Week 14 Reading: La Fontaine Unit (Reading B)

More Mice

1. Mice (Wright)
• The Cockerel, the Cat, and the Young Mouse 
• the young mouse had to learn a lesson on who to trust based on looks
• it is looks that men deceive 
• The Mouse Metamorphosed into a Maid 
• This time period seems to be the time that animals morphed into humans 
• a man marries the mouse that fell and hurt itself then became human 
• like the woman into a cat 
• but then the man kills a rat that shouldn't of been around and angers his wife 
• humans and rats are too different. 
• duh
2. More Mice (Wright)
• The Council Held By the Rats 
• a cat has been terrorizing rats so they have a meeting 
• helpless 
• The Cat and the Old Rat 
• the stories are much more metaphorical 
• the beginning ones were short and clear 
• Do not trust so easy 
3. The Tortoise; The Bat (Wright)
• The Tortoise and Two Ducks 
• the same story has told before 
• written in more of a cultural tone 
• ducks try to carry turtle, but it opens its mouth to speak and falls 
• The Bat and the Two Weasels 
• bat tries to eat a weasel in its bed first thinking it was a rat 
• gets kicked out of the bed 
• Keeps getting confused with a rat for its appearance is nothing like a bird 
4. Frogs (Wright)
• The Frog and the Rat 
• those who cheat hurt themselves 
• those who do not, get the real riches 
• The Frogs Asking a King 
• the king was a log 
• people came to it to talk and found counsel by talking it out 
• sends a message of talking things out, the best leader often doesn't interfere 
5. The Swallow; The Eagle (Wright)
• The Swallow and the Little Birds 
• swallows are very wise and often help sailors know where to go 
• farmer used the little birds to get rid of faulty seeds that could ruin the crop 
• ended up being that the seeds did not hurt the crop 
• do not assume it will just end badly until its already bad 
• optimism 
• The Eagle and the Beetle 
• bird tried to take beetle
• beetle warned he cannot eat him due to his shell 
• still tried and hurt the bird, started a whole debacle 
6. Man and Beast (Wright)
• The Bear and the Amateur Gardener 
• the gardener had a disease 
• the bear was lonely 
• bear leaves to go meet the man, they become friends 
• bear hunted for man, man fed bear sometimes too 
• the man was napping, a fly was around, the bear tried to help by swatting the fly but killed both the man and the fly 
• The Man and the Adder 
7. The Astrologer; The Dairywoman (Wright)
• The Astrologer Who Stumbled Into A Well 
• kind of makes fun of the astrologer that fell because he is so wise and has had access to the greatest knowledge 
• yet did not approach with hazard 
• The Dairywoman and the Pot of Milk 
• was going to sell the milk the carried 
• bought eggs with her earnings, wanted to raise the eggs 
• basically kept trading up until she was king? 
• This was told in a very confusing way 
8. The God Mercury; Hercules (Wright)
• The Woodman and the Mercury 
• lumberjack lost his axe 
• asked Mercury for help in finding the axe 
• had to show him options of lost axes that he found 
• the lumberjack was honest and didnt take the nicer ones 
• got the nicest one in return 
• The Carter in the Mire 
• guy found his cart of hay turned over with no one around 
• woman came walking by 
• man was super angry, asked Hercules for help 
• sends the message of do whats right for you and the rest will follow 
9. Sun and Wind; Belly and Members (Wright)
• Phoebus and Boreas 
• consistent mild is worse than force 
• translates to a ton of scenerios 

Larned, W. T., and Elizur Wright. “ Fables of La Fontaine.” Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook