Book VIII: The Ass and the Dog
Dame Nature, our respected mother,Ordains that we should aid each other.
The ass this ordinance neglected,Though not a creature ill-affected.Along the road a dog and heOne master follow'd silently.Their master slept: meanwhile, the assApplied his nippers to the grass,Much pleased in such a place to stop,Though there no thistle he could crop.He would not be too delicate,Nor spoil a dinner for a plate,Which, but for that, his favourite dish,Were all that any ass could wish.
'My dear companion,' Towser said,--''Tis as a starving dog I ask it,--Pray lower down your loaded basket,And let me get a piece of bread.'No answer--not a word!--indeed,The truth was, our Arcadian steedFear'd lest, for every moment's flight,His nimble teeth should lose a bite.At last, 'I counsel you,' said he, 'to waitTill master is himself awake,Who then, unless I much mistake,Will give his dog the usual bait.'Meanwhile, there issued from the woodA creature of the wolfish brood,Himself by famine sorely pinch'd.At sight of him the donkey flinch'd,And begg'd the dog to give him aid.The dog budged not, but answer made,--'I counsel thee, my friend, to run,Till master's nap is fairly done;There can, indeed, be no mistake,That he will very soon awake;Till then, scud off with all your might;And should he snap you in your flight,This ugly wolf,--why, let him feelThe greeting of your well-shod heel.I do not doubt, at all, but thatWill be enough to lay him flat.'But ere he ceased it was too late;The ass had met his cruel fate.
Thus selfishness we reprobate.
Words in this poem
- dame n.
- A mistress of a family, who is a lady; a womam in authority; especially, a lady. [F. dame, LL. domna, fr. L. domina mistress, lady, fem. of dominus master, ruler, lord; akin to domare to tame, subdue. See Tame, and cf. Dam mother, Dan, Danger]
- ordinance n.
- Orderly arrangement; preparation; provision. [OE. ordenance, OF. ordenance, F. ordonnance. See Ordain, and cf. Ordnance, Ordonnance.]
- meanwhile n.
- The intervening time; as, in the meantime (or mean time).
- nippers n.
- Small pinchers for holding, breaking, or cutting. [From 2d Nip.]
- towser n.
- A familiar name for a dog. [ Written also Towzer. ] [See Touse to pull about.]
- arcadian a.
- Of or pertaining to Arcadia; pastoral; ideally rural; as, Arcadian simplicity or scenery. [L. Arcadius, Arcadicus, fr. Arcadia: cf. F. Arcadien, Arcadique.]
- steed n.
- A horse, especially a spirited horse for state of war; -- used chiefly in poetry or stately prose. [OE. stede, AS. steda a stud-horse, war horse, fr. stod a stud of breeding steeds; akin to G. stute a mare, Icel. stedda, sto, a stud. *163. See Stud of horses.]
- wolfish a.
- Like a wolf; having the qualities or form of a wolf; as, a wolfish visage; wolfish designs.
- famine n.
- General scarcity of food; dearth; a want of provisions; destitution. [F. famine, fr. L. fames hunger; cf. Gr. hani loss, lack, ha to leave.]
- sorely adv.
- In a sore manner; grievously; painfully; as, to be sorely afflicted.
- donkey n.
- An ass; or (less frequently) a mule. [Prob. dun, in allusion to the color of the animal + a dim. termination.]
- fairly adv.
- In a fairmanner; clearly; openly; plainly; fully; distinctly; frankly.
- scud v. i.
- To move swiftly; especially, to move as if driven forward by something. [Dan. skyde to shoot, shove, push, akin to skud shot, gunshot, a shoot, young bough, and to E. shoot. sq. root159. See Shoot.]
- reprobate a.
