LE BUCHERON ET MERCURE
by Jean de La Fontaine · from Fables de La Fontaine
Adapted Version
Once, there was an axe man. He had an axe. His axe was very good. It helped him work. One day, he lost his axe. It fell into the deep water.
The axe man was very sad. He cried and cried. "Oh no! My axe!" he said. "Sky God, please help me! Bring back my axe!"
Sky God heard the axe man. Sky God was a kind god. He sent Swift One to help. Swift One was a fast helper.
Swift One came to the axe man. He held a golden axe. The axe was very shiny. "Is this your axe?" Swift One asked.
The axe man looked at the axe. "No," he said. "That is not my axe. My axe is not gold." He was honest.
Swift One showed a next axe. It was a silver axe. It also shone brightly. "Is this your axe?" Swift One asked. "No," said the axe man.
Then Swift One showed a wooden axe. It looked old and plain. The axe man smiled big. "Yes!" he cried. "This is my axe! My own axe!" He was very happy.
Swift One was happy too. "You are honest," he said. "You get all three axes. Gold, silver, and your axe. The axe man got a big reward."
The axe man was rich. Other axe men heard the story. They heard about the gold axe. They heard about the silver axe.
The Other axe men wanted riches. They were not honest. They threw their axes in the water. They cried loudly for Sky God. "Help us! Our axes are lost!"
Swift One came to them. He held a golden axe. It was very shiny. "Is this your axe?" Swift One asked them.
Each axe man pointed fast. "Yes!" they shouted. "That is my axe! Give me my golden axe!" They lied.
Swift One was not happy. He knew they lied. "You are not honest," he said. He took the golden axe away. He did not give them any axes. They had nothing.
Think, it is always best to be honest. Be happy with what you have. Do not try to trick others. Lying is never a good idea. Sky God knows the truth always.
Original Story
LE BUCHERON ET MERCURE.
A M. LE C. D. B.[34]
Votre goût a servi de règle à mon ouvrage:
J’ai tenté les moyens d’acquérir son suffrage.
Vous voulez qu’on évite un soin trop curieux,
Et des vains ornements l’effort ambitieux;
Je le veux comme vous: cet effort ne peut plaire.
Un auteur gâte tout quand il veut trop bien faire.
Non qu’il faille bannir certains traits délicats:
Vous les aimez, ces traits, et je ne les hais pas.
Quant au principal but qu’Ésope se propose,
J’y tombe au moins mal que je puis.
Enfin, si dans ces vers je ne plais et n’instruis,
Il ne tient pas à moi; c’est toujours quelque chose.
Comme la force est un point
Dont je ne me pique point,
Je tâche d’y tourner le vice en ridicule,
Ne pouvant l’attaquer avec des bras d’Hercule.
C’est là tout mon talent; je ne sais s’il suffit.
Tantôt je peins en un récit
La sotte vanité jointe avecque l’envie,
Deux pivots sur qui roule aujourd’hui notre vie.
Tel est ce chétif animal
Qui voulut en grosseur au bœuf se rendre égal.
J’oppose quelquefois, par une double image,
Le vice à la vertu, la sottise au bon sens,
Les agneaux aux loups ravissants,
La mouche à la fourmi; faisant de cet ouvrage
Une ample comédie à cent actes divers,
Et dont la scène est l’univers.
Hommes, dieux, animaux, tout y fait quelque rôle:
Jupiter comme un autre. Introduisons celui
Qui porte de sa part aux belles la parole:
Ce n’est pas de cela qu’il s’agit aujourd’hui.
Un bûcheron perdit son gagne-pain,
C’est sa cognée; et la cherchant en vain,
Ce fut pitié là-dessus de l’entendre.
Il n’avoit pas des outils à revendre:
Sur celui-ci rouloit tout son avoir.
Ne sachant donc où mettre son espoir,
Sa face étoit de pleurs toute baignée:
O ma cognée! ô ma pauvre cognée!
S’écrioit-il: Jupiter, rends-la-moi;
Je tiendrai l’être encore un coup de toi.
Sa plainte fut de l’Olympe entendue.
Mercure vient. Elle n’est pas perdue,
Lui dit ce dieu; la connoîtrois-tu bien?
Je crois l’avoir près d’ici rencontrée.
Lors une d’or à l’homme étant montrée,
Il répondit: Je n’y demande rien.
Une d’argent succède à la première;
Il la refuse. Enfin une de bois.
Voilà, dit-il, la mienne cette fois:
Je suis content si j’ai cette dernière.—
Tu les auras, dit le dieu, toutes trois:
Ta bonne foi sera récompensée.—
En ce cas-là, je les prendrai, dit-il.
L’histoire en est aussitôt dispersée;
Et boquillons[35] de perdre leur outil,
Et de crier pour se le faire rendre.
Le roi des dieux ne sait auquel entendre.
Son fils Mercure aux criards vient encor;
A chacun d’eux il en montre une d’or.
Chacun eût cru passer pour une bête
De ne pas dire aussitôt: La voilà!
Mercure, au lieu de donner celle-là,
Leur en décharge un grand coup sur la tête.
Ne point mentir, être content du sien,
C’est le plus sûr: cependant on s’occupe
A dire faux pour attraper du bien.
Que sert cela? Jupiter n’est pas dupe.
II
Story DNA
Moral
Honesty and contentment with what one has are the surest paths, as deceit for gain will ultimately be exposed and punished.
