The Falcon and the Capon by Jean de La Fontaine

Name: The Falcon and the Capon
Author: Jean de La Fontaine

The fable warns against trusting sweet, seductive calls, likening those who avoid them to John de Nivelle’s dog, who runs away when called. A capon from Mans is summoned from a flock by the kitchen official’s cry of “Biddy,” but he recognizes the bait as a trick and hides instead of approaching. Though he is eventually caught with difficulty for a splendid supper, he would gladly refuse the honour of lying on a dish amid candlelight and rich food. A falcon watching from his perch mocks the capon as foolish and boastful, declaring that he himself readily obeys his master’s slightest signal, chases birds over sea and land, and returns at once to his master’s hand. He urges the capon to come when the master waits at the window. The capon replies that he hears well enough, but fears what the master or cook may intend. He says the falcon may return to such calls if he wishes, but the capon knows that the pleasant voice is meant to lure him to death. Having seen many capons roasted on the spit, he insists that his caution is wiser than the falcon’s confidence.

By Jean de La Fontaine · First published 1678 · Genre: Fable, Didactic Literature, Animal Allegory · 704 words

First lines

You often hear a sweet seductive call: / If wise, you haste towards it not at all; -- / And, if you heed my apologue, / You act like John de Nivelle's dog.[1]

[1]: _John de Nivelle's dog_. -- A dog which, according to the French proverb, ran away when his master called him. -- Translator.

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Genres

Fable — The work is a brief animal tale in which a capon and a falcon speak and act as moral exemplars, ending with a practical lesson about mistrusting seductive invitations that conceal danger.
Didactic Literature — Its primary purpose is instructional: the opening directly advises readers not to heed alluring calls blindly, and the birds' exchange demonstrates the wisdom of suspicion born from experience.
Animal Allegory — The capon and falcon represent contrasting responses to human authority: the capon recognizes exploitation, while the domesticated falcon mistakenly treats obedience as safety.
Moral Tale — The narrative develops a clear ethical warning about appearances, self-preservation, and the dangers of accepting an apparently kind summons without understanding its consequences.

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The Falcon and the Capon is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jean de La Fontaine, dated 1678 CE.

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Work type: Fable
Author: Jean de La Fontaine
Date: 1678 CE
Language: English
Genres: Fable, Didactic Literature, Animal Allegory, Moral Tale, Satire
Length: 704 words
Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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