LES SOUHAITS[\[48\]](#Footnote48)
by Jean de La Fontaine · from Fables de La Fontaine
![Cover: LES SOUHAITS[\[48\]](#Footnote48)](/library-files/french/jean_de_la_fontaine/fables_de_la_fontaine/les_souhaits_48_footnote48/images/cover/cover_001.png?v=1773756973164)
Adapted Version
A kind couple lived in a warm land. A little spirit helped them. It worked in their garden. It kept their house clean. The man and woman were happy.
The Little Spirit got a new job. Other spirits told it to go. It must go to a cold, snowy land. It felt a little sad. It liked the man and woman. It liked their warm home. The Little Spirit must leave.
The Little Spirit spoke to them. "I must go now," it said. "You are kind people. I will give you a gift. You can make three wishes. Only three wishes, no more. Think carefully what you want."
The man and woman were excited. "We want lots of everything!" they said. "Lots of gold. Lots of food. Lots of wine." This was their first wish.
Poof! Gold coins filled their house. Big sacks of grain appeared. Barrels of wine rolled in. There was too much gold. There was too much food. Their house was very full. They could not walk easily. They could not move their things. The man and woman felt worried. This was a big problem.
Bad people heard about the gold. Thieves wanted to steal their gold. Rich people asked for their money. The prince wanted many taxes. The man and woman had no peace. They were always very busy. They were very tired. They were not happy at all. Too much wealth made them sad.
The man and woman knew their mistake. "Take this wealth away!" they cried. "We want just enough now." Their second wish was for peace. They felt a big relief. They wanted a simple life.
Poof! The gold and grain were gone. Their house was normal again. It was peaceful and clean. The man and woman smiled. They were happy. Two wishes were gone.
They had one wish left. The man and woman thought hard. "We want to be smart," they said. "We want good ideas. Wisdom is the best gift. It makes us happy inside. It causes no problems. This treasure is good. It truly brings peace."
The Little Spirit smiled. It was happy for them. The man and woman learned. They were now wise. They lived well.
Enough is better than too much. Wisdom is the best treasure.
Original Story
LES SOUHAITS[48].
Il est au Mogol des follets
Qui font office de valets,
Tiennent la maison propre, ont soin de l’équipage,
Et quelquefois du jardinage.
Si vous touchez à leur ouvrage,
Vous gâtez tout. Un d’eux près du Gange autrefois
Cultivoit le jardin d’un assez bon bourgeois.
Il travailloit sans bruit, avoit beaucoup d’adresse,
Aimoit le maître et la maîtresse,
Et le jardin surtout. Dieu sait si les Zéphyrs,
Peuple ami du démon, l’assistoient dans sa tâche!
Le follet, de sa part, travaillant sans relâche,
Combloit ses hôtes de plaisirs.
Pour plus de marques de son zèle,
Chez ces gens pour toujours il se fût arrêté,
Nonobstant la légèreté
A ses pareils si naturelle:
Mais ses confrères les esprits
Firent tant, que le chef de cette république,
Par caprice ou par politique,
Le changea bientôt de logis.
Ordre lui vient d’aller au fond de la Norwége
Prendre le soin d’une maison
En tout temps couverte de neige;
Et d’Indou qu’il étoit, on vous le fait Lapon.
Avant que de partir, l’esprit dit à ses hôtes:
On m’oblige de vous quitter;
Je ne sais pas pour quelles fautes:
Mais enfin il le faut. Je ne puis m’arrêter
Qu’un temps fort court, un mois, peut-être une semaine:
Employez-la; formez trois souhaits: car je ne puis
Rendre trois souhaits accomplis;
Trois, sans plus. Souhaiter, ce n’est pas une peine
Étrange et nouvelle aux humains.
Ceux-ci, pour premier vœu demandent l’abondance;
Et l’Abondance à pleines mains
Verse en leurs coffres la finance,
En leurs greniers le blé, dans leurs caves les vins:
Tout en crève. Comment ranger cette chevanche?
Quels registres, quels soins, quel temps il leur fallut!
Tous deux sont empêchés si jamais on le fut.
Les voleurs contre eux complotèrent;
Les grands seigneurs leur empruntèrent;
Le prince les taxa. Voilà les pauvres gens
Malheureux par trop de fortune.
Otez-nous de ces biens l’affluence importune,
Dirent-ils l’un et l’autre: heureux les indigents!
La pauvreté vaut mieux qu’une telle richesse.
Retirez-vous, trésors, fuyez; et toi, déesse,
Mère du bon esprit, compagne du repos,
O Médiocrité, reviens vite! A ces mots
La Médiocrité revient. On lui fait place:
Avec elle ils rentrent en grâce,
Au bout de deux souhaits, étant aussi chanceux
Qu’ils étoient, et que sont tous ceux
Qui souhaitent toujours et perdent en chimères
Le temps qu’ils feraient mieux de mettre à leurs affaires:
Le follet en rit avec eux.
Pour profiter de sa largesse,
Quand il voulut partir et qu’il fut sur le point,
Ils demandèrent la sagesse:
C’est un trésor qui n’embarrasse point.
VII
Story DNA
Moral
True happiness and peace are found not in excessive wealth, but in moderation and wisdom.
