FÁBULA LXXVI
by Tomás de Iriarte · from Fábulas literarias
Adapted Version
Once, there were three bumps. One was little, one medium, one big. They were all together. Little Bump was very small. Medium Bump was bigger. Big Bump was the biggest of all. They sat on a person's skin. The skin was soft. They did not move. They stayed there always. The skin was warm. They felt the sun sometimes. One day, they started to talk. They looked at each other. They saw their different sizes. This made them think. They all had a round shape. They were all a bit brown.
Little Bump spoke first. Little Bump looked at Medium Bump. Little Bump felt proud. "Oh, Medium Bump!" Little Bump said. "You are too big! Your size is not good. You are bigger than me. I do not like your size. You are too round. You are not small like me. You should be smaller. People see you more. This is not good for you. You are very big. I am much smaller. My size is better. My size is best."
Medium Bump heard Little Bump. Medium Bump did not like this. Medium Bump felt angry. Medium Bump looked
Original Story
FÁBULA LXXVI
La Verruga, el Lobanillo y la Corcova
(De las obras de un mal poeta, la más reducida es la menos perjudicial.)
PRINTED IN ENGLAND
AT THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
NOTAS
[1] Voz de que modernamente se valen los corruptores de nuestro idioma, cuando pretenden ridiculizar a los que le hablan con pureza.
[2] Alude a la fábula que escribe Esopo del Caldero y la Olla, disculpándose con este ejemplo la impropiedad en que parece se incurre haciendo hablar, no sólo a los animales, sino aun a las cosas inanimadas, como son el Manguito, el Abanico y el Quitasol.
[3] Amor patriæ [ratione] valentior omni. (Ovid., Ex Ponto, epist. iii, lib. i.)
[4] Los chinos estiman tanto la salvia, que por una caja de esta hierba suelen dar dos, y a veces tres, de té verde. Véase el Diccionario de Historia natural, de M. Valmont de Bomare, en el artículo Sauge.
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Story DNA
Moral
Those who criticize others' flaws should first examine their own, as often their own imperfections are greater.
Plot Summary
A small Wart and a larger Wen are discussing their respective sizes, with each expressing disdain for the other. They then both turn their criticism towards a Humpback, agreeing that his deformity is the most severe. The Humpback, in response, points out that while they mock his large flaw, they each possess their own imperfections. The fable concludes with the moral that one should consider their own faults before judging others, especially in the context of creative works.
Themes
Emotional Arc
ignorance to implied self-reflection (for the reader)
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Tomás de Iriarte was an 18th-century Spanish neoclassical poet known for his literary fables, which often satirized contemporary society and literary practices. The parenthetical moral 'De las obras de un mal poeta, la más reducida es la menos perjudicial' (Of a bad poet's works, the shortest is the least harmful) is a meta-commentary, possibly aimed at verbose or untalented writers of his time, linking the physical deformities to literary flaws.
Plot Beats (6)
- A small Wart, a larger Wen, and a Humpback are gathered together.
- The Wart, feeling insignificant, expresses disdain for the Wen's size.
- The Wen, in turn, scolds the Wart for its smallness.
- Both the Wart and the Wen then turn their attention to the Humpback, agreeing that his deformity is the most grotesque.
- The Humpback, having patiently listened, responds by acknowledging his large flaw but reminds them that they too have their own imperfections.
- The fable concludes with the moral: 'Of a bad poet's works, the shortest is the least harmful,' implying that even small flaws are still flaws, and the biggest flaw is hypocrisy.
Characters
La Verruga
A small, rough, and somewhat unsightly growth on the skin. It is likely a pale, grayish-brown color, with an irregular, slightly raised surface. Its size is modest compared to the other two characters.
Attire: Not applicable, as it is a personified wart. It is its own form.
Wants: To avoid causing harm or being a nuisance, and to be as inconspicuous as possible.
Flaw: Its inherent nature as an imperfection; its small size and lack of power.
It remains consistent in its wisdom and humility, serving as a moral example.
Humble, self-aware, cautious, and wise. It understands its own limitations and the potential harm it could cause.
El Lobanillo
A larger, more prominent growth than the wart, likely smooth and rounded, perhaps somewhat oily or shiny in appearance. It is a noticeable lump on the skin, larger than a typical wart but smaller than a hump.
Attire: Not applicable, as it is a personified wen. It is its own form.
Wants: To assert its superiority and importance based on its size.
Flaw: Its arrogance and lack of self-awareness, leading it to overestimate its own value.
It remains consistent in its arrogance, serving as a cautionary example.
Boastful, overconfident, and somewhat foolish. It believes its larger size grants it more importance.
La Corcova
The largest and most prominent of the three growths, a significant deformity on the back, implying a hunched or distorted posture for the body it inhabits. It is a large, irregular, and perhaps somewhat grotesque lump.
Attire: Not applicable, as it is a personified hump. It is its own form.
Wants: To dominate and assert its absolute superiority over all other imperfections, believing its size equates to value.
Flaw: Its extreme arrogance and complete inability to recognize its own nature as a deformity, leading to its ultimate downfall.
It remains consistent in its extreme arrogance, serving as the ultimate cautionary example of the fable.
Extremely arrogant, domineering, and completely lacking in self-awareness. It believes its immense size makes it the most important and powerful.
Locations
Unspecified Setting
The story does not describe any specific physical location. It is a meta-narrative about literary criticism, not a traditional fable with a setting.
Mood: academic, critical, abstract
The entire 'story' is a discussion about literary works and their reception, using the metaphor of physical imperfections (wart, wen, hump) to represent flaws in poetry. No physical action or setting is described.