Saturday 29 June 2013

'The Fisherman and his Net'


'The Fisherman and his Net', an illustration by JVL in Aesop's Fables, Jonathan Cape, 1989.

This is a Greek fable by Babrius, which suggests that insignificance can sometimes contribute towards safety. Here is a translation of the fable by Thomas James in an edition of 1848.

The Fisherman and his Net 
A FISHERMAN was drawing up a net which he had cast into the sea, full of all sorts of fish. The Little Fish escaped through the meshes of the net, and got back into the deep, but the Great Fish were all caught and hauled into the ship.

Text: Thomas James (175, 1848). Selected Parallels: Babrius 4. Perry 282. Chambry 25. TMI L331.


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