The Fox and the Woodman

The Fox and the Woodman is a cautionary story against hypocrisy included among Aesop's Fables and is numbered 22 in the Perry Index.^[1] Although the same basic plot recurs, different versions have included a variety of participants.

The fable's history

There are both Greek and Latin sources for the fable. They tell of a hunted animal that asks a man to hide it. When the hunters enquire if he has seen their quarry, he says he has not but indicates the hiding place by pointing to it or looking at it. The hunters take him at his word, however, and ride off. When the animal emerges, it reproaches the man for his double-dealing. Most Greek accounts make the animal a fox who appeals to a woodman. In the Latin poem of Phaedrus the hunted animal is a hare (lepus) who appeals to a herdsman. Later Latin versions mistake the name and make the animal a wolf (lupus).^[2] It was therefore told of a wolf in the earliest printed collections of Aesop's fables in the 15th century.

A rather different version of the fable is ascribed to Aesop by the 2nd century philosopher Maximus of Tyre in his Dissertations. A lion pursuing a stag asks a shepherd if he has seen it. The man says he has not but points to the stag's hiding place, where it is killed by the lion. A fox then denounces the man as a servile coward.^[3] Maximus applies the story to the taking of contradictory philosophical positions, but later writers see it as an illustration of hypocritical behaviour. The 16th century Neo-Latin poets Hieronymus Osius^[4] and Pantaleon Candidus^[5] both treated the fox version of the fable and commented on the discordant behaviour of saying one thing and doing another. Writing in the tradition of emblem books, Johannes Posthius brought out an illustrated Aesopi Fabulae (1566) in which a German verse treatment of the fables was prefaced by a short poem in Latin summing up the moral gist of each. Fable 127 deals with the Fox and the Woodman (Vulpes et lignator) and declares that, if you want a trustworthy reputation, word and hand should agree.^[6]

The fable was also included in Poggio's prose collection of humorous anecdotes, the Facetiae, written during the 1450s.^[7] He too saw it as an illustration of hypocritical behaviour, while Roger L'Estrange, one of the few to record the fable in English after William Caxton, comments that 'Conscience is as answerable for his Fingers as for his Tongue'.^[8]

References

^ "Aesopica site". Mythfolklore.net. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
^ Adrados, Francisco Rodríguez (2003). History of the Graeco-Latin Fable. Vol. III. Brill Publishers. pp. 32–34. ISBN 9004118918.
^ The dissertations of Maximus Tyrius (trans. T. Taylor), London 1804 Dissertation 33
^ Fabulae Aesopi Fable 202
^ "Fable 20". Uni-mannheim.de. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
^ Aesopus. "p. 266". Dfg-viewer.de. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
^ Vol. 2, Paris 1879, Fable 163
^ "Fable 104". Mythfolklore.net. Retrieved 2013-04-22.

