The Swan by Esopo (1637)
The Swan, by Esopo: A young prince falls in love with a beautiful swan he sees on a lake. He follows the swan to her nest and discovers that she is his true love. However, their love is forbidden by his parents, who want him to marry a human woman instead. The prince must choose between his love for the swan and his duty to his family.
By Esopo · First published 1637 · Genre: Fable, Children's Literature, Fantasy · 168 words
First lines
The Swan is said to sing but once in its life -- when it knows that it is about to die. A certain man, who had heard of the song of the Swan, one day saw one of these birds for sale in the market, and bought it and took it home with him. A few days later he had some friends to dinner, and produced the Swan, and bade it sing for their entertainment: but the Swan remained silent. In course of time, when it was growing old, it became aware of its approaching end and broke into a sweet, sad song. When its owner heard it, he said angrily, "If the creature only sings when it is about to die, what a fool I was that day I wanted to hear its song! I ought to have wrung its neck instead of merely inviting it to sing. "
What this Textopian page supports
The Swan is listed on Textopian as a fable by Esopo, dated 1637 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: 1637 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Folklore, Classic Literature
- Length: 168 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Swan 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 The Swan?
- How does this fable by Esopo fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fable first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Boy And The Skylark A Fable by Charles Lamb
- The Magpies Nest A Fable by Charles Lamb
- The Crow And The Raven by Esopo
- The Mule by Esopo
- The Horse And The Groom by Esopo
- The Quack Frog by Esopo
Genres
- Fable — Esopo is well-known for writing fables, and 'The Swan' is a representative work of his, highlighting moral lessons through animal characters.
- Children's Literature — The story, being a fable, is often used as a learning material for children, making it a work of Children's Literature. Its language, content, and themes are suitable and usually targeted for a younger audience.
- Fantasy — The narrative involves anthropomorphic animals, an element common to fantasy literature, which uses magical elements and unreal situations.
- Folklore — Esopo's fables, including 'The Swan', are part of the folklore of ancient Greece, reflecting its beliefs, customs, and traditions.
Tags
fable · morality · animal · transformation · beauty · nature · wisdom · life lessons · symbolism · myth · allegory · character development