Week 5 Story: More Aesop's Tricksters

I did Aesop for Week 3, and I decided to do more Aesop this week, focusing on tricksters again! This time there are five stories: the trickster succeeds in the first two, but you will see that the trickster gets thwarted in the remaining three fables.

The Cat and her Neighbors 

An eagle, cat, and sow lived together in a tree: eagle on top, sow at the bottom, and cat in-between.
The cat said to the eagle, "Beware: the sow is digging up the tree's roots in order to topple it and eat your chicks."
To the sow she said, "The eagle craves your little piglets."
The eagle dared not leave her chicks unguarded, nor did the worried sow venture forth to find food, so they both finally starved to death.
The cat and her kittens then had the whole tree to themselves, and they fed on the chicks and piglets.

The Fox with a Short Tail

A fox had gotten trapped in a snare, and lost his tail as a result.
He then ran into some other foxes. "My brothers, where are you going?" he asked.
"We're on our way to the lion's palace," they replied.
"The lion's palace? I was just there, which is where I learned about the latest fashion: short tails!"
When they heard this, the other foxes immediately cut off their tails too.
Then the fox burst out laughing, glad to have these partners in his misery. "They may not have shared my danger," he said, "but now they share my shame."

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

The shepherd's boy grew bored tending the sheep and decided to play a trick.
"Help!" he shouted. "There's a wolf!"
The villagers came running, and he just laughed. "There's no wolf," he said.
A few weeks later, he did it again, laughing when the villagers came running.
Then, not long afterwards, the wolf really did attack the flock!
"Help!" he shouted. "There's a wolf!"
But no one came running.
He shouted even louder. He screamed. He shrieked.
No one came. "He won't fool us a third time," the villagers said.
So the wolf ravaged the flock, killing all the sheep.

The Sly Sheep and the Wolf

The wolf was hungry, but dogs guarded the flock, so he disguised himself as a sheep.
He then approached a sheep and said sweetly, "Come with me, dear. I'll show you some lovely grass."
"You're just a weak sheep like me," the sheep replied. "If you were a big, strong wolf who could protect me from enemies, then I'd go with you."
"Ah, that's just what I am!" said the wolf, casting off his disguise.
"You look very strong," laughed the sheep, "but just in case, I'll call the sheepdogs to come with us."
The wolf turned tail and ran!

The Crow and the Fox, Partners

A crow and a fox were partners. When they got hungry, the fox would put on a monk's habit, kneel, hold a missal in his front paws, lift his eyes heavenward, and pray reverently.
Then the crow would call the chickens to confess their sins. "It's a miracle!" the crow would shout. "A most holy fox will hear your confessions and intercede with God on your behalf."
The hens wanted to follow the crow, but this time a rooster stopped them. "Silly hens!" he said, suspecting foul play. "You cannot trust a crow, and a fox even less so."

Author's Notes and Image Information

The Cat and her Neighbors. This is an example of a trickster who succeeds: the eagle and the pig both believe the lies that the cat tells them. This is Perry 488. The illustration is by Eksergian.  

The Fox with a Short Tail. This is an unusual example where a fox is tricking his fellow foxes instead of some other species. As in the previous story, this trick depends upon a lie and the fools who believe it. This is Perry 17, and the illustration is by Tenniel. (Yes, the same Tenniel who famously illustrated Alice in Wonderland!)

The Boy Who Cried Wolf. This is probably one of the most famous Aesop's fables, and it shows a trickster's downfall: the trick succeeds the first time, second time, but not a third time. Although, in terms of saving the sheep, it probably would have been better if the villagers had believed the boy, despite his past behavior! This is Perry 210. The illustration is by Barlow. 

The Sly Sheep and the Wolf. This is the proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing... but the sheep is not so easily fooled! This is a nice example of the trickster tricked, where the wolf, confident that he is tricking the sheep, is instead the one being tricked. This is not in Perry; it comes from the wonderful French fabulist Desbillons. The illustration is by Herford. 

The Crow and the Fox, Partners. I like fables about pretend-piety like this one! Sometimes fake piety succeeds; sometimes not, as in this fable: the hens are ready to believe, but not the rooster (although in other fables the rooster is not so wise, and in other fables the hens are perfectly able to take care of themselves). This fable is not in Perry; it's from a medieval story collection called the Speculum Sapientiae (The Mirror of Wisdom), and that's also the source for the illustration.