TESTAMENT EXPLIQUÉ PAR ÉSOPE
by Jean de La Fontaine · from Fables de La Fontaine
Adapted Version
Long ago, a smart man named Aesop lived. He was known for his great wisdom. Aesop helped many people. He found answers to hard problems.
A father lived in the city. He had three daughters. One daughter loved to eat too much. A second loved pretty clothes. The third loved money too much. The father wrote a paper. It had his wishes. Then he died.
The paper said each daughter got the same. They would share all things. But there was a strange rule. Each daughter must pay their mother. This payment was for later. They must pay if their share was gone.
The daughters did not know. The city's smart people did not know. "How can we pay?" they asked. "We pay when we have nothing!" This puzzled them.
The smart people gave up. They told the daughters to share. "Just take your things," they said. "Pay your mother later. Do it your own way."
They made three piles of things. One pile had lots of food. It had big tables and cups. A second pile had pretty dresses. It had mirrors and jewels. The third pile had gold and coins. It had fields and creatures.
The daughter who loved food took it. The daughter loving clothes took the dresses. The daughter who loved money took the gold. Each girl took what she liked.
Aesop watched the daughters. He saw what they took. "They did not know," Aesop said. "The father had a true wish. They missed his real plan."
"The father was very smart," Aesop said. "He wanted his girls to stop bad habits. He wanted them to be better."
Aesop made new piles. He gave the daughter loving food the gold. He gave the daughter loving clothes the food. He gave the daughter loving money the dresses. No one liked their new pile.
"Now they will sell these things," Aesop said. "They will get money. They will pay their mother. They will not have their old bad habits. They will learn to be good. This is what the father wanted."
All people were very surprised. Aesop was so smart. He knew the father's wish.
Aesop taught them a lesson. True smartness is knowing people. It is not just what they say. It is what they truly mean. And so, the daughters learned to be better, thanks to Aesop's great wisdom. They knew that their father wanted them to be good.
Original Story
TESTAMENT EXPLIQUÉ PAR ÉSOPE.
Si ce qu’on dit d’Ésope est vrai,
C’étoit l’oracle de la Grèce
Lui seul avoit plus de sagesse
Que tout l’aréopage. En voici pour essai
Une histoire des plus gentilles,
Et qui pourra plaire au lecteur.
Un certain homme avoit trois filles,
Toutes trois de contraire humeur:
Une buveuse, une coquette,
La troisième, avare parfaite.
Cet homme par son testament,
Selon les lois municipales,
Leur laissa tout son bien par portions égales,
En donnant à leur mère tant,
Payable quand chacune d’elles
Ne posséderoit plus sa contingente part.
Le père mort, les trois femelles
Courent au testament, sans attendre plus tard.
On le lit, on tâche d’entendre
La volonté du testateur;
Mais en vain: car comment comprendre
Qu’aussitôt que chacune sœur
Ne possédera plus sa part héréditaire,
Il lui faudra payer sa mère?
Ce n’est pas un fort bon moyen
Pour payer que d’être sans bien.
Que vouloit donc dire le père?
L’affaire est consultée; et tous les avocats,
Après avoir tourné le cas
En cent et cent mille manières,
Y jettent leur bonnet, se confessent vaincus,
Et conseillent aux héritières
De partager le bien sans songer au surplus.
Quant à la somme de la veuve,
Voici, leur dirent-ils, ce que le conseil treuve[15]:
Il faut que chaque sœur se charge par traité
Du tiers payable à volonté;
Si mieux n’aime la mère en créer une rente,
Dès le décès du mort courante.
La chose ainsi réglée, on composa trois lots:
En l’un, les maisons de bouteille,
Les buffets dressés sous la treille,
La vaisselle d’argent, les cuvettes, les brocs,
Les magasins de malvoisie,
Les esclaves de bouche, et pour dire en deux mots,
L’attirail de la goinfrerie;
Dans un autre, celui de la coquetterie,
La maison de la ville et les meubles exquis,
Les eunuques et les coiffeuses,
Et les brodeuses,
Les joyaux, les robes de prix;
Dans le troisième lot, les fermes, le ménage,
Les troupeaux et le pâturage,
Valets et bêtes de labeur.
Ces lots faits, on jugea que le sort pourroit faire
Que peut-être pas une sœur
N’auroit ce qui lui pourroit plaire.
Ainsi chacune prit son inclination,
Le tout à l’estimation.
Ce fut dans la ville d’Athènes
Que cette rencontre arriva.
