Selected Fables Fables Choisies - CLAS...

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Selected Fables Fables Choisies Jean de La Fontaine A Dual-Language Book Edited and Translated hy STANLEY APPELBAUM DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC. Mineola, New York

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Selected Fables

Fables Choisies

Jean de La Fontaine

A Dual-Language Book

Edited and Translated hy

STANLEY APPELBAUM

DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC. Mineola, New York

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The Wolfand the Lamb 1110 Le loup et l'agneau

Le lOllp et l'agneall

La raison du plus fort est toujours la meilleure, ]\J ous J' allons montre r tout al'he ll re. t) 11 agneau Sf' desalterait D ans Ie courant ci'tll1e onele pure ,

Un lout> survient ajeun qui cherchait aventure , Et que la ±aim en ces he ux attirai t

«Qui tc re nd si hardi de trouble r mon breuvage';> j)it cet anil1lal plein de rage:

Tu seras chatie de ta temerite . -Sire, reponcll'agiieall, que Votre Majeste

Nc se mette pas en col t~ re;

Mais plutOt qu'eUe considc:r e Que je me vas clesalterant

Dans Ie courant, Plus de vingt pas au-dessolls u ' ElIe,

Et <.tue par consequent en aucune Fa90n Je ne puis troubler sa boisson.

- Tu la troubIes, reprit cette bete crnelle , El je sa i ~ Cjlle de moi tu medis l'an passe. - CornnlPnt J'aurais-je fait , si je n'etais pas n(~:)

Eeprit l'agneau, je tette encor ma me re. -Si ce n'est toi, c'est done ton here,

- Je n'en ai point.-Cest done quelqu\1l1 des tiens: Car vous ne J11'epargnez guere, Vous, vos bcrgers e t vos chi.(~ n s.

On me l'a dit: il faut que je me venge,» La-dessus au fond des forets Le lour l'elllporte, et puis Ie mange Sans autre forme de proces .

The vVolfand the Lmnb

The stronger man's reasoning always carries the day, as we shall demonstrate at once. A lamb was quenching his thirst in the current of a cJear stream,

Along carne a starving wolf out to try his luck; hunger had drawn him to that spot.

'''Who makes you so bold as to muddy Illy dlinking water?" said that animal, full of rage:

"Yoll 'll be punished for your rashn ess." "Sire," the lamb replied, "may it please your Majesty

not to get angry; rather, consider that 1 am drinking

from the flOWing current more than twenty paces downstream from you,

and that consequently there is no way in which I can muddy your drinking water. "

"You a're muddying it," replied that cruel beast, "and 1 know that you slandered me last year. " "How could 1 have, since 1 wasn 't born yet?"

replied the lamb; 'Tm still suckling my mother." "If it wasn't you, then it \V ,lS your brother."

"I have none," "Then it was some relative of yours: for all of yo u show me no mercy, you, your shepherds and your dogs.

I was told about it: J must take revenge for it. " The reupon the wolf carried him off deep into the forest, and the n ate him without any other form of due process.

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46 Le loup, la chevre, et Ie chevreall

Le loup, la chevre, et le chevreau

La bique allant remplir sa trainante mamelle Et paitre l'herbe nouvelle, Ferm a sa porte au loquet, Non sans dire ason biquet: «Gardez-vous sur votre vie D 'ouvrir, que l'on ne VOllS die, Pour enseigne et mot du gue t: «Foin du loup et de sa race!" Co m me elle disait ces mots, Le loup, de fortun e passe. Illes recue ille apropos, Et les garde en sa memoire. La bigue, COfllm e on peut croire, N'avait pas vu Ie glouton.

Des qll 'illa voi t partie, il contrefai t son ton; Et d ' llile voix papelarde,

II demande qu'on ouvre, en disant: "Foin du loup! », Et croyallt entre r tout d'un coup.

