The Fox, the Flies, and the Hedgehog

Name: The Fox, the Flies, and the Hedgehog
Author: Jean de La Fontaine

An old, sly fox lies wounded in the mud after hunters have hurt him, while flies gather around the traces of his blood and feed on him. He angrily blames the gods and the Fates for allowing such insignificant parasites to feast on so costly a victim, protesting that a fox should not serve as food for flies. A hedgehog sees his suffering and offers to impale the flies on his quills, but the fox refuses. The flies already feeding on him are full; if they are driven away, he explains, fresh and hungrier swarms will come and consume him more completely. The fable applies this reasoning to those who feed upon the public in court, camp, church, and state: men who are already well fed may be less harmful than new consumers whose appetites are still unsatisfied.

By Jean de La Fontaine · First published 1694 · Genre: Fable, Animal Fable, Moral Tale · 389 words

First lines

A fox, old, subtle, vigilant, and sly, -- / By hunters wounded, fallen in the mud, -- / Attracted, by the traces of his blood, / That buzzing parasite, the fly. / He blamed the gods, and wonder'd why / The Fates so cruelly should wish / To feast the fly on such a costly dish. / 'What! light on me! make me its food! / Me, me, the nimblest of the wood! / How long has fox-meat been so good? / What serves my tail? Is it a useless weight? / Go, -- Heaven confound thee, greedy reprobate! -- / And suck thy fill from some more vulgar veins! ' / A hedgehog, witnessing his pains, / (This fretful personage / Here graces first my page,) / Desired to set him free / From such cupidity. / 'My neighbour fox,' said he, / My quills these rascals shall empale, / And ease thy torments without fail. ' / 'Not for the world, my friend! ' the fox replied. / 'Pray let them finish their repast. / These flies are full. Should they be set aside, / New hungrier swarms would finish me at last. ' / Consumers are too common here below, / In court and camp, in church and state, we know. / Old Aristotle's penetration / Remark'd our fable's application; / It might more clearly in our nation. / The fuller certain men are fed, / The less the public will be bled.[1]

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Similar titles

Genres

Fable — The poem uses talking animals, a compact allegorical plot, and an explicit moral concerning exploitative people in public life.
Animal Fable — A fox, flies, and a hedgehog act as humanlike figures whose behavior illustrates prudence, greed, and political exploitation.
Moral Tale — Its central purpose is didactic: replacing satiated parasites with new ones may worsen the victim's condition, a lesson extended to society.
Political Satire — The closing moral attacks predatory figures in 'court and camp, in church and state' who enrich themselves by draining the public.

What this Textopian page supports

The Fox, the Flies, and the Hedgehog is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jean de La Fontaine, dated 1694 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: 1694 CE
Language: English
Genres: Fable, Animal Fable, Moral Tale, Political Satire, Social Satire
Length: 389 words
Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

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