L’HOROSCOPE
by Jean de La Fontaine · from Fables de La Fontaine
Adapted Version
Once, a father loved his son very much. He worried about his son. The Father had one son. He loved his son so much. He wanted to know the future. He went to a wise person. The wise person knew the next day. The Father asked about his dear son.
The Wise Person spoke to The Father. "Keep your son safe," he said. "Keep him away from lions. Lions are not safe. Do this until he is twenty years old. Then he will be safe." The Father listened well. He thought about the lions. He must protect his son.
The Father wanted to keep his son safe. He made a big rule. The Son must stay inside. He must not leave the house. The house was very big. It had many rooms. The Son could play inside. He could run and jump. But he could not go outside.
The Son grew older. He stayed inside. He wanted to go outside. He wanted to explore. He wanted to see new things. He wanted to play outside. But he could not. His father said no. The Son felt sad. He wanted new things.
The big house had many pictures. One day, The Son saw a picture. It was a picture of a lion. A big, strong lion. It was just a picture. It was on the wall.
The Son looked at the lion picture. He felt very angry. "This lion keeps me inside!" he thought. "It makes me stay here!" He went to the wall. He raised his hand. He hit the lion picture hard. He hit it with his hand.
Behind the lion picture was a nail. A small, sharp nail. The Son hit the nail. It hurt his hand very badly. His hand bled. It was a deep cut. The Father came quickly. He saw his son's hand. He felt very sad.
The Son became very sick. Doctors tried to help him. They tried their very best. But The Son could not get better. He was gone. The Father was very, very sad. He tried to keep his son safe. He kept him from a real lion. But a picture of a lion brought sadness.
So, The Father learned a lesson. He tried hard to keep his son safe. He tried to stop a bad thing. But at times, bad things still happen. They happen in new ways. We must be safe. But we must not worry too much.
Original Story
L’HOROSCOPE.
On rencontre sa destinée
Souvent par des chemins qu’on prend pour l’éviter.
Un père eut pour toute lignée
Un fils qu’il aima trop, jusques à consulter
Sur le sort de sa géniture
Les diseurs de bonne aventure.
Un de ces gens lui dit que des lions surtout
Il éloignât l’enfant jusques à certain âge;
Jusqu’à vingt ans, point davantage.
Le père, pour venir à bout
D’une précaution sur qui rouloit la vie
De celui qu’il aimoit, défendit que jamais
On lui laissât passer le seuil de son palais;
Il pouvoit, sans sortir, contenter son envie,
Avec ses compagnons tout le jour badiner,
Sauter, courir, se promener.
Quand il fut dans l’âge où la chasse
Plaît le plus aux jeunes esprits,
Cet exercice avec mépris
Lui fut dépeint; mais, quoi qu’on fasse,
Propos, conseil, enseignement,
Rien ne change un tempérament.
Le jeune homme, inquiet, ardent, plein de courage,
A peine se sentit des bouillons d’un tel âge,
Qu’il soupira pour ce plaisir.
Plus l’obstacle étoit grand, plus fort fut le désir.
Il savoit le sujet des fatales défenses;
Et, comme ce logis, plein de magnificences,
Abondoit partout en tableaux,
Et que la laine et les pinceaux
Traçoient de tous côtés chasses et paysages,
En cet endroit des animaux,
En cet autre des personnages,
Le jeune homme s’émeut, voyant peint un lion:
Ah! monstre! cria-t-il; c’est toi qui me fais vivre
Dans l’ombre et dans les fers! A ces mots il se livre
Aux transports violents de l’indignation,
Porte le poing sur l’innocente bête.
Sous la tapisserie un clou se rencontra:
Ce clou le blesse, il pénétra
Jusqu’aux ressorts de l’âme; et cette chère tête,
Pour qui l’art d’Esculape en vain fit ce qu’il put,
Dut sa perte à ces soins qu’on prit pour son salut.
Même précaution nuisit au poëte Eschyle.
Quelque devin le menaça, dit-on,
De la chute d’une maison.
Aussitôt il quitta la ville,
Mit son lit en plein champ, loin des toits, sous les cieux.
Un aigle, qui portoit en l’air une tortue,
Passa par là, vit l’homme, et sur sa tête nue,
Qui parut un morceau de rocher à ses yeux,
Étant de cheveux dépourvue,
Laissa tomber sa proie, afin de la casser.
Le pauvre Eschyle ainsi sut ses jours avancer.
De ces exemples il résulte
Que cet art, s’il est vrai, fait tomber dans les maux
Que craint celui qui le consulte;
Mais je l’en justifie, et maintiens qu’il est faux.
Je ne crois point que la Nature
Se soit lié les mains, et nous les lie encor
Jusqu’au point de marquer dans les cieux notre sort.
Il dépend d’une conjoncture
De lieux, de personnes, de temps,
Non des conjonctions de tous ces charlatans.
Ce berger et ce roi sont sous même planète:
L’un d’eux porte le sceptre, et l’autre la houlette.
Jupiter le vouloit ainsi.
Qu’est-ce que Jupiter? Un corps sans connoissance.
D’où vient donc que son influence
Agit différemment sur ces deux hommes-ci?
Puis comment pénétrer jusques à notre monde?
Comment percer des airs la campagne profonde?
Percer Mars, le Soleil, et des vides sans fin?
Un atome la peut détourner en chemin:
Où l’iront retrouver les faiseurs d’horoscope?
L’état où nous voyons l’Europe
Mérite que du moins quelqu’un d’eux l’ait prévu:
Que ne l’a-t-il donc dit? Mais nul d’eux ne l’a su.