Plot Summary
A diligent household spirit, forced to leave his beloved human hosts, grants them three wishes as a parting gift. The couple unwisely wish for immense abundance, which quickly overwhelms them with problems like theft and taxes, making them miserable. Realizing their mistake, they use their second wish to restore their comfortable, moderate life. For their final wish, having learned their lesson, they wisely ask for wisdom, understanding that true value lies not in material excess but in inner peace and understanding.
Themes
Emotional Arc
contentment to anxiety to renewed contentment
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
La Fontaine's fables often drew on classical and Eastern sources, adapting them to French sensibilities and verse. The contrast between the warm, fertile Ganges and the cold, snowy Norway highlights the spirit's forced relocation and the universality of the moral.
Plot Beats (10)
- A follet (household spirit) diligently serves a bourgeois couple in India, tending their garden and home with great care.
- The follet is unexpectedly reassigned by the chief of the spirits to a snowy region, forcing him to leave his hosts.
- As a parting gift, the follet grants the couple three wishes before his departure.
- The couple, without much deliberation, make their first wish for abundance.
- Their home is immediately flooded with an overwhelming amount of money, grain, and wine, causing chaos and difficulty in managing it all.
- The immense wealth attracts negative attention, leading to plots by thieves, demands from nobles, and taxes from the prince, making the couple miserable.
- Realizing their misfortune, the couple use their second wish to ask for the return of moderation and the removal of their burdensome riches.
- Moderation returns, and they find themselves back in their original, comfortable state, having wasted two wishes.
- For their third and final wish, the couple, now wiser, ask for wisdom, a treasure that brings no trouble.
- The follet laughs with them, acknowledging their journey to understanding.
Characters
The Mogol Follet (Indian Spirit)
Invisible or subtly shimmering, perhaps with a faint, warm glow. Agile and quick in movement, but without a solid, defined form. When visible, it might appear as a small, humanoid figure, perhaps with a slight, ethereal build, reflecting the 'follet' nature.
Attire: None, as a spirit. If it were to manifest, perhaps a simple, flowing garment of light or mist, reflecting its magical nature and the Mogol setting, like a translucent, saffron-colored dhoti.
Wants: To serve its masters well, maintain order, and fulfill its magical duties, even if it means relocating.
Flaw: Bound by the rules and whims of its spirit republic's leadership; cannot choose its own assignments or stay where it wishes indefinitely.
Does not change significantly, but its relocation highlights the transient nature of its existence and its role as a magical facilitator for human lessons.
Diligent, loyal, helpful, efficient, somewhat mischievous, observant.
The Bourgeois (Master of the House)
A man of comfortable means, likely of average height and build, perhaps a little soft from a life of relative ease. His skin tone would be consistent with someone living in the Ganges region of India, a warm medium brown complexion.
Attire: A comfortable, but respectable, long tunic (kurta) made of fine cotton or silk, perhaps in a muted color like cream or light blue, paired with loose-fitting trousers (pajamas) or a dhoti. He might wear a simple, embroidered vest (bandi) over his kurta. His attire would be practical for managing a household but indicate his status.
Wants: To live a comfortable life, then to acquire wealth, and ultimately to find peace and wisdom.
Flaw: Susceptible to greed and the belief that more wealth equals more happiness; lacks foresight.
Transforms from a content man, to a burdened and unhappy rich man, to a man who values moderation and wisdom above all else.
Initially content, then greedy, easily overwhelmed, regretful, and finally wise.
The Bourgeois's Wife
A woman of comfortable means, likely of average height and build, with a graceful demeanor. Her skin tone would be consistent with someone living in the Ganges region of India, a warm medium brown complexion.
Attire: A traditional Indian sari or a salwar kameez made of fine cotton or silk, in colors like deep blue, maroon, or green, perhaps with subtle embroidery. Her attire would be elegant but practical for managing a household.
Wants: To live a comfortable life, then to acquire wealth, and ultimately to find peace and wisdom.
Flaw: Susceptible to greed and the belief that more wealth equals more happiness; lacks foresight.
Transforms from a content woman, to a burdened and unhappy rich woman, to a woman who values moderation and wisdom above all else.
Initially content, then greedy, easily overwhelmed, regretful, and finally wise.
Locations
Bourgeois's Garden by the Ganges
A well-tended garden belonging to a respectable bourgeois, situated near the sacred Ganges river in Mughal India. It is meticulously maintained by a Mogol follet (spirit), suggesting lush, vibrant plant life and perhaps some exotic flora native to the region.
Mood: Peaceful, industrious, magical, and prosperous, reflecting the diligent work of the follet and the contentment of the owners.
This is where the follet diligently works for its human hosts, bringing them prosperity and pleasure before being reassigned.
Bourgeois's House (Interior)
The interior of a wealthy bourgeois's house in Mughal India, initially kept impeccably clean and orderly by the follet. After the first wish, it becomes impossibly overflowing with gold, grain, and wine, to the point of bursting.
Mood: Initially orderly and comfortable, then chaotic and overwhelming due to excessive wealth, finally returning to a state of comfortable mediocrity.
This is where the wishes manifest, first bringing overwhelming abundance, then returning to comfortable mediocrity, and finally receiving the gift of wisdom.
House in Norway
A house in the depths of Norway, perpetually covered in snow, to which the follet is reassigned. This location is only mentioned as the follet's new, distant duty.
Mood: Distant, cold, and stark, a stark contrast to the warm, prosperous Indian setting.
This is the follet's new, remote assignment, highlighting the arbitrary nature of the spirit world's decisions.