Le biquet soupc,:onneux par la rente regarde. dvlolltrez-moi patte blanche, ou je n 'ouvrirai point», S '<~c ria-t-il d'abord (patte blanche est un point Chez les loups, comm e on sait , rarement en usage). Celui-ci, f() rt surpris d'entendre ce langage, Comme il etait venu s'en retourna chez soi. Oll serait Ie biguet s'il eOt ajoute roi

Au mot du gllet, que de fo rtune Notre loup avait entendll '? Deux sOretes valent mieux qu'une;

Et Ie trop e ll cela ne fut jamais perdu.

The Wolf, the Coat and the Kid 47

The Wolf, the Goat and the Kid

The nannygoat, going out to re±lll her slack udder and graze on the h esh grass, locked her door vvith the latch, not without sayi ng to he r kid: "On peril of your life make sure not to open the door, unless someone savs to vou, as a rallying cry and passwo rd: / / 'To hell wi th the wolf and his breed l' " While she was saying these wo rds, the wolf just happened to corn e by He heard th em at the right moment, and storeu them in his me rnOIv. The goat, as is easy to believe,

/

hadn;t seen the glutton. As soon as he saw that she was gone, he imitated he r voice,

and in sanctimonious tones he asked to be let in , saying, "To heJl with the woHl"

and thinking he'd he adm i.tted at oncc. The kid , suspicious, looked through the crack. "Show me a white paw or J won 't open up," he shouted first (white paws are a feature nne])' fo und among wolves, as is well known). The wolf, extremely surprised to hear words of the sort , went back home just as he had come. 'Whe re would the kid be iF he had lent credence

to the password , which by mere accident our wolf had heard? Two safe l), measures are better than one;

and extra attention in such matters has never been wasted .

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110 111 Le lion, ie Loup, et if' renard

II re tollm e chez lui ; dans sa cave iI enserre Largent e t sa joie a la fois.

Plus de chant; il pe rdit la voix Du mom ent qu'il gagna ce qui cause nos peines .

Le sontllIeil ttuitta son logis, II e ut pour hates les soucis, Les sOLlp~ons, les alarmes vaines.

Tout Ie jour il avait ]'~il au gue t; et ]a nuit, Si yuelque chat fai srtit du bruit ,

Le chat prenait l'argent A la fin Ie pallvre hornl1le S'en courut chez celui qu'il ne n§veill ait plus. «ReTldez-moi , lui dit-il , mes chansons et mOil somme,

Et rep renez vos cent eCllS."

Le lion, le loup, et le renard

Un lion decrepit, gOllttellx, H'e ll pOllvant plus, VOlllait que ]'on trouvilt relllede ~I la vieill esse. Alleguer l'imposs ible aux rois, c'est un ahlls.

Celui-ci pan ni c:hatl'le espece Mand<l des medecins; 11 e n est de tous alts. Medecins all lion vie nne nt de toutes parts; De tous cOtes lui vient des donneurs de recettes.

Dans les visites qui sont £Clites, Le renard se dispense, e t se tient c:I os e t coi. Le loup e n f<lit sa com, daube au c:ouche r du roi

Son camarade absent: Ie prillce tout al'heure Vcut qu'on ai ll e enfurner renard dans sa demeure, Qu'on Ie fasse venir. II vient, est pn~sente,

Et, sachant (lue Ie loup lui faisait c:ctte affaire: «Je crains, Sire, dit-il, qu 'un rappolt peu sincere

Ne m'ait ameplis impute D 'avoir diflere cet hOlllmage; Mais retais en pelerinage,

Et m'acquittais d\m vceu fait pour votre sante. Meme r ai vu dans mon voyage

Gens experts e t savants, le ur ai rut la langueur Don t Votre Majes te craint abon droit la suite:

The LioTl, the Wolf and the Fox

He returned horne; in his cellar he locked up the money, <lnd his joy at the same time. No more singing: he lost his voice

the moment he acquired tlt e cause of our woes. Sleep abandoned his dwelling; he had ft)r guests worries, suspicions , false alarm s;

alI day he kept a sharp lookout; and at night if some cat made noise ,

the cat was taking the money Finally the poor man ran to th e home of the one he no longer awakened: "Give me back," he said, "my songs <lllcl my sleep,

and take back your hundred crowns."

