The Complete Fables of Jean de La Fontaine

BOOK X

. Book x . 267 The Man and the Snake A human being once saw a snake. “Aha! Vile reprobate!” cried he. “Here shall I now perform a courtesy For all the human race’s sake!” At which the vicious beast—make no mistake: The snake, I mean, and not the man (Although I know how easily one can Misjudge those words!)... Our vicious beast, in fact, Carelessly lets himself get caught. What’s worse, the man, with scarce a thought About his act, would kill said snake—now sacked And helpless—whether guilty, whether not. Still, he feels moved to give an explanation. “Symbol of ingrates! Folly would it be To treat with favor and consideration Those who behave depravedly. Die, wretch! Your anger and your fangs shall never Harm me in any way whatever!” To which the serpent, in his tongue, replied As best he could: “Sire, if we tried To punish every ingrate, our endeavor Never would end! Whom would we spare? It’s you Yourself, monsieur, whom you condemn. I learned your lessons and I live by them! Why, even now, see what you do. My fate depends on what you think is best For you: your pleasure, whim, self-interest... Well, kill me if you must. But first, at least, Listen to what this wretched beast Would tell you, sire, in all sincerity: ‘Symbol of ingrates,’ as you say... It’s you, not I, who earn that sobriquet!” The man stops in his tracks. “Fiddle-dee-dee! Your life or death: the choice is mine to make! Nevertheless, I’m willing to submit . book x 268 Our case. Let others be the judge of it.” “That’s fine with me. So be it,” says the snake... A cow was standing by. They put the matter Squarely before her. “Humph!” was her reply. “Why waste my breath on needless chatter? Friend serpent’s cause is just. For years have I Provided Man with wealth: he sells my milk, My young... But he and all his thankless ilk Profit therefrom, not me or mine. And when Age saps his strength, it’s I again Who nurse him back to health, who serve His pleasures and his needs! Do I deserve My fate: grown old, to spend my waning days Here on this grassless plot, tied to a stake So that I cannot even graze! I’m sure that, had my master been a snake, He would have shown more gratitude!... Voilà! I’ve had my say. Adieu.” Surprised, The man turns to the serpent: “Ha! Babbling old crone! You must have realized She’s lost her mind! Let’s ask that ox instead.” “So be it,” says the snake. And so they do... The loping, ponderous quadruped— Listening, chewing on it—finally said: “Man is an ingrate, through and through! For years we bear his loads, we till his fields; And when, thanks to our labors, Ceres1 yields Her bounty, his it is! (And free, what’s more! Us, she makes pay, poor beasts, as best we can!)2 And our rewards? Floggings galore! Ah yes, ingratitude your name is Man! He even thinks the sacrificial blocks— On which, betimes, we bleed and die, to buy His gods’ indulgent favors—glorify And honor our last hours.” So spoke the ox. “Enough!” exclaimed the man. “No judge is he! With all his pompous, boring blather, book x . 269 Sooner would he my prosecutor be!” And so, at length, he chooses, rather, Someone less prejudiced; to wit, a tree... Still worse his accusations! He had been Man’s refuge from the heat, the wind, the rain; Joy of his flowering garden, fruited plain: No season of the year wherein He had not served Man’s needs. And for his pain? Hacked down by bumpkins! Slain, not simply pruned And left to live his life!... Accused, impugned, Angered at his defeat, taken aback, Man sneers: “How kind it was of me to take The time to hear those churls!” then hurls the sack Against a wall, and kills the snake. Such are, alack! the powerful. They make A mockery of reason, will not hear it. Everything, everyone exists to do Their will. (Snakes too!) You go to speak the truth? They jeer it. “Yes,” you say. “Well then, what to do withal?” Speak at a distance... Or don’t speak at all. X, 1 The Turtle and the Two Ducks...