Petits et grands, tout approuva
Le partage et le choix; Ésope seul trouva
Qu’après bien du temps et des peines
Les gens avoient pris justement
Le contre-pied du testament.
Si le défunt vivoit, disoit-il, que l’Attique
Auroit de reproches de lui!
Comment! ce peuple qui se pique
D’être le plus subtil des peuples d’aujourd’hui,
A si mal entendu la volonté suprême
D’un testateur! Ayant ainsi parlé,
Il fait le partage lui-même,
Et donne à chaque sœur un lot contre son gré;
Rien qui pût être convenable,
Partant rien aux sœurs d’agréable.
A la coquette, l’attirail
Qui suit les personnes buveuses,
La biberonne eut le bétail;
La ménagère eut les coiffeuses.
Tel fut l’avis du Phrygien,
Alléguant qu’il n’étoit moyen
Plus sûr pour obliger ces filles
A se défaire de leur bien;
Qu’elles se marîroient dans les bonnes familles
Quand on leur verroit de l’argent;
Paîroient leur mère tout comptant;
Ne posséderoient plus les effets de leur père,
Ce que disoit le testament.
Le peuple s’étonna comme il se pouvoit faire
Qu’un homme seul eût plus de sens
Qu’une multitude de gens.
FIN DU LIVRE DEUXIÈME.
I
Story DNA
Moral
True wisdom lies in understanding the deeper intent behind words, especially when dealing with human nature.
Plot Summary
A deceased man leaves a perplexing will for his three daughters—a drinker, a coquette, and a miser—stating they inherit equally but must pay their mother when they no longer possess their share. Lawyers are baffled, leading to a division of assets where each daughter receives items catering to her vice. Aesop, however, reveals the true intent: the father wanted his daughters to shed their bad habits. Aesop re-divides the inheritance, giving each daughter the lot contrary to her nature, forcing them to sell the unwanted goods, acquire money, pay their mother, and thus fulfill the will's spirit by ridding themselves of their vice-enabling possessions.
Themes
Emotional Arc
confusion to clarity
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
La Fontaine often adapted fables from Aesop, giving them a French classical touch. This story highlights the value placed on wisdom and clever interpretation in ancient Greek and subsequent European thought.
Plot Beats (12)
- Aesop, the wisest man in Greece, is introduced as the one who will solve a difficult problem.
- A father with three daughters (a drinker, a coquette, a miser) dies, leaving a will.
- The will states that each daughter will inherit equally, but must pay their mother when they no longer possess their share.
- The daughters and all the city's lawyers are confused by this seemingly contradictory clause.
- The lawyers give up, advising the daughters to simply divide the property and arrange for their mother's payment separately.
- The property is divided into three lots, each catering to one of the daughters' vices (drinking paraphernalia, luxury items, farm assets).
- The daughters choose the lots that match their respective vices.
- Aesop observes this division and declares that the people have completely misunderstood the will's intent.
- Aesop explains that the father's true intention was to force his daughters to shed their vices.
- Aesop re-divides the inheritance, giving each daughter the lot that is opposite to her nature.
- He explains that this way, the daughters will be forced to sell their unwanted possessions, acquire money, pay their mother, and thus fulfill the will's condition by no longer possessing their original 'share' (of vice-enabling goods).
- The people are astonished by Aesop's superior wisdom.
Characters
Ésope
A man of average height and build, with a thoughtful and observant demeanor. His features suggest a life of contemplation and wisdom, possibly with a slightly stooped posture from years of study.
Attire: Simple, unadorned chiton and himation, typical of ancient Greek philosophers, made of plain, undyed linen or wool. Practical sandals on his feet. His attire would emphasize his focus on intellect over material wealth.
Wants: To demonstrate the true meaning of the deceased father's will and to prove the superiority of genuine wisdom over conventional legal interpretation.
Flaw: His wisdom might be initially misunderstood or dismissed by those who lack his insight.
He serves as the resolver of the central conflict, demonstrating his wisdom by correctly interpreting the will and proving his intellectual superiority.
Wise, sagacious, perceptive, logical, unconventional.
The Father
Though deceased, his character is defined by his cleverness. He would have been a man of means, likely of a respectable Athenian family, with a thoughtful and perhaps slightly mischievous glint in his eye.
Attire: Before his death, he would have worn the dignified attire of a wealthy Athenian citizen: a finely woven chiton and a richly colored himation, perhaps with subtle embroidery, reflecting his status.