External links

Illustrations from books between the 15th and 19th centuries

v t e Aesop
Aesop's Fables	The Ant and the Grasshopper The Ass and his Masters The Ass and the Pig The Ass Carrying an Image The Ass in the Lion's Skin The Astrologer who Fell into a Well The Bear and the Travelers The Belly and the Members The Bird-catcher and the Blackbird The Bird in Borrowed Feathers The Boy Who Cried Wolf The Cat and the Mice The Cock and the Jewel The Cock, the Dog and the Fox The Crow and the Pitcher The Crow and the Snake The Deer without a Heart The Dog and Its Reflection The Dog and the Wolf The Dove and the Ant The Eagle and the Fox The Farmer and the Stork The Farmer and the Viper The Fir and the Bramble The Fisherman and the Little Fish The Fowler and the Snake The Fox and the Crow The Fox and the Grapes The Fox and the Lion The Fox and the Mask The Fox and the Sick Lion The Fox and the Stork The Fox and the Weasel The Fox and the Woodman The Frog and the Ox The Frogs Who Desired a King The Goat and the Vine The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs The Honest Woodcutter The Horse and the Donkey The Horse that Lost its Liberty The Lion and the Mouse The Lion, the Bear and the Fox The Man with Two Mistresses The Mischievous Dog The Miser and his Gold The Moon and her Mother The Mountain in Labour The Mouse and the Oyster The North Wind and the Sun The Oak and the Reed The Old Man and Death The Old Woman and the Doctor The Rose and the Amaranth The Satyr and the Traveller The Sick Kite The Snake and the Crab The Snake in the Thorn Bush The Tortoise and the Hare Town Mouse and Country Mouse The Travellers and the Plane Tree The Trees and the Bramble The Two Pots The Walnut Tree Washing the Ethiopian White The Weasel and Aphrodite The Wolf and the Crane The Wolf and the Lamb The Woodcutter and the Trees The Young Man and the Swallow
Apocryphal	An ass eating thistles The Bear and the Gardener Belling the Cat (also known as The Mice in Council) The Blind Man and the Lame The Boy and the Filberts Chanticleer and the Fox The Dog in the Manger The drowned woman and her husband The Elm and the Vine The Fox and the Cat The Gourd and the Palm-tree The Hawk and the Nightingale The miller, his son and the donkey The Monkey and the Cat The Priest and the Wolf The Scorpion and the Frog The Shepherd and the Lion
Related	Jataka tales Panchatantra Perry Index The labyrinth of Versailles Lion's share Out of the frying pan into the fire Still waters run deep The milkmaid and her pail Wolf in sheep's clothing Aesop's Fables (album)
Screen adaptations	Aesop's Film Fables The Grasshopper and the Ants
Print adaptations	Ysopet The Morall Fabillis of Esope the Phrygian "The Cock and the Jasp" "The Taill of how this forsaid Tod maid his Confessioun to Freir Wolf Waitskaith" "The Taill of Schir Chanticleir and the Foxe" "The Taill of the Uponlandis Mous and the Burges Mous" La Fontaine's Fables
Translators	Demetrius of Phalerum Phaedrus Babrius Avianus Dositheus Magister Alexander Neckam Adémar de Chabannes Odo of Cheriton John Lydgate Kawanabe Kyōsai Laurentius Abstemius Roger L'Estrange Gabriele Faerno Hieronymus Osius Marie de France Robert Henryson Jean de La Fontaine Ivan Krylov Nicolas Trigault Robert Thom Zhou Zuoren

Read other articles:

Deputi Bidang Koordinasi Pertahanan Negara

Deputi Bidang Koordinasi Pertahanan Negara Kementerian Koordinator Bidang Politik, Hukum, dan Keamanan Republik IndonesiaGambaran umumDasar hukumPeraturan Presiden Nomor 43 Tahun 2015Susunan organisasiDeputiRudianto [1]Kantor pusatJl. Medan Merdeka Barat No. 15 Jakarta Pusat 10110Situs webwww.polkam.go.id Deputi Bidang Koordinasi Pertahanan Negara merupakan unsur pembantu pimpinan pada Kementerian Koordinator Bidang Politik, Hukum, dan Keamanan Republik Indonesia yang berada di b...

Fred Manfra

American retired sportscaster (born 1946) Manfra in April 2013 Fred Manfra (born September 1946)[1] is an American retired sportscaster, best known for radio and television broadcasts of the Baltimore Orioles. He has covered many other sports, including football, basketball, ice hockey, horse racing and the Olympics. He retired in May 2017 as a Baltimore Orioles sportscaster. Biography Early life and career A Baltimore native, Manfra is a 1964 graduate of Patterson High School, where ...

Синелобый амазон

Синелобый амазон Научная классификация Домен:ЭукариотыЦарство:ЖивотныеПодцарство:ЭуметазоиБез ранга:Двусторонне-симметричныеБез ранга:ВторичноротыеТип:ХордовыеПодтип:ПозвоночныеИнфратип:ЧелюстноротыеНадкласс:ЧетвероногиеКлада:АмниотыКлада:ЗавропсидыКласс:Пт�...

