The Vain Jackdaw by Esopo (1608)
The Vain Jackdaw, by Esopo: A brief summary The Vain Jackdaw is a fable written by Esopo, a renowned ancient Greek storyteller. The story revolves around a jackdaw who is obsessed with his own beauty and spends all his time admiring himself in the mirror. He becomes so consumed by his vanity that he neglects his chores and responsibilities, leading to chaos and disarray in the forest. The moral of the story is that excessive pride and vanity can lead to negative consequences, and one should not prioritize appearance over important tasks and duties.
By Esopo · First published 1608 · Genre: Fable, Children's Literature, Folklore · 200 words
First lines
Jupiter announced that he intended to appoint a king over the birds, and named a day on which they were to appear before his throne, when he would select the most beautiful of them all to be their ruler. Wishing to look their best on the occasion they repaired to the banks of a stream, where they busied themselves in washing and preening their feathers. The Jackdaw was there along with the rest, and realised that, with his ugly plumage, he would have no chance of being chosen as he was: so he waited till they were all gone, and then picked up the most gaudy of the feathers they had dropped, and fastened them about his own body, with the result that he looked gayer than any of them. When the appointed day came, the birds assembled before Jupiter's throne; and, after passing them in review, he was about to make the Jackdaw king, when all the rest set upon the king-elect, stripped him of his borrowed plumes, and exposed him for the Jackdaw that he was.
Similar titles
- The Ass In The Lions Skin by Esopo
- The Man And The Satyr by Esopo
- Jupiter And The Monkey by Esopo
- The Ass Carrying The Image by Esopo
- The Peacock And The Crane by Esopo
- The Ass And The Mule by Esopo
Genres
- Fable — The author, Esopo, is known for his fables. The story 'The Vain Jackdaw' revolves around animals and delivers a moral lesson, characteristic of the Fable genre.
- Children's Literature — Fables, including 'The Vain Jackdaw', are often used as educational tools for children to impart moral lessons. Thus, it falls under the genre of Children's Literature.
- Folklore — Fables are a sub-genre of Folklore, as they pass societal norms, values, and lessons from generation to generation.
- Fantasy — The story includes anthropomorphized animals, which is a characteristic of the Fantasy genre.
Tags
fable · morality · vanity · pride · animal characters · lesson · deception · self-awareness · humor · nature · consequences · social commentary
What this Textopian page supports
The Vain Jackdaw is listed on Textopian as a fable by Esopo, dated 1608 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: 1608 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Children's Literature, Folklore, Fantasy
- Length: 200 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
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