The Lion, the Wolf and the Fox

A decrepit, go ut-riclclen lion , devoid of all vigor, wanted some cure to be found For old age . To assert to kings that th eir "vishes are impossible is an e rror.

This king summon ed doctors helonging to every animal species; the re are doctors in all specialties. Physicians came to the lion from everywhere; from all sides he receives write rs of prescriptions .

From the visits made to th e lion the fox absents himself, and re mains (lu iet and secluded. The wolr takes this opportunity to ingratiate himself; at th e king's

bedtim e cere mony he de nigrates his absent colleague: the ruler immediate ly orders men to go and smoke the fox out of hi s hole and lllake him come. H e co mes, he is presented, and, knOWing that the wolf created this situation for him , he says: "I fear, Sire, that a rather untruthful report

has charged me with conte m pt for helving delayed this homage; but I was on a pilgrimage,

<lnd was fulfilling a vow I had made for your health. In fact, on my journey J went to see

expelts and scholars, and told them about the weakness whose consequences Your Majesty helS every right to fear:

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112 Le pouvoir desfahles

VOUS ne manquez que de chaleur; Le long age en vous l' a detruite .

D'un loup ecorche vif appliquez-vous la peau Toute chaude et toute fumante; Le secret sans do LIte en est beau Pour la nature defaillante . Messire loup vous servira, S'il vous plait, de robe de chambre .» Le roi goute cet avis-lit On ecorche, on tailie , on deme mbre

Messire IOllp. Le monarque e n soupa, Et de sa peaLl s'enveloppa.

Messieurs les courtisans, cessez de vous cletruire: Faites, si vous pouvez, votre cour sans vous nuire. Le mal se re nd chez VOliS au quadruple du bi en. Les daubeurs ont leur tour d 'une ou J 'autre maniere :

VOllS etes dans une caniere Ou l'on ne se pardonne lien,

Le pouvoir des fables A MON SIEUH DE BARILLON

La qualite cl'ambassadeur Pe ut-elle s'abaisse r ades contes vulgaires ';J Vous pl1is-je offrir mes vers et leurs graces legeres? S'ils osent ql1elquefois prendre un air de grandeur, Seront-ils point traites par vous de teJ11eraires'~

VOliS avez bien d 'autres affaires A demeler que les debats Du lapin et de la be lette , Lisez-les, ne les lisez pas; Mais e mpechez qu'on ne no us mette Toute l'Europe sur les bras. Que de mille endroits de la terre II nOliS vienne des ennemis,

The Power of Fables 1]3

all you 're lacking is heat; your great age has destroyed it in you.

Vvrap yourself in the skin of a wolf flayed alive, while it's still hot and smoking; its hidden properties are no doubt beneficial to flagging natural functions. D octor Wolf, if you please, will se rve as a dreSSing gown. " The king likes that advice: they flay, cut up and dismembe r

Doctor 'Wolf. The monarch supped on him and wrapped himse lf in his skin.

Courtiers, cease destroying on e anothe r: iI' you can , ingratiate yourselves without harming each other. In your Inilie il evil is re turn ed at a rate fOllr times greater than good. Backhiters get their puni shment in one manner or another:

you're engaged in a career in which no one ever forgi ves or is forgiven.

The Power ofFables To MONSlEUH DE BAHILLONsO

Can the rank of ambassador stoop to hearing everyday stories? May I offer you m)' verses and their unweighty graces? If they sometimes ven ture to assume an air o f grandeur, won't you can them foolhardy?

