The Monkey and the Leopard

Name: The Monkey and the Leopard
Author: Jean de La Fontaine

At a country fair, a monkey and a leopard compete by advertising their attractions. The leopard boasts that the king has seen and approved him, and that his richly streaked, spotted, waved, and dotted skin is so beautiful that it will one day make a royal muff. People come to look at him, but quickly leave. The monkey, Monsieur Gille, announces that his attractions are not merely on his skin but in his mind. He claims to speak, dance, perform sleight-of-hand, jump through hoops, balance sticks, and do countless other tricks, all for six blancos, with a promise to refund the money if spectators are dissatisfied. The fable judges the monkey wiser, arguing that the varied pleasures of the mind remain fresh while outward display soon becomes tiresome. It compares the leopard to proud lords whose only talents are visible on the surface.

By Jean de La Fontaine · First published 1678 · Genre: Fable, Moral Literature, Animal Tale · 573 words

First lines

A monkey and a leopard were / The rivals at a country fair. / Each advertised his own attractions. / Said one, 'Good sirs, the highest place / My merit knows; for, of his grace, / The king hath seen me face to face; / And, judging by his looks and actions, / I gave the best of satisfactions. / When I am dead, 'tis plain enough, / My skin will make his royal muff. / So richly is it streak'd and spotted, / So delicately waved and dotted, / Its various beauty cannot fail to please. ' / And, thus invited, everybody sees; / But soon they see, and soon depart. / The monkey's show-bill to the mart / His merits thus sets forth the while, / All in his own peculiar style: -- / 'Come, gentlemen, I pray you, come; / In magic arts I am at home. / The whole variety in which / My neighbour boasts himself so rich, / Is to his simple skin confined, / While mine is living in the mind. / Your humble servant, Monsieur Gille, / The son-in-law to Tickleville, / Pope's monkey, and of great renown, / Is now just freshly come to town, / Arrived in three bateaux, express, / Your worships to address; / For he can speak, you understand; / Can dance, and practise sleight-of-hand; / Can jump through hoops, and balance sticks; / In short, can do a thousand tricks; / And all for blancos six -- [1] / Not, messieurs, for a sou. / And, if you think the price won't do, / When you have seen, then he'll restore / Each man his money at the door.'

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Similar titles

Genres

Fable — The poem uses talking animals, a brief illustrative plot, and an explicit moral contrasting superficial appearance with intellectual ability.
Moral Literature — Its central purpose is ethical instruction: external beauty and splendid dress quickly lose their appeal, while mental gifts provide lasting value.
Animal Tale — A monkey and a leopard act as human rivals at a fair, with their animal characteristics serving an allegorical function.
Allegory — The leopard represents people whose distinction is merely outward, while the monkey represents wit, talent, and the value of the mind.

What this Textopian page supports

The Monkey and the Leopard 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, Moral Literature, Animal Tale, Allegory, Satire
Length: 573 words
Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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