Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Fables and Parables
(section)
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
==Samples== Below are 17 samples from Krasicki's ''Fables and Parables'' (1779), in English [[translation]] by [[Christopher Kasparek]]. An additional 45 items may be found at [[:Wikisource:Fables and Parables|Wikisource]]; the total of 62 items presented there constitute 52% of the 119 in Krasicki's original ''Fables and Parables''. === Abuzei and Tair === "Congratulate me, father," said Tair, "I prosper.<br> Tomorrow I am to become the [[Sultan]]'s [[brother-in-law|brother-<br> In-law]] and hunt with him." Quoth father: "All does alter,<br> Your lord's good graces, women's favor, autumn weather."<br> He had guessed aright, the son's plans did not turn out well:<br> The Sultan withheld his sister, all day the rain fell. === The Blind Man and the Lame === [[File:Emblemata saecurlaria 46.jpg|thumb|175px|"[[The Blind Man and the Lame]]", from [[Johann Theodor de Bry|de Bry]]'s ''Emblemata saecularia'', 1596]] A [[blindness|blind]] man was carrying a [[lameness|lame]] man on his back,<br> And everything was going well, everything's on track,<br> When the blind man decides to take it into his head<br> That he needn't listen to all that the lame man said.<br> "This stick I have will guide the two of us safe," said he,<br> And though warned by the lame man, he plowed into a [[tree]]. <br> On they proceeded; the lame man now warned of a [[stream|brook]];<br> The two survived, but their possessions a soaking took.<br> At last the blind man ignored the warning of a drop,<br> And that was to turn out their final and fatal stop.<br> :Which of the two travelers, you may ask, was to blame? Why, 'twas both the heedless blind man and the trusting lame. === The Eagle and the Hawk === Eagle, not wishing to incommode himself with [[hunting|chase]],<br> Decided to send hawk after sparrows in his place.<br> Hawk brought him the sparrows, eagle ate them with pleasure;<br> At last, not quite sated with the dainties to measure,<br> Feeling his appetite growing keener and keener —<br> Eagle ate [[fowl]] for breakfast, the [[falconry|fowler]] for dinner. ===Son and Father=== Every age has its bitter, every age has its grief:<br> Son toiled o'er his book, father was vexed beyond belief.<br> The one had no rest; the other no freedom, forsooth:<br> Father lamented his age, son lamented his youth. === Birds in a Cage === "Why do you weep?" inquired the young [[w:siskin|siskin]] of the old,<BR> "You're more comfortable in this [[w:birdcage|cage]] than out in the cold."<BR> "You were born caged," said the elder, "this was your morrow;<BR> "I was free, now I'm caged—hence the cause of my sorrow." === The Little Fish and the Pike === Espying a worm in the water, the little fish<br> Did greatly regret the worm could not become his dish.<br> Up came a [[pike (fish)|pike]] and made his preparations to dine;<br> He swallowed both worm and [[fish hook|hook]], which he failed to divine.<br> As the [[angling|angler]] pulled ashore his magnificent prize,<br> Quoth the little fish: "Sometimes good to be undersize." === The Farmer === A farmer, bent on doubling the [[Profit (accounting)|profits]] from his land,<br> Proceeded to set his soil a two-[[harvest]] demand.<br> Too intent thus on profit, harm himself he must needs:<br> Instead of [[cereal|corn]], he now reaps [[corn cockle]] and weeds. === Two Dogs === "Why do I freeze out of doors while you sleep on a rug?"<br> Inquired the bobtail [[mixed-breed dog|mongrel]] of the fat, sleek [[pug]].<br> "I have run of the house, and you the run of a chain,"<br> The pug replied, "because you serve, while I entertain." ===The Master and His Dog=== The dog barked all the night, keeping the burglar away;<br> It got a beating for waking the master, next day.<br> That night it slept soundly and did the burglar no harm;<br> He [[burglary|burgle]]d; the dog got [[Walking stick|caned]] for not raising [[alarm signal|alarm]]. ===The Humble Lion=== 'Tis bad at master's court to lie, bad the truth to tell.<br> Lion, intent on showing all that he was humble,<br> Called for open reproaches. Said the fox: "Your great vice<br> Is that you're too kind, too gracious, excessively nice."<br> The sheep, seeing lion pleased by fox's rebuke, said:<br> "You are a cruel, voracious tyrant." — and she was dead. === The Lamb and the Wolves === [[File:Plate facing page 10, An Argosy of Fables.jpg|150px|thumb|Lamb and wolf, illus. by [[Paul Bransom|Bransom]], ca. 1921]] Aggression ever finds cause if sufficiently pressed.<br> Two wolves on the prowl had trapped a [[domestic sheep|lamb]] in the forest<br> And were about to pounce. Quoth the lamb: "What right have you?"<br> "You're toothsome, weak, in the wood." — The wolves dined sans ado. ===Man and Wolf=== Man was traveling in wolfskin when wolf stopped his way.<br> "Know from my [[Clothing|garb]]," said the man, "what I am, what I may."<br> The wolf first laughed out loud, then grimly said to the man:<br> "I know that you are weak, if you need another's skin." ===Compassion=== The sheep was praising the wolf for all his compassion;<br> Hearing it, fox asked her: "How is that? In what fashion?"<br> "Very much so!" says the sheep, "I owe him what I am.<br> He's mild! He could've eaten me, but just ate my [[Domestic sheep#Reproduction|lamb]]." ===The Neighborhood=== [[Rye]] sprouted up on land that, until then, [[fallow]] lay.<br> But to what avail when, all about, [[bramble]] held sway.<br> The [[soil]] was good, though it had never been touched by [[plow]];<br> It would have brought forth [[grain]], did the bramble this allow.<br> :Happy is the man who with equals shares his [[border]]! Bad be [[famine]], [[war]], [[malaria|bad air]]; but worse still, bad [[Neighbourhood|neighbor]].<ref>This fable may allude to the state of the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]], surrounded by hostile powers, before and during the Partitions of the Commonwealth in the second half of the 18th century. (Note in [[Ignacy Krasicki|Krasicki]], ''Bajki: wybór'', p. 76.)</ref> ===Refractory Oxen=== Pleasant the beginnings, but lamentable the end.<br> In spring, the [[cattle|ox]]en to their plowing would not attend;<br> They would not carry the grain to the barn in the fall;<br> Came winter, bread ran out, the farmer ate them withal. ===The Drunkard=== Having spent at the bottle many a night and day,<br> The ailing [[drunkard]] threw his mugs and glasses away;<br> He declared [[wine]] a tyrant, reviled [[beer]], cursed out [[mead]].<br> Then, his [[health]] restored... he'd no longer [[Teetotalism|abstinence]] heed. ===Bread And Sword=== As the [[bread]] lay next to the [[sword]], the weapon [[Demurrer|demurred]]:<br> "You would certainly show me more respect if you heard<br> How by [[night]] and by [[day]] I [[Conscientiousness|conscientiously]] strive<br> So that you may safely go on keeping men alive."<br> "I know," said the bread, "the shape of your duty's course:<br> You defend me less often than you take me by force." <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://polandsite.proboards.com/thread/742|title = Ignacy Krasicki - fabulous creator of Fables | POLISH FORUM ABOUT CULTURE, PEOPLE, TRADITIONS, HISTORY OF POLAND}}</ref> ''[[Translation|Translated]] from the [[Polish language|Polish]] by [[Christopher Kasparek]].''
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)