L’immense éloignement, le point, et sa vitesse,
Celle aussi de nos passions,
Permettent-ils à leur foiblesse
De suivre pas à pas toutes nos actions?
Notre sort en dépend; sa course entre-suivie
Ne va, non plus que nous, jamais d’un même pas:
Et ces gens veulent au compas
Tracer le cours de notre vie!
Il ne se faut point arrêter
Aux deux faits ambigus que je viens de conter.
Ce fils par trop chéri, ni le bonhomme Eschyle,
N’y font rien: tout aveugle et menteur qu’est cet art,
Il peut frapper au but une fois entre mille;
Ce sont des effets du hasard.
XVII
Story DNA
Moral
Attempts to avoid a prophesied fate often lead directly to it, and relying on fortune-tellers is foolish.
Plot Summary
An overprotective father, warned by a fortune-teller that his son will die by a lion, imprisons the boy within his palace. Despite these precautions, the son, in a fit of rage against his confinement, punches a tapestry depicting a lion, striking a hidden nail and dying from the wound, thus fulfilling the prophecy. The fable then recounts a similar ironic death for the poet Aeschylus, who was killed by a tortoise dropped by an eagle after trying to avoid a prophecy of a falling house. The narrator concludes by arguing against the validity of astrology, stating that such events are mere coincidences, not proof of predetermined fate.
Themes
Emotional Arc
hope to despair | certainty to irony
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Jean de La Fontaine was a 17th-century French fabulist, known for his fables often based on Aesop's and other ancient sources, frequently concluding with a moral or philosophical reflection.
Plot Beats (13)
- A father, doting on his only son, seeks a fortune-teller to learn his child's fate.
- A fortune-teller warns the father to keep the son away from lions until he turns twenty.
- To protect his son, the father confines him within the palace walls, forbidding him to leave.
- The son grows up, developing a strong desire for hunting, despite it being forbidden and depicted negatively.
- While within the palace, the son sees a tapestry depicting a lion.
- Enraged at the lion, which he blames for his confinement, the son punches the tapestry.
- His fist strikes a hidden nail, causing a fatal wound.
- Despite all efforts, the son dies, ironically due to the very precautions taken to save him from a lion.
- The narrator introduces a second anecdote about the poet Aeschylus, who was warned by a diviner about a falling house.
- Aeschylus moves to an open field to avoid the prophecy.
- An eagle drops a tortoise on Aeschylus's bald head, mistaking it for a rock, killing him.
- The narrator concludes that such prophecies, if true, lead to the very misfortunes they predict, but then argues that astrology is false and that fate is not predetermined by celestial bodies.
- The narrator dismisses the two anecdotes as mere coincidences, not proof of astrology's validity.
Characters
The Father
A man of comfortable means, likely of medium height and build, reflecting a life of privilege and concern. His features would show the strain of worry for his son.
Attire: Rich, but not ostentatious, French 17th-century attire. Perhaps a dark velvet doublet over a fine linen shirt with lace cuffs, breeches, and silk stockings. His clothing would suggest his status as a wealthy nobleman or merchant.
Wants: To protect his only son from a prophesied danger and ensure his survival.
Flaw: His excessive fear and belief in prophecy lead him to make decisions that ultimately harm his son.
He remains largely unchanged, his actions driven by his initial fear, which ultimately leads to the tragic outcome.
Overprotective, loving, fearful, superstitious, controlling.
The Young Man
A vibrant and energetic young man, likely of medium height and athletic build, reflecting his desire for activity and the outdoors despite his confinement. His features would be youthful and expressive.
Attire: Comfortable but still refined French 17th-century indoor attire. Perhaps a loose-fitting silk or fine wool tunic over a linen shirt, breeches, and soft leather indoor shoes. His clothing would be less formal than his father's, allowing for movement.
Wants: To experience the world beyond the palace walls, to engage in activities like hunting, and to defy the restrictions placed upon him.
Flaw: His impulsiveness and strong emotions, particularly his indignation, lead him to a rash act that causes his demise.
He attempts to defy his fate by lashing out at the symbol of his confinement, but this very act inadvertently fulfills the prophecy, leading to his death.
Inquisitive, ardent, courageous, restless, defiant.
The Soothsayer
A figure of ambiguous age, perhaps appearing older due to his profession, with a lean build and sharp, observant eyes. His presence would be somewhat mysterious.
Attire: Simple, dark, and somewhat archaic clothing, perhaps a long, plain dark wool robe or tunic, suggesting a detachment from fashionable society and a focus on his craft. No ostentatious jewelry.
Wants: To reveal what he perceives as fate, for a fee.
Flaw: His predictions, even if accurate, can be misinterpreted or lead to actions that inadvertently fulfill them.
A static character, serving as a catalyst for the plot but not undergoing any personal change.
Mysterious, prophetic, detached, perhaps a bit fatalistic.
Locations
The Palace Interior
A magnificent and opulent palace, filled with rich tapestries and paintings depicting hunting scenes and landscapes. The walls are adorned with woven wool and painted canvases showing various animals and figures.
Mood: Luxurious yet confining, a gilded cage designed for protection but ultimately leading to tragedy.
The young man, confined to the palace, strikes a painted lion on a tapestry out of frustration, accidentally hitting a nail that fatally wounds him.
Open Field
A vast, open field, far from any buildings or structures, under the open sky. It is a desolate and exposed landscape.
Mood: Exposed, vulnerable, ironically dangerous despite its perceived safety.
Aeschylus, having left the city to avoid a prophecy of a falling house, lies in an open field where an eagle drops a tortoise on his bald head, mistaking it for a rock.