You have many other matters to resolve than the squabbles of the rabbit and the weclsel. Read them, don't read them: but prevent us from becoming encumbered with all of Europe. If from a thousand places on ealth enemies rush upon us,

5 0 More properly spe lled Barrillon; .Frendt ambassador tu England.

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192 Le renard, Ie loup , et le cheval

Le renard, le loup, et le cheval

Un re nardjeune encor, quoique des plus madres, Vit Ie premier cheval qu'i1 eGt Vll de sa vie. 11 dit aceliai n loup, franc novice: «Accourez:

Un animal pall dans nos pres, Beau, grand; j'en ai la vue encor toute ravie .

-Est-i! plus tOli que nOlls? c1it Ie loup en riant. Fais-moi son portrait , je te pIie.

-Si j'etais quelqlle peintre OU qllel(lUe e tud ian t, Hepartit Ie renard , j'avancerais la joie

Que vom aurez en Ie voyant. Mitis venez. Que sait-on? pent-etre est-ce une proie

Que la Fortune nollS envoie.» lI s von t; e t Ie cheval, qu 'a !'herbe on avait mis , Assez peu curieux de sem blables amis , Flit presque sur Ie point d'enfil er la venelle . «Seigneur, dit Ie renard , vos humbles servite urs Apprenoraiellt volontiers comm ent on vous appelle.» Le cheval, qui n'e tait depourvu de cervelle, Le ur dit: «Lisez mon nom , vous Ie pOll vez, Messieurs; Mon cordonnier 1'a mis autour de ma semelle.» Le renard s'eXCLlsa sur son peu de savoir. "Mes parents, reprit-il, ne m'ont point hlit in stmire; Ils sont p"luvres , et n 'ont lIll 'un troll pour tout avoir. Ceux dll loup, gros mess ieurs, l'ont fait apprendre a lire.»

Le loup, par ce discoLlrs £lau e , S'approcha; mais sa vanite

Lui coiita quatre dents: Ie cheval lui desserre Un coup; e t haut Ie pied. Voil a mOll loup par terre,

Mal e n pOint , sanglant et gate "Fre re, dit Ie renard, ceci nous justifie

Ce que m'ont dit des gens 'cl 'esprit: Cct animal VOllS a sur la madlOire ecrit Que de tout inconnu Ie sage se mefie.»

':1

,I,

J '

.........

Th e Fox, the Wolf and the Horse 193

The Fox, the vVolf and the Horse

A fox who ,vas still young, though one of the wiliest, saw the first horse he '0 ever seen in his life. H e said to a certain wolf, who was a raw novice : "Come!

Th ere's an animal grazing in our meadows that's beautiful and tall; my eyes are still delighted at the sight of

him. " "Is he stronger than we are?" said the wolf, laughing;

"describe him to me, please." "If I were som e painter or some student," replied the fo x, "I would give yo n a foretaste of the pleasure

that you'll experience when YO ll see him. But corn e l who knows? Maybe he's a prey

that good fOliune has sent our way." Th ey set out; and the horse, who had been turned out to grass and was not ve ry eager to meet new friends of th at sort, was al most on the point of escaping. "Sir," said the fox, "your humble servants would gladly learn your name." Th e horse, who wasn 't short on brain s, said to the m: "Reao my name; you can do that, gentlemen; my shoemaker put it in writing around my soles ," The fox apolOgized for his lack of knowledge. "My parents," he replied, "didn 't have me educated; they' re poor, and a hol e in the ground is all they own. Those of the wolf, people of standing, had him taught to read."

The wolf, flattered by this speech, came up dose; but his vanity

cost him four teeth: the horse unleashed a ki ck at him; then bolted away. There was th e wolf on the ground,

in poor shape, bleeding and injured. "Brother, " said the fox, "this confirms for us

what clever people have told me: that animal has written on your jaw that the \,yise man is suspicious of anything unknown to him ,"