A fable is a story, usually pretty short, using animals as characters and generally containing a moral or other poignant point to it. I love fables and have every since I was little. They’re a great way to make a point and, they’re a fabulous exercise in storytelling and I absolutely LOVE the art of storytelling!
My favorite fable is about the tortoise and the scorpion.
A scorpion is travelling and one day comes upon a river. Being a scorpion and unable to swim, the scorpion mournfully ponders the river trying to decide how to get across. Just when he is thinking that he should give up, forget his journey and head homeward, he spots a tortoise ambling toward the river on the same bank he’s on. Thinking quickly, he asks:
“Oh tortoise! I’m stuck here on this side of the river! If you’re going across, would you be kind enough to let me ride on your back?”
Being no fool, the tortoise responded, “You’re a scorpion – giving you a ride would be dangerous. What would stop you from stinging me?”
Also not a fool, the scorpion reasoned, “It would be foolish of me to sting you – not only would you be doing me a favor, but if I stung you, I would surely drown!”
Seeing the reason in this, the tortoise agreed and moments later, the tortoise with scorpion on his back was headed across the river. Halfway across, the tortoise suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back. Overcome with dread, he had to ask, “Oh scorpion! Why did you just sting me, now we will both surely die?”
Scorpion replied, “I know, tortoise, and I am sorry – but it is in my nature to sting.”
I especially like this one because it carries with it two different, somewhat cynical, morals. The first one is that it is foolish to expect people to act contrary to their natures, and the second being that sometimes, you have to resist your base instincts and do the right thing instead.
So, what’s your favorite fable?