Guinn "Big Boy" Williams

Guinn Big Boy WilliamsWilliams dalam The Law of the 45's (1935)LahirGuinn Terrell Williams Jr.(1899-04-26)26 April 1899Decatur, Texas, Amerika SerikatMeninggal6 Juni 1962(1962-06-06) (umur 63)Hollywood, California, Amerika SerikatNama lainBig BoyPekerjaanPemeranTahun aktif1919–1961Suami/istriBarbara Weeks(m. 19??; bercerai pada 19??) Kathleen Collins(m. 19??; bercerai pada 19??) Dorothy Peterson (m. 1943)Orang tuaGuinn Williams (bapak) ...

Disney College Program

Internship program in Orlando, Florida Disney College ProgramOther nameDCPFormer namesMagic Kingdom College Program (MKCP)Walt Disney World College Program (WDWCP)Disney Theme Parks and Resorts College ProgramTypeCollege internshipEstablished1981; 43 years ago (1981)Parent institutionDisney ProgramsAffiliationThe Walt Disney CompanyStudents4,000+ per semesterLocationOrlando, Florida, United StatesCampusUrbanLanguageEnglishWeekly newsletterDisney Programs Life NowInternationa...

Areca catechu

Species of palm Not to be confused with Dypsis lutescens or Borassus flabellifer. Areca catechu Betel nuts Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Monocots Clade: Commelinids Order: Arecales Family: Arecaceae Genus: Areca Species: A. catechu Binomial name Areca catechuL.[1] Synonyms[2] Areca faufel Gaertn. Areca hortensis Lour. Areca cathechu Burm.f. Areca catechu f. communis Becc. Areca catechu var. alba Blume Areca catec...

National forest (United States)

Classification of federal lands in the United States This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: National forest United States – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message)Sierra Nevada in the Sequoia National Forest, California Rainforest in th...

Taylor Hill (model)

American model (born 1996) Taylor HillHill in 2016BornTaylor Marie Hill (1996-03-05) March 5, 1996 (age 28)Palatine, Illinois, U.S.OccupationModelYears active2012–presentSpouseDaniel Fryer (m. 2023)Modeling informationHeight1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]Hair colorBrown[2]Eye colorGreen[2]Agency IMG Models (Worldwide)[1] Modelwerk (Hamburg)[2] Visage Management (Zurich) White Cross Management (Los Angeles)[3] Taylor Marie Hill ...

Region Northland

Halaman ini berisi artikel tentang region pemerintah daerah. Untuk kegunaan lain, lihat Northland (disambiguasi). Region Northland Te Tai Tokerau Negara: Selandia Baru Dewan Region Nama: Dewan Region Northland Motto: Putting Northland First Kota Terbesar: Whangarei Ketua: Bill Shepherd Wakil Ketua: Graeme Ramsey Penduduk: June 2018[1] Luas Wilayah: 13.789 km2 Iwi Pribumi: Ngāi Takoto, Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Kurī, Ngāti Wai, Te Aupōuri, Te Ra...

Rainy River First Nations

Rainy River First Nations (Ojibwe: Manitoo-baawidigoong)[1] is an Ojibwe First Nation band government in Emo, Ontario, Canada. History The First Nation is an amalgamation of seven historical Rainy River Saulteaux bands. Six of them either sold or transferred their Reserves in 1914-1915 and then began the amalgamation into a single Band. The Canadian federal government made the amalgamation official in the 1960s. The seven historical Saulteaux bands forming the Rainy River First Natio...

2018 Ohio elections

Ohio elections, 2018 ← 2016 November 6, 2018 2020 → Elections in Ohio Federal government U.S. President 1804 1808 1812 1816 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 Dem 2004 Dem 2008 Dem Rep 2012 Rep 2016 Dem Rep 2020 Dem 2024 Rep U.S. Senate 1803 1807 1808 1808 (sp) 1809 (sp) 1810 (s...