- Not enduring proof or trial; not of standard purity or fineness; disallowed; rejected. [L. reprobatus, p. p. of reprobare to disapprove, condemn. See Reprieve, Reprove.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Book VIII: The Ass and the Dog is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Fables of La Fontaine, Project Gutenberg ebook #7241, the Elizur Wright translation; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Jean de La Fontaine, Book VIII: The Ass and the Dog, in The Fables of La Fontaine (1841), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #7241, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/la-fontaine-fables/8-17.html, id L28371.
Form and metre
Book VIII: The Ass and the Dog is 45 lines in 4 verse paragraphs. It is in rhyming couplets, 76% of the lines: octosyllabic couplets. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 89%).
See other poems in octosyllabic couplets, other poems in iambic tetrameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 AA motherA · otherA
- 2 AABBCCDDEEFF neglectedA · affectedA · heB · silentlyB · assC · grassC · stopD · cropD · delicateE · plateE · dishF · wishF
- 3 ABBACCDDEFFE--GGHHIIFFDDJJKKEE saidA · itB · basketB · breadA · indeedC · steedC · flightD · biteD · waitE · awakeF · mistakeF · baitE · wood · brood · pinch'dG · flinch'dG · aidH · madeH · runI · doneI · mistakeF · awakeF · mightD · flightD · feelJ · heelJ · thatK · flatK · lateE · fateE
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| Dame Nature, our respected mother, | 9 | ·/˘/˘/˘/˘ |
| Ordains that we should aid each other. | 9 | ˘/·····/˘ |
| The ass this ordinance neglected, | 9 | ···/˘˘˘/˘ |
| Though not a creature ill-affected. | 9 | ···/˘·˘/˘ |
| Along the road a dog and he | 8 | ˘/······ |
| One master follow'd silently. | 8 | ·/˘/˘/˘˘ |
| Their master slept: meanwhile, the ass | 8 | ·/˘·/··· |
| Applied his nippers to the grass, | 8 | ˘/·/˘··· |
| Much pleased in such a place to stop, | 8 | ········ |
| Though there no thistle he could crop. | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| He would not be too delicate, | 8 | ·····/˘˘ |
| Nor spoil a dinner for a plate, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Which, but for that, his favourite dish, | 9 | ········· |
| Were all that any ass could wish. | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| 'My dear companion,' Towser said,-- | 8 | ··˘/˘/˘· |
| ''Tis as a starving dog I ask it,-- | 9 | ···/˘···· |
| Pray lower down your loaded basket, | 9 | ·/˘··/˘/˘ |
| And let me get a piece of bread.' | 8 | ········ |
| No answer--not a word!--indeed, | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| The truth was, our Arcadian steed | 8 | ···/·/˘· |
| Fear'd lest, for every moment's flight, | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| His nimble teeth should lose a bite. | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| At last, 'I counsel you,' said he, 'to wait | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Till master is himself awake, | 8 | ·/˘·˘/˘/ |
| Who then, unless I much mistake, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| Will give his dog the usual bait.' | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Meanwhile, there issued from the wood | 8 | /··/˘··· |
| A creature of the wolfish brood, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Himself by famine sorely pinch'd. | 8 | ˘/·/˘/˘· |
| At sight of him the donkey flinch'd, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| And begg'd the dog to give him aid. | 8 | ········ |
| The dog budged not, but answer made,-- | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| 'I counsel thee, my friend, to run, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Till master's nap is fairly done; | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| There can, indeed, be no mistake, | 8 | ··˘/··˘/ |
| That he will very soon awake; | 8 | ···/˘·˘/ |
| Till then, scud off with all your might; | 8 | ········ |
| And should he snap you in your flight, | 8 | ········ |
| This ugly wolf,--why, let him feel | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| The greeting of your well-shod heel. | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| I do not doubt, at all, but that | 8 | ········ |
| Will be enough to lay him flat.' | 8 | ··˘/···· |
| But ere he ceased it was too late; | 8 | ········ |
| The ass had met his cruel fate. | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Thus selfishness we reprobate. | 8 | ·/˘˘·/˘˘ |
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