Jupiter and the Farmer by Jean de La Fontaine

Jupiter offers a farm for rent through Mercury, attracting many farmers who criticize its costs and shortcomings. One unusually bold bidder agrees to rent it only if Jupiter grants him complete control over the weather, so that he may provide whatever heat, cold, sunshine, or rain his crops require. Jove accepts the condition, and the renter manages the weather according to his own plans. His neighbouring farmers remain unaffected and enjoy a prosperous year, with rich grain and abundant vines. The renter, however, fails. In the following year he tries entirely different weather, but his harvest is still much worse than his neighbours’. He finally admits to Heaven that he lacks judgment and is forgiven. The fable concludes that Providence understands human needs better than people understand them themselves.

By Jean de La Fontaine · First published 1668 · Genre: Fable, Moral Tale, Allegory · 404 words

First lines

Of yore, a farm had Jupiter to rent; / To advertise it, Mercury was sent. / The farmers, far and near, / Flock'd round, the terms to hear; / And, calling to their aid / The various tricks of trade, / One said 'twas rash a farm to hire / Which would so much expense require; / Another, that, do what you would, / The farm would still be far from good. / While thus, in market style, its faults were told, / One of the crowd, less wise than bold, / Would give so much, on this condition, / That Jove would yield him altogether / The choice and making of his weather, -- / That, instantly on his decision, / His various crops should feel the power / Of heat or cold, of sun or shower.

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Similar titles

• The Woodman And Mercury by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Eagle And The Beetle by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Miser Who Had Lost His Treasure by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Shepherd And The Sea by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Dog That Dropped The Substance For The Shadow by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Eye Of The Master by Jean De La Fontaine

Genres

• Fable — A short allegorical narrative featuring Jupiter, Mercury, and a farmer, ending with an explicit moral about Providence's superior wisdom.
• Moral Tale — The plot illustrates the lesson that human beings do not fully understand what is best for them and should not presume to control everything.
• Allegory — The farmer's failed control of the weather symbolically represents human overconfidence, while Jupiter represents divine providence and greater wisdom.
• Mythological Fiction — The work uses figures from Greco-Roman mythology, particularly Jupiter and Mercury, as active characters in its narrative.

Tags

fable · verse narrative · French classical literature · seventeenth-century · ancient mythological setting · Jupiter · Mercury · Roman gods · farm tenancy · farmers · agriculture · weather control

What this Textopian page supports

Jupiter and the Farmer is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jean de La Fontaine, 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: Jean de La Fontaine
• Date: 1668 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Fable, Moral Tale, Allegory, Mythological Fiction, Didactic Poetry
• Length: 404 words
• Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for Jupiter and the Farmer by Jean de La Fontaine
• 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

More by Jean de La Fontaine

• To Monseigneur the Dauphin (1668)
• The Grasshopper and the Ant (1668)
• The Raven and the Fox (1668)
• The Frog that Wished to be as Big as the Ox (1668)
• The Two Mules (1668)
• The Wolf and the Dog (1668)
• The Heifer, the Goat, and the Sheep, in Company with the Lion (1668)
• The Wallet (1668)
• All works by Jean de La Fontaine