Our last fable from Jean de La Fontaine is taken from Livre VI (Book VI) of the Fables de La Fontaine. Le Soleil et les Grenouilles (The Sun and the Frogs) is unique in that it is told by Aesop, the famous Greek fabulist of the 7th century B.C. who no doubt served as La Fontaine’s muse on many occasions. In fact, The Frogs and the Sun was one of Aesop’s own fables in which he narrates the plight of the frogs when the sun decides to marry and perhaps produce another sun that will dry up the marshes. In this fable, the sun represents King Louis XIV and the frogs represent his subjects.
Aux noces d’un tyran tout le peuple en liesse
Noyait son souci dans les pots.
Ésope seul trouvait que les gens étaient sots
De témoigner tant d’allégresse.
“Le Soleil,” disait-il, “eut dessein autrefois
De songer à l’hyménée.
Aussitôt on ouït, d’une commune voix
Se plaindre de leur destinée
Les citoyennes des étangs.
“Que ferons-nous, s’il lui vient des enfants?”
Dirent-elles au Sort : ‘Un seul Soleil à peine
Se peut souffrir ; une demi-douzaine
Mettra la mer à sec et tous ses habitants.
Adieu joncs et marais : notre race est détruite ;
Bientôt on la verra réduite
À l’eau du Styx.’ Pour un pauvre animal,
Grenouilles, à mon sens, ne raisonnaient pas mal.”
Rejoicing on their tyrant’s wedding day,
The people drown’d their care in drink;
While from the general joy did Aesop shrink,
And show’d its folly in this way.
“The sun,” said he, “once took it in his head
To have a partner: so he wed.
From swamps, and ponds, and marshy bogs,
Up rose the wailings of the frogs.
“What shall we do, should he have progeny?”
Said they to Destiny;
‘One sun we scarcely can endure,
And half-a-dozen, we are sure,
Will dry the very sea.
Adieu to marsh and fen!
Our race will perish then,
Or be obliged to fix
Their dwelling in the Styx!’
For such an humble animal,
The frog, I take it, reason’d well.”
