The Bear, the Monkey and the Hog
A Piedmontese man teaches a Bear to dance on two legs and exhibits him to earn a living. Eager to improve, the Bear performs before a Monkey and asks for an honest judgment. The Monkey declares that the dancing is very poor, but the Bear accuses him of jealousy and insists that his movements are graceful. A Pig, delighted by the performance, loudly praises the Bear as the finest dancer ever seen. Instead of taking comfort from this approval, the Bear reflects on it. He explains that he could disregard the Monkey’s criticism, but the Pig’s enthusiastic praise proves that his dancing must truly be miserable. The verse addresses authors seeking lasting reputation: criticism from worthy judges should be heeded, while applause from those lacking judgment is an even worse sign.
By Tomás de Iriarte · First published 1782 · Genre: Fable, Didactic Poetry, Moral Poetry · 279 words
First lines
A Piedmontese a Bear had taught / Upon two legs the art of dancing; / To earn their bread, the master sought, / By showing off his awkward prancing.
Now, Bruin, anxious to excel, / Before the Monkey showed his skill.
"How do I dance, friend? Prithee tell."
"Ill," said the Monkey, "very ill."
Genres
- Fable — The work uses talking animals in a brief narrative to illustrate an explicit moral about artistic judgment and the unreliability of ignorant praise.
- Didactic Poetry — Its verse narrative is designed chiefly to instruct readers, especially authors, in valuing informed criticism over foolish applause.
- Moral Poetry — The closing lines directly state the ethical and practical lesson: condemnation from capable critics is preferable to praise from poor judges.
- Satire — The poem satirizes vain performers, incompetent critics, and indiscriminate admirers through the comic contrast among the Bear, Monkey, and Hog.
Tags
fable · Spanish literature · 18th-century literature · animal characters · moral lesson · satire · allegory · didactic · verse narrative · humor · literary criticism · art criticism
What this Textopian page supports
The Bear, the Monkey and the Hog is listed on Textopian as a fable by Tomás de Iriarte, dated 1782 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Tomás de Iriarte
- Date: 1782 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Didactic Poetry, Moral Poetry, Satire, Animal Allegory
- Length: 279 words
- Structure: 1 section, 13 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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