Jupiter and the Monkey by Esopo
Esopo's "Jupiter and the Monkey" is a fable about a mischievous monkey who tricks Jupiter into giving him a gift. The monkey, disguised as a beggar, approaches Jupiter and asks for a gift. Jupiter, believing the monkey to be genuinely in need, gives him a beautiful golden ball. However, the monkey reveals his true identity and returns the ball, saying that he only wanted it to play with. The moral of the story is that appearances can be deceiving, and that one should not judge others based on how they look or present themselves.
By Esopo · First published 1640 · Genre: Mythology, Fantasy, Fable · 104 words
First lines
Jupiter issued a proclamation to all the beasts, and offered a prize to the one who, in his judgment, produced the most beautiful offspring. Among the rest came the Monkey, carrying a baby monkey in her arms, a hairless, flat-nosed little fright. When they saw it, the gods all burst into peal on peal of laughter; but the Monkey hugged her little one to her, and said, "Jupiter may give the prize to whomsoever he likes: but I shall always think my baby the most beautiful of them all. "
What this Textopian page supports
Jupiter and the Monkey is listed on Textopian as a fable by Esopo, dated 1640 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Esopo
- Date: 1640 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Mythology, Fantasy, Fable, Children's Literature
- Length: 104 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Jupiter and the Monkey by Esopo
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Jupiter and the Monkey?
- How does this fable by Esopo fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Mythology first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Lion The Fox And The Ass by Esopo
- The Bat And The Weasels by Esopo
- The Hound And The Fox by Esopo
- The Lioness And The Vixen by Esopo
- The Lion And The Hare by Esopo
- The Cat And The Cock by Esopo
Genres
- Mythology — The title suggests the involvement of Jupiter, a major deity in Roman mythology, indicating a central theme of mythology.
- Fantasy — Usually, stories that associate animals, in this case a Monkey, with deities are part of the fantasy genre with elements beyond the realm of the real world.
- Fable — Esopo is known for writing fables, stories that feature animals, plants, or forces of nature that are humanized to convey a moral.
- Children's Literature — Typically, fables and tales of animals and mythical deities are targeted towards a younger audience.
Tags
fable · morality · animal characters · mythology · wisdom · deception · friendship · betrayal · humor · lesson · nature · allegory