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Chapter 16 — The Fables of Borrowed Feathers and Doomed Beasts

publié le 14 oct. 2026 · 262 mots

The first fable tells the story of a bird named Sao who collects fallen peacock feathers and sticks them onto its body to parade around with the peacocks in a pretentious manner. Recognizing the impostor, the flock of peacocks attacks Sao fiercely, stripping away the borrowed plumage until only its natural black feathers remain. Humiliated, Sao returns to its own kind, but they also chase it away for its deceit. The narrator reflects that the literary world similarly contains many pretenders who borrow talent.

The second fable features a pig, a female goat, and a sheep being transported together in a cart to market by a master who intends to sell them for profit. While the goat and sheep remain relatively quiet during the journey, the pig screams frantically and noisily in terror. Annoyed by the loud outcry, the master scolds the pig and points to the silent sheep and goat as examples of desirable behavior. The pig sharply replies that the other two animals are foolishly unaware of their true fate because they believe they will only face minor shearing and milking. In contrast, the pig understands that its ultimate destiny is slaughter for food, making its loud lamentation entirely justified.

Ultimately, both narratives use animal allegories to comment on human nature. The first story satirizes intellectual dishonesty and the mockery faced by those who wear false prestige. The second story highlights the tragic awareness of the doomed pig compared to the ignorant complacency of its fellow captives, concluding that understanding one's inevitable fate does not necessarily change the tragic outcome.

Chapter 17 — The Fate of the Traveling Animals

publié le 14 oct. 2026 · 254 mots

The story begins with a fat Pig, a female Goat, and a Sheep being transported together on a cart across the road. Their owner is not taking them out for amusement to see the city streets or the circus, but rather driving them hastily to market purely for profit and without any genuine affection.

During the journey, the Pig squeals loudly and incessantly, terrified and imagining that numerous blades are chasing after it. Meanwhile, the Goat and the Sheep remain relatively calm, though their noises still echo annoyingly around them. Annoyed by the commotion, the owner scolds the Pig for crying out pointlessly and tells it to imitate the other two quiet companions who are sitting peacefully without losing anything.

Challenging this advice, the Pig refuses to follow the example of the foolish Sheep and Goat. The Pig reasons that while the Sheep and Goat might believe their fate is merely to have their wool shorn or their milk milked, the Pig knows its own destiny is far more final. It realizes it is destined to be roasted or boiled into soup, meaning death is certain and unavoidable for it.

The Pig justifies its loud lamentations and screaming as the only natural reaction to its impending doom, even if crying out cannot change its final fate. The narrator observes that while the Pig possesses a clever and profound understanding of its situation, screaming at the end is ultimately useless since nobody will pity it and accepting one's fate quietly is considered the wiser path.