." "Then your body will be small." "Then you can leave the basket." "Be like you were before." "This is the only way out." Mouse understood Weasel. He must get small. He must eat less. This is how Mouse learned.
Original Story
FABLE XXVII.
THE MOUSE AND THE WEASEL.
A little starveling rogue of a Mouse had, with much pushing application, made his way through a small hole in a corn-basket, where he stuffed and crammed so plentifully, that, when he would have retired the way he came, he found himself too plump, with all his endeavours, to accomplish it. A Weasel, who stood at some distance, and had been diverting himself with beholding the vain efforts of the little fat thing, called to him, and said, "Harkee, honest friend; if you have a mind to make your escape, there is but one way for it: contrive to grow as poor and lean as you were when you entered, and then, perhaps, you may get off."
MORAL.
If evil habits have got a man into difficulties, there is no surer way to extricate himself than, by God's help, to cast those habits off.
Story DNA
Moral
If evil habits have got a man into difficulties, there is no surer way to extricate himself than, by God's help, to cast those habits off.
Plot Summary
A hungry, skinny mouse squeezes into a corn-basket through a small hole and eats so much that he becomes too plump to get back out. A weasel, observing the mouse's futile struggles, calls out to him, explaining that the only way to escape is to become as lean as he was when he first entered. The fable teaches that to overcome difficulties caused by bad habits, one must shed those habits.
Themes
Emotional Arc
complacency to distress to realization
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Fables are ancient forms of storytelling, often attributed to Aesop, designed to teach moral lessons through simple narratives.
Plot Beats (7)
- A small, hungry mouse finds a tiny hole in a corn-basket.
- The mouse squeezes through the hole and enters the basket.
- Inside, the mouse eats a large amount of corn, becoming very plump.
- When the mouse tries to leave, he finds he is too fat to fit back through the hole.
- A weasel, watching from afar, is amused by the mouse's futile attempts to escape.
- The weasel calls out to the mouse, offering advice.
- The weasel tells the mouse that the only way to escape is to become as thin as he was when he first entered.
Characters
The Mouse
Initially a small, scrawny, 'starveling rogue' mouse, but after gorging on corn, he becomes noticeably plump and round, with a distended belly that prevents him from fitting through small spaces. His fur is likely a common brown or grey.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To satisfy his hunger and escape with his ill-gotten gains.
Flaw: Gluttony and lack of foresight, leading him to overindulge without considering the consequences.
He begins as a hungry, successful scavenger, but his success leads to his downfall, leaving him trapped and facing the consequences of his greed.
Opportunistic, gluttonous, initially determined (to get food), later frustrated and desperate (to escape).
The Weasel
A slender, agile weasel, typical of its species, with a long, lithe body and short legs. Its fur is likely a reddish-brown or yellowish-brown, common for weasels, allowing it to blend into its environment.
Attire: None, as it is an animal.
Wants: To observe and offer a stark, unvarnished truth to the Mouse.
Flaw: Lack of empathy; it finds amusement in the Mouse's predicament.
Remains unchanged, serving as a static figure of wisdom and observation.
Observant, cynical, wise (in a practical, unsympathetic way), somewhat mocking.
Locations
Inside the Corn-Basket
A confined space filled with loose corn kernels, likely made of woven wicker or wood slats, with a small, irregular hole in its side.
Mood: Initially abundant and satisfying, then claustrophobic and desperate.
The Mouse gorges himself on corn and then realizes he is too fat to escape.
Area Outside the Corn-Basket
A dimly lit storage area, possibly a barn or pantry, with the corn-basket sitting on a rough wooden floor or shelf. The Weasel observes from a short distance.
Mood: Observational, slightly mocking, with a sense of quiet tension.
The Weasel watches the Mouse's futile escape attempts and offers cynical advice.