The Rat and the Oyster book cover

The Rat and the Oyster

"The Rat and the Oyster" is a fable by Jean de La Fontaine that conveys moral lessons through a cleverly woven tale. The story is about a rat who, having only experienced life in the barn, ventures out to the seashore. There, it gets attracted by a partially open oyster and sticks its snout inside for a taste, only to be immediately trapped as the oyster closes its shell. The story imparts a lesson about the dangers of greed and curiosity, and the perils of venturing into unknown territories unprepared.


Year:
1668
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Submitted by davidb on September 28, 2023


								
A Rustic Rat, of mighty little sense, Weary of home, would needs go travel thence; And quitted the paternal hearth, one day, To study life in places far away. At each wide prospect, hitherto unscanned, He murmured, "Oh, how beautiful! how grand! Yon mount is Caucasus, begirt with pines; That range, methinks, must be the Apennines." For every molehill, to his wondering eyes, Became a mountain of terrific size. He reached a province of the land, at last, Where Tethys, deity of seas, had cast Some Oysters on the sand, which looked at least Like first-rate frigates to our simple beast. "My father is a timid soul," he said, "Who fears to travel: what an empty dread! As to myself, what marvels I have seen; What scores of wonders, earthly and marine!" Thus boasted he, in magisterial tone, And boasted loud, though speaking all alone. Most rats, I beg to say, are more discreet, And use their lips but when they wish to eat. Meanwhile, one Oyster--a luxurious one-- With shells apart, was basking in the sun. Tasting the balmy breeze, it lay agape,-- A fine fat morsel of seductive shape. The Rat, with moistenings of the under lip (Mistaking still the Oyster for a ship), Ran up, and, smelling something nice to eat, Prepared, straightway, his grinders for a treat. "The crew," quoth he, "have left a feast on board,-- A cold collation, fit for any lord; If it deceive me not, I've got a prize, Or else I do not know the use of eyes." So saying, Master Rat, resolving well, Peered round the pearly margin of the shell. It held him fast: the Oyster from his nap Had woke, and sharply shut his treacherous trap. This all arose from fatal ignorance: The fable's useful to the folks of France,-- Nor France alone: it shows with what surprise The simplest object strikes a booby's eyes. And notice, oftentimes, for want of wit, The fool, who thinks he's biting, is first bit.
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Jean de La Fontaine

Jean de La Fontaine was a renowned French fabulist and one of the most famous poets during the French classical period. He was born on July 8, 1621, and died on April 13, 1695. Known for his literary style, he is best known for his "Fables", which are considered classics of French literature. His works were marked by his sophisticated style and moral substance, and his fables provided a scathing critique of French society during his time. more…

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