Chadian nationality law

Chadian Nationality CodeParliament of Chad Long title Code de la nationalité tchadienne, Ordonnance N°. 33/PG-Int du 14 août 1962 Enacted byGovernment of ChadStatus: Current legislation Chadian nationality law is regulated by the Constitution of Chad, as amended; the Chadian Nationality Code, and its revisions; and various international agreements to which the country is a signatory.[1] These laws determine who is, or is eligible to be, a national of Chad.[2] The lega...

梅拉蒂·达伊瓦·奥克塔维亚尼

梅拉蒂·达伊瓦·奥克塔维亚尼Melati Daeva Oktavianti基本資料代表國家/地區印度尼西亞出生 (1994-10-28) 1994年10月28日（29歲）[1] 印度尼西亞万丹省西冷[1]身高1.68米（5英尺6英寸）[1]握拍右手[1]主項：女子雙打、混合雙打職業戰績48勝–27負（女雙）109勝–56負（混雙）最高世界排名第4位（混雙-普拉文·喬丹）（2020年3月17日[2]）現時世界排名第...

Élections législatives de 2017 dans le Val-de-Marne

2012 2022 Élections législatives de 2017 dans le Val-de-Marne 11 sièges de députés à l'Assemblée nationale 11 et 18 juin 2017 Type d’élection Élections législatives Campagne 22 mai au 10 juin12 juin au 16 juin Débat(s) 4e circonscription : débat public à l'initiative du candidat PS Zakaria Zaïdane le 4 juin au théâtre Lafaille de Chennevières-sur-Marne[1](1er tour)11e circonscription : le 7 juin organisé par Jorge Carvalho au restaurant Barba...

Mining community

Community that houses miners The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (March 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Partizánska Ľupča in Slovakia. Now a village with 1300 inhabitants but in 14th-19th centuries an important mining town with more than 4000. Several houses still have an urban character. Dawson City, Yukon,...

خط طول 46° شرق

يفتقر محتوى هذه المقالة إلى الاستشهاد بمصادر. فضلاً، ساهم في تطوير هذه المقالة من خلال إضافة مصادر موثوق بها. أي معلومات غير موثقة يمكن التشكيك بها وإزالتها. (ديسمبر 2018) 46° خط طول 46 شرق خريطة لجميع الإحداثيات من جوجل خريطة لجميع الإحداثيات من بينغ تصدير جميع الإحداثيات من كي...

International criminal law

Public international law This article is about international criminal law and crimes against international law. For crimes that have actual or potential effect across national borders, see Transnational crime. The International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg was the first court to apply international criminal law. International criminal law (ICL) is a body of public international law designed to prohibit certain categories of conduct commonly viewed as serious atrocities and to make perpetrat...

2016 Atatürk Airport attack

Terrorist attacks in Istanbul, Turkey 2016 Atatürk Airport attackPart of Turkey–ISIL conflict and Islamic terrorism in EuropeAirside of Terminal 2, wherethe landside attack took placeAtatürk AirportAtatürk Airport (Istanbul)Show map of IstanbulAtatürk AirportAtatürk Airport (Turkey)Show map of TurkeyLocation Atatürk Airport, Istanbul, TurkeyDate28 June 2016; 8 years ago (2016-06-28) ~22:00 (EEST)TargetCivilians and security personnel at Atatürk AirportAttack typeSui...

ألكسندر ميلينكيفيتش

ألكسندر ميلينكيفيتش (بالبيلاروسية: Аляксандр Уладзіміравіч Мілінкевіч)‏ معلومات شخصية الميلاد 25 يوليو 1947 (77 سنة) غرودنو مواطنة بيلاروس عدد الأولاد 2 الحياة العملية شهادة جامعية مؤهل العلوم في الفيزياء والرياضيات [لغات أخرى]‏ المهنة فيزيا�...

Chicago a cappella

Organization This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view. (September 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject, potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral. Please help improve it by replacing t...