The Head and the Tail of the Serpent

The serpent’s head and tail quarrel over precedence, since the head always leads and the tail is always dragged behind. Claiming to be the head’s equal in blood and poison, the tail prays to Heaven for the right to take its turn as guide. Heaven grants the request, though cruelly, and the blind tail attempts to lead. Unable to see even in daylight, it crashes into trees, people, stones, and bricks, finally guiding both itself and the head to Styx. The fable warns that allowing an unfit subordinate to govern can destroy both leader and follower, as it may destroy states.

By Jean de La Fontaine · First published 1678 · Genre: Fable, Didactic Literature, Allegory · 460 words

First lines

Two parts the serpent has -- / Of men the enemies -- / The head and tail: the same / Have won a mighty fame, / Next to the cruel Fates; -- / So that, indeed, hence / They once had great debates / About precedence. / The first had always gone ahead; / The tail had been for ever led; / And now to Heaven it pray'd, / And said, / 'O, many and many a league, / Dragg'd on in sore fatigue, / Behind his back I go. / Shall he for ever use me so? / Am I his humble servant; / No. Thanks to God most fervent! / His brother I was born, / And not his slave forlorn. / The self-same blood in both, / I'm just as good as he: / A poison dwells in me / As virulent as doth[1] / In him. In mercy, heed, / And grant me this decree, / That I, in turn, may lead -- / My brother, follow me. / My course shall be so wise, / That no complaint shall rise.'

• Open reader

Similar titles

• The Sun And The Frogs Book Vi by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Fox And The Goat by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Frogs Asking A King by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Thieves And The Ass by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Grasshopper And The Ant by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Jay In The Feathers Of The Peacock by Jean De La Fontaine

Genres

• Fable — The poem uses talking animal body parts in an allegorical conflict and ends with an explicit moral about unfit leadership and political error.
• Didactic Literature — Its central purpose is instruction: the serpent's destruction demonstrates that equality of status does not necessarily confer equality of fitness to govern.
• Allegory — The head and tail represent contrasting political or social roles, while their dispute dramatizes the dangers of reversing necessary authority and dependency.
• Political Satire — The closing reference to states extends the serpent's catastrophe into a critique of governance, leadership, and disastrous political choices.

Tags

fable · verse narrative · animal allegory · moral tale · political allegory · serpent · head and tail · quarrel over precedence · leadership · governance · unfit rulers · hierarchy

What this Textopian page supports

The Head and the Tail of the Serpent is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jean de La Fontaine, dated 1678 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: 1678 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Fable, Didactic Literature, Allegory, Political Satire, Verse Narrative
• Length: 460 words
• Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Head and the Tail of the Serpent 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