PHILOMÈLE ET PROGNÉ
by Jean de La Fontaine · from Fables de La Fontaine
Adapted Version
Progné the Swallow flew from her city home. She flew to a quiet, green wood. The wood was very green. It was a calm place.
Progné saw her sister there. It was Philo the song bird. Philo sang a song. Her song was very nice. The music filled the wood. The sound was sweet. Progné liked the sound.
"Hello, my dear sister!" Progné said. "I have not seen you. It has been a very long time. You never come to the city. Why do you stay here?" Progné looked at Philo. She wanted her to come.
Progné asked, "What will you do? Will you stay here always? Will you leave this quiet place? Come with me to the city. It is fun there. There are many lights. There are many friends."
Philo the song bird smiled. She said, "This place is sweet. It is calm and quiet. Is there a better place? I like it here." Philo loved her wood. She felt good here.
Progné said, "Your music is so good. Only few creatures hear it. Only a few people hear it. Many people should hear you. Come, sing for all. Your voice is so sweet. All should hear your song."
Progné said, "Come to the cities. Show your great song. People will love your voice. They will clap for you. It will be very nice. You will be a star. All will cheer for you."
Progné said, "This wood makes you think. It makes you think of a sad time. It was a scary time. A bad person was here. Do you know that? The time was very bad. It was a dark day."
Philo looked down. She said, "Yes, I know. That sad, scary thought. It keeps me here. I cannot go to the city. I cannot be with people. The thought stays with me. It makes me feel small."
Philo said, "The wood makes me think a little. But people make me think more. The sad thought feels bigger. It is hard to let go. I must stay here. I need to be alone. I feel safe in this wood."
Philo stayed in her quiet wood. She felt safe there. She sang her nice songs. She felt happy. It was her safe place. Her songs were sweet. The wood was her home.
Original Story
PHILOMÈLE ET PROGNÉ.
Autrefois Progné l’hirondelle
De sa demeure s’écarta,
Et loin des villes s’emporta
Dans un bois où chantoit la pauvre Philomèle.
Ma sœur, lui dit Progné, comment vous portez-vous?
Voici tantôt mille ans que l’on ne vous a vue:
Je ne me souviens point que vous soyez venue,
Depuis le temps de Thrace, habiter parmi nous.
Dites-moi, que pensez-vous faire?
Ne quitterez-vous point ce séjour solitaire?—
Ah! reprit Philomèle, en est-il de plus doux?
Progné lui repartit: Eh quoi! cette musique
Pour ne chanter qu’aux animaux,
Tout au plus à quelque rustique!
Le désert est-il fait pour des talents si beaux?
Venez faire aux cités éclater leurs merveilles:
Aussi bien, en voyant les bois,
Sans cesse il vous souvient que Térée autrefois,
Parmi des demeures pareilles,
Exerça sa fureur sur vos divins appas.—
Et c’est le souvenir d’un si cruel outrage
Qui fait, reprit sa sœur, que je ne vous suis pas:
En voyant les hommes, hélas!
Il m’en souvient bien davantage.
XVI
Story DNA
Moral
For those who have suffered great trauma, the presence of others, especially those resembling the perpetrators, can intensify their pain and fear, making solitude a chosen refuge.
Plot Summary
Progné the swallow visits her sister Philomèle, the nightingale, who lives in solitude in the woods. Progné questions Philomèle's choice to remain isolated, suggesting her beautiful singing talent is wasted and reminding her of the past cruelty inflicted by Térée in a similar setting. Philomèle, however, reveals that the memory of that outrage is precisely why she avoids men, finding their presence even more painful than the memory of her past trauma in the wilderness, thus choosing to remain in her solitary refuge.
Themes
Emotional Arc
peaceful solitude to reawakened trauma
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This fable by La Fontaine draws directly from the Greek myth of Philomela, Procne, and Tereus, where Tereus rapes Philomela and cuts out her tongue, and Procne, his wife and Philomela's sister, takes revenge. The sisters are then transformed into birds (nightingale and swallow). The fable assumes familiarity with this tragic backstory.
Plot Beats (10)
- Progné, the swallow, leaves her usual city dwelling and flies to a wood.
- She finds her sister, Philomèle, the nightingale, singing in the wood.
- Progné greets Philomèle, noting it has been a thousand years since they last met and Philomèle has not visited the cities since the time of Thrace.
- Progné asks Philomèle what she plans to do and if she will ever leave her solitary abode.
- Philomèle responds by asking if there is a sweeter place than her solitary wood.
- Progné questions why Philomèle's beautiful music should only be for animals or rustics, arguing her talents are wasted in the desert.
- Progné urges Philomèle to come to the cities to display her wonders.
- Progné reminds Philomèle that seeing the woods must constantly remind her of Térée's past cruelty.
- Philomèle replies that it is precisely the memory of that cruel outrage that prevents her from joining Progné.
- Philomèle concludes that seeing men reminds her of the trauma even more intensely than seeing the woods.
Characters
Progné
A small, agile swallow, known for its swift flight and graceful aerial maneuvers. Her body is slender and aerodynamic, built for speed.
Attire: Natural bird plumage: glossy blue-black feathers on her back and wings, creamy white underparts, and a reddish-brown patch on her forehead and chin.
Wants: To convince her sister, Philomèle, to leave her solitary life in the woods and share her beautiful song with a wider, human audience in the cities.
Flaw: Perhaps a slight insensitivity to Philomèle's trauma, prioritizing social engagement over her sister's emotional well-being.
She remains consistent in her desire to bring Philomèle back to the cities, but ultimately fails to persuade her.
Sociable, persuasive, pragmatic, and somewhat urban-minded. She values an audience and the recognition of talent.
Philomèle
A small, delicate nightingale, known for her beautiful, melancholic song. Her body is more compact than a swallow's, with soft, muted plumage.
Attire: Natural bird plumage: soft reddish-brown or olive-brown feathers on her back and wings, and a paler grayish-white underside.
Wants: To live a solitary life in the woods, away from humans, where she can sing freely and process her past trauma without being reminded of it.
Flaw: Her deep-seated trauma makes her unable to trust or engage with human society, limiting her experiences.
She remains steadfast in her decision to stay in the woods, demonstrating that her trauma is a permanent barrier to re-engaging with human society.
Melancholic, solitary, introspective, and deeply traumatized. She finds solace in nature and avoids human interaction due to past suffering.
Locations
Dense Forest
A secluded, ancient forest, far from human settlements, where Philomèle, transformed into a nightingale, sings her melancholic songs.
Mood: Solitary, melancholic, peaceful yet haunted by past trauma.
Progné (the swallow) visits Philomèle (the nightingale) here, attempting to persuade her to return to human cities.
Human Cities
The bustling, populated areas where Progné, as a swallow, prefers to live, in contrast to Philomèle's solitary forest dwelling. These are the places Philomèle avoids due to her trauma.
Mood: Lively, populated, but for Philomèle, a place of painful reminders and fear.
Progné describes the cities as a place where Philomèle's beautiful music could be appreciated by humans, but Philomèle refuses due to the memory of Térée's cruelty.