PIES I WILK
by Adam Mickiewicz · from Bajki
Adapted Version
There was a hungry wolf. He was very, very cold. The Wolf was thin. He looked for food. He saw a big dog. The dog was named Brys. Brys was fat and happy. His fur was shiny.
The Wolf was surprised. Brys was very big. The Wolf said, "Hello, Brys!" He said, "You look so good and strong." He asked, "Are you well now?" Brys looked very happy.
Brys wagged his tail. He said, "Yes, I am well." He was very happy. He had a good life.
The Wolf looked at Brys. "How did you get so big?" he asked. "How do you get much food?" The Wolf was very hungry.
Brys said, "Live with people." You will get much food. You will be big like me. Leave the wild place now.
The Wolf asked, "What must I do?" "What is this new job?" He wanted to know.
Brys said, "I guard the house. I bark at strangers. I am kind to my owners. I get lots of
Original Story
PIES i WILK.
Jeden bardzo mizerny wilk, skóra a kości,
Myszkując po zamrozkach, kiedy w łapy dmucha,
Zdybie przypadkiem Brysia jegomości,
Bernardyńskiego karku, sędziowskiego brzucha;
Sierć na nim błyszczy, gdyby szmelcowana,
Podgardle tłuste, zwisło do kolana.
„A witaj, panie kumie! Witaj panie Brychu!
Już od lat kopy o was ni widu, ni slychu,
Wtedyś był mały kondlik, ale kto nie z postem,
Prędko zmienia figurę. Jakże służy zdrowie?”
„Niczego”—Brysio odpowie
I za grzeczność kiwnął chwostom.
„Oj! oj!... niczego! Widać ze wzrostu i tuszy!
Co to za łeb, mój Boże! choć walić obuchem!
A kark jaki! a brzuch jaki!
Brzuch! niech mnie porwą sobaki,
Jeżeli, uczciwszy uszy,
Wieprza widziałem kiedy z takim brzuchom!”
„Żartuj zdrów, kumie wilku; lecz mówiąc licz żartu.
Jeśli chcesz, możesz sobie równie wypchać boki.”
„A to jak, kiedyś łaskaw?”—Ot tak bez odwłoki
Bory i nory oddawszy czartu
I łajdackich po polu wyrzekłszy się świstań,
Idź między ludzi i na służbę przystań!”
„Lecz w tej służbie co robić?”—wilk znowu zapyta.
„Co robić?—Dziecko jesteś! Służba wyśmienita:
Ot jedno z drugiem nic a nic!
Dziedzińca pilnować granic,
Przybycie gości szczekaniem głosić,
Na dziada warknąć, żyda potarmosić,
Panom pochlebiać ukłonom,
Sługom wachlować ogonem,
A za toż, bracie, niczego nie braknie:
Od panów, paniątek, dziewek,
Okruszyn kostek, polewek.
Słowom, czego dusza łaknie,”
Pies mówił, a wilk słuchał uchem, gębą, nosem,
Nie stracił słówka; połknął dyskurs cały
I nad smacznej przyszłości medytując losem,
Już obiecane wietrzył specyały.
Wtem patrzy.—„A to co?”—„Gdzie?”—Ot, tu, na karku?”
„Ech, błazeństwo!”—„Cóż przecie”—„Oto widzisz troszkę
Przyczesano, bo na noc kładą mi obrożkę,
Ażebym lepiej pilnował folwarku!”
„Czy tak? pięknąś wiadomość schował na ostatku!”
„I cóż, wilku, nie idziesz?”—„Co nie, to nie, bratku!
Lepszy w wolności kąsek ladajaki,
Niźli w niewoli przysmaki.”
Rzekł i drapnąwszy co miał skoku w łapie,
Aż dotąd drapie.
Story DNA
Moral
It is better to have meager freedom than luxurious servitude.
Plot Summary
A starving wolf encounters a fat, pampered dog and is impressed by his healthy appearance. The dog explains his comfortable life of service to humans, tempting the wolf with promises of abundant food. However, when the wolf notices a rubbed spot on the dog's neck and learns it's from a collar, he immediately rejects the idea of servitude. The wolf declares that freedom, even with hardship, is preferable to comfort at the cost of liberty, and runs back to his wild life.
Themes
Emotional Arc
curiosity to realization
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Adam Mickiewicz was a major figure of Polish Romanticism, and his fables often carried moral or political undertones, though this one is a classic moral fable.
Plot Beats (12)
- A very thin wolf, shivering in the cold, stumbles upon a plump, well-groomed dog.
- The wolf, astonished by the dog's healthy appearance, greets him warmly and compliments his physique.
- The dog, Brys, responds politely, confirming his good health.
- The wolf expresses envy and asks how the dog achieved such a prosperous state.
- Brys explains that if the wolf abandons his wild ways and serves humans, he too can be well-fed.
- The wolf asks what the service entails.
- Brys describes an easy life of guarding the yard, barking at strangers, flattering masters, and wagging his tail for servants, in exchange for abundant scraps and food.
- The wolf listens intently, imagining a future of delicious meals.
- The wolf then notices a rubbed spot on Brys's neck and asks what it is.
- Brys dismisses it as a trifle, explaining it's from the collar he wears at night to guard the farm better.
- The wolf, upon hearing this, immediately rejects the offer.
- The wolf declares that a meager bite in freedom is better than delicacies in servitude, and runs away, never looking back.
Characters
Brysio
A large, well-fed Bernardine dog (St. Bernard breed), with a thick, muscular neck and a prominent, round belly. His fur is glossy and well-groomed, appearing almost enameled. His dewlap is thick and hangs down to his knees, indicating a substantial build.
Attire: None, as he is an animal, but his well-groomed, shiny fur serves as his 'attire'.
Wants: To maintain his comfortable, well-fed existence and fulfill his duties as a guard dog.
Flaw: Perhaps a slight naivety or overconfidence in his own situation, not fully grasping the implications of his 'collar'.
He remains unchanged, serving as a foil to the Wolf, representing the comforts of servitude versus the hardships of freedom.
Content, well-mannered, a bit complacent, proud of his comfortable life, and slightly condescending towards the Wolf's plight.
Wilk
A very gaunt and scrawny wolf, described as 'skin and bones'. He is thin and appears to be suffering from hunger and the cold, blowing on his paws to warm them.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: Survival, primarily driven by hunger and the need to find food.
Flaw: His extreme hunger makes him vulnerable to temptation and almost willing to sacrifice his freedom.
He is tempted by the promise of an easy life but ultimately chooses freedom over comfort and servitude, reinforcing his wild nature.
Desperate, cunning (initially), observant, quick-witted, and ultimately fiercely independent.
Locations
Frozen Wilderness
A desolate, frozen landscape where a scrawny wolf, reduced to skin and bones, roams, blowing on his paws to keep warm. The ground is likely covered in frost or sparse snow, with bare trees or scrubland typical of a harsh winter.
Mood: Desolate, harsh, hungry, cold
The initial encounter between the starving wolf and the well-fed dog, where the wolf is struggling for survival.
Manor Farmyard
The secure, well-kept grounds of a manor house or folwark (a type of large agricultural estate in Poland), where the dog, Bryś, lives. It is implied to be a place of plenty, with boundaries to guard and various people (masters, servants, beggars, Jews) passing through. The dog mentions a collar for guarding the folwark.
Mood: Secure, prosperous, bustling, domestic
The dog describes his comfortable life and duties within this secure environment, contrasting it with the wolf's harsh existence.