Plot Summary
A poor woodcutter loses his axe, his only means of income, and cries out in despair. The god Mercury appears and, testing his honesty, offers him first a golden axe, then a silver one, both of which the woodcutter refuses. When Mercury presents his simple wooden axe, the woodcutter joyfully claims it. Impressed by his integrity, Mercury rewards him with all three axes. However, when other greedy woodcutters try to replicate this by feigning loss and falsely claiming a golden axe, Mercury punishes their deceit, teaching that honesty and contentment are paramount.
Themes
Emotional Arc
despair to reward to cautionary warning
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Jean de La Fontaine adapted many of his fables from Aesop, often adding his own satirical or philosophical commentary relevant to 17th-century French society.
Plot Beats (14)
- A woodcutter, dependent on his axe for a living, accidentally loses it in the water.
- He weeps inconsolably, lamenting his loss and calling out to Jupiter for help.
- Jupiter hears his plea and dispatches Mercury to assist him.
- Mercury appears and first presents a magnificent golden axe, asking if it is his.
- The woodcutter honestly denies it, stating it is not his.
- Mercury then presents a silver axe, which the woodcutter also truthfully refuses.
- Finally, Mercury shows him a simple wooden axe, which the woodcutter immediately recognizes and claims as his own.
- Impressed by his integrity, Mercury rewards the honest woodcutter with all three axes: the golden, the silver, and his own wooden one.
- News of the woodcutter's fortune spreads rapidly among other woodcutters.
- Inspired by greed, other woodcutters intentionally lose their axes and cry out for Jupiter's help.
- Mercury appears to these dishonest woodcutters and shows each a golden axe.
- Each greedy woodcutter falsely claims the golden axe as their own.
- Instead of a reward, Mercury strikes each dishonest woodcutter on the head with the golden axe, punishing their deceit.
- The fable concludes with a moral about the folly of lying for gain, as Jupiter is not easily fooled.
Characters
Le Bûcheron
A man of average height and sturdy, muscular build, accustomed to physical labor. His hands are calloused and strong from years of swinging an axe. His face is weathered from exposure to the elements.
Attire: Simple, worn peasant clothing typical of 17th-century France: a coarse linen or wool tunic, likely in muted earth tones (brown, grey, forest green), possibly patched. He wears sturdy breeches and simple leather boots or clogs, all showing signs of heavy use and wear.
Wants: To recover his lost axe, which is his sole means of livelihood, and to provide for himself.
Flaw: His initial despair makes him vulnerable, but his honesty is also a vulnerability when others try to exploit it.
He begins in utter despair over the loss of his tool. Through his honesty, he is rewarded beyond his wildest dreams, confirming the value of virtue.
Honest, humble, desperate (initially), content with his lot, grateful, simple-minded.
Mercure
A youthful, athletic, and graceful figure, embodying speed and agility. He is slender but well-muscled, with an ethereal quality.
Attire: Traditional Roman-inspired attire for Mercury: a short, light chlamys (cloak) draped over one shoulder, often in a vibrant color like crimson or sky blue, fastened with a fibula. He wears winged sandals (talaria) and sometimes a winged cap (petasus). His attire is always pristine and flowing, suggesting movement.
Wants: To carry out Jupiter's will, to test human virtue, and to deliver divine judgment or reward.
Flaw: As a god, he has few personal weaknesses, but he is bound by Jupiter's commands.
He serves as an instrument of divine justice, revealing the honesty of the woodcutter and punishing the greed of the imitators.
Swift, observant, just, testing, somewhat mischievous, divine messenger.
Jupiter
A majestic and powerful figure, embodying supreme authority. He is depicted as robust and commanding, with an imposing presence.
Attire: Regal and flowing robes, often in deep purples, blues, or golds, signifying his status as king of the gods. His attire is grand and imposing, suitable for an Olympian deity.
Wants: To maintain order, dispense justice, and observe the moral conduct of mortals.
Flaw: As a supreme god, he has no inherent weaknesses in this context, though he can be swayed by pleas.
He remains a constant, unchanging force of justice, observing and orchestrating events through Mercury.
Just, omniscient, powerful, observant, ultimately fair but stern.
Other Bûcherons
Similar to the first woodcutter, these are men of sturdy, working-class build, but perhaps with less honest expressions. Their faces might show signs of cunning or greed.
Attire: Similar simple, worn peasant clothing as the first woodcutter, but perhaps slightly less cared for, or with a more opportunistic feel. Coarse linen or wool tunics, breeches, and simple boots or clogs.
Wants: To gain wealth by deceit, specifically to acquire the golden axe by feigning loss and honesty.
Flaw: Their overwhelming greed and lack of foresight, which leads to their punishment.
They begin as opportunistic imitators and end up being punished for their greed and deceit, serving as a cautionary example.
Greedy, dishonest, opportunistic, foolish, imitative.
Locations
The Woodcutter's Forest
A dense, working forest, likely in a temperate European climate, with trees suitable for felling by a woodcutter. The ground is probably uneven, with undergrowth and the potential for a nearby river or stream where an axe could be lost.
Mood: Initially one of toil and hardship, then despair when the axe is lost, followed by a moment of divine intervention and eventual reward for honesty.
The woodcutter loses his axe in the river, cries out in despair, and is visited by Mercury, who tests his honesty by presenting him with axes of gold, silver, and finally, wood.