The Flea and the Man by Esopo (1668)
The Flea and the Man is a fable written by Esopo. The story goes as follows: A man was lying on a bed, fast asleep. A flea jumped onto his chest and began to bite him. The man woke up and tried to brush off the flea, but it kept coming back. He then realized that the flea was not going to leave him alone until he gave it something to eat. So, the man offered the flea some of his own blood, which the flea gratefully accepted. From that day on, the flea became the man's constant companion, biting him whenever it wanted something. The moral of the story is that one must sometimes give in to the desires of others in order to maintain peace and avoid conflict.
By Esopo · First published 1668 · Genre: Fable, Children's Literature, Fantasy · 168 words
First lines
A Flea bit a Man, and bit him again, and again, till he could stand it no longer, but made a thorough search for it, and at last succeeded in catching it. Holding it between his finger and thumb, he said -- or rather shouted, so angry was he -- "Who are you, pray, you wretched little creature, that you make so free with my person? " The Flea, terrified, whimpered in a weak little voice, "Oh, sir! pray let me go; don't kill me! I am such a little thing that I can't do you much harm. " But the Man laughed and said, "I am going to kill you now, at once: whatever is bad has got to be destroyed, no matter how slight the harm it does. "
Do not waste your pity on a scamp.
What this Textopian page supports
The Flea and the Man is listed on Textopian as a fable by Esopo, dated 1668 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: 1668 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Children's Literature, Fantasy
- Length: 168 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Flea and the Man by Esopo
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Flea and the Man?
- How does this fable by Esopo fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
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Similar titles
- The Flea And The Ox by Esopo
- The Fly And The Draught Mule by Esopo
- The Stag In The Ox Stall by Esopo
- The Viper And The File by Esopo
- The Clown And The Countryman by Esopo
- The Bear And The Fox by Esopo
Genres
- Fable — As Esopo is known for his fables, the story 'The Flea and the Man' fits into this genre of short fictional stories that often feature animals as characters and impart moral lessons.
- Children's Literature — Fables, including those by Esopo, have historically been used as educational tools for children, teaching values and critical thinking through engaging, accessible narratives.
- Fantasy — The story involves anthropomorphic animals, a hallmark of the fantasy genre.
Tags
fable · morality · allegory · humor · animal characters · human nature · social commentary · wisdom · life lessons · irony · relationships · power dynamics