Wants: To ensure his daughters overcome their flaws and secure their financial future by forcing them to marry well and become responsible.
Flaw: His method of achieving his goal was so complex it was initially misunderstood by everyone.
His influence extends beyond his death, as his will drives the entire plot and ultimately leads to his daughters' transformation.
Clever, strategic, insightful, perhaps a bit manipulative (in a good way, for his daughters' benefit).
The Buveuse (Daughter 1)
A young Athenian woman, perhaps with a slightly flushed complexion and a tendency towards a more relaxed, less refined posture, reflecting her indulgence. She might be of a slightly fuller figure.
Attire: While from a wealthy family, her clothing might lean towards comfort and practicality for her habits. A simple, flowing chiton of a muted color (like olive green or terracotta), perhaps with a less ornate peplos, and sturdy sandals. Her attire would be less about display and more about ease.
Wants: To continue her lifestyle of drinking and enjoyment, acquiring the means to do so.
Flaw: Her excessive love for drink and comfort, which prevents her from being responsible.
Forced to confront her indulgence when she inherits the 'coquette's' lot, she must sell her undesirable inheritance, leading her to marry and become more responsible.
Indulgent, pleasure-seeking, perhaps a bit lazy, unconcerned with appearances.
The Coquette (Daughter 2)
A beautiful and elegant young Athenian woman, meticulously groomed and always conscious of her appearance. She would have a slender, graceful build.
Attire: Exquisite and fashionable Athenian attire: a finely pleated chiton made of sheer linen or silk, perhaps in a vibrant color like deep purple or rich blue, draped with an elegant himation. Adorned with delicate gold jewelry, including earrings, necklaces, and armbands. Her sandals would be ornate.
Wants: To maintain her beauty, attract admirers, and live a life of luxury and social prominence.
Flaw: Her vanity and obsession with external appearances, which makes her prioritize superficiality over substance.
Forced to confront her vanity when she inherits the 'buveuse's' lot, she must sell her undesirable inheritance, leading her to marry and become more responsible.
Vain, charming, attention-seeking, superficial, fashion-conscious.
The Avare (Daughter 3)
A young Athenian woman of a practical and perhaps slightly severe appearance. She might be of a lean build, reflecting her focus on frugality.
Attire: Plain and practical Athenian clothing: a simple, sturdy chiton of undyed or muted fabric (like grey or brown linen), without frills or excessive draping. Her himation would be functional, and her sandals practical and well-worn. No jewelry.
Wants: To accumulate and preserve wealth, manage resources efficiently, and avoid waste.
Flaw: Her extreme avarice and inability to enjoy life or spend money, even on necessities or pleasures.
Forced to confront her avarice when she inherits the 'coquette's' lot, she must sell her undesirable inheritance, leading her to marry and become more responsible.
Frugal, practical, serious, industrious, perhaps a bit stern or humorless.
The Mother
A mature Athenian woman, likely of a dignified but perhaps weary appearance, given her husband's death and the complexities of his will. She would carry herself with the quiet grace of a woman of her social standing.
Attire: Dignified and modest Athenian attire, likely a chiton and himation of good quality linen or wool, in somber colors appropriate for a widow (e.g., dark blue, grey, or black). She might wear minimal, simple jewelry.
Wants: To receive her rightful inheritance as stipulated in her husband's will, ensuring her financial security.
Flaw: Her dependence on others to interpret and execute the will.
Her fate is resolved when Ésope's interpretation of the will ensures she receives her payment.
Patient, perhaps a bit anxious about her future, reliant on her daughters and the legal system.
Locations
The Family Estate / Athenian Residence
A private residence in Athens, likely a substantial house given the wealth described, where the family gathers to read the will. It contains various rooms for different purposes, including spaces for entertainment, personal grooming, and storage of valuable goods.
Mood: Initially somber due to the father's death, then confused and frustrated by the will's ambiguity, finally resolved by Aesop's wisdom.
The reading of the father's will, the initial failed attempts by lawyers to interpret it, and Aesop's final, ingenious interpretation and redistribution of the lots.
The City of Athens
The bustling ancient Greek city where the events unfold, known for its intellectual prowess and legal system. It serves as the backdrop for the public consultation and eventual resolution of the will.
Mood: Intellectual, civic, initially perplexed by the legal conundrum, ultimately impressed by Aesop's wisdom.
The general public and legal experts of Athens are consulted regarding the will, and the city's reputation for wisdom is challenged and ultimately affirmed by Aesop.