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Famous French fabulist Jean de La Fontaine offers us another poetic gem in L\u2019Hu\u00eetre et les Plaideurs<\/b> (The Oyster and the Litigants). La Fontaine was not only a master of the French language but had the ability to <\/b>tell des histoires<\/b> (stories) that people from all walks of life could relate to.<\/p>\n
You will notice that this fable strays from the typical discourse entre<\/b> deux animaux<\/b> (between two animals) and instead focuses on a debate entre trois hommes <\/b>(between three men). The first two argue over who can lay claim to an oyster while the third acts as a judge and settles the matter by eating it, leaving the others empty-handed!<\/p>\n
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Un jour deux p\u00e8lerins sur le sable rencontrent<\/i><\/p>\n
Une Hu\u00eetre, que le flot y venait d\u2019apporter :<\/i><\/p>\n
Ils l\u2019avalent des yeux, du doigt ils se la montrent ;<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00c0 l\u2019\u00e9gard de la dent il fallut contester.<\/i><\/p>\n
L\u2019un se baissait d\u00e9j\u00e0 pour amasser la proie ;<\/i><\/p>\n
L\u2019autre le pousse, et dit : \u00ab Il est bon de savoir<\/i><\/p>\n
Qui de nous en aura la joie.<\/i><\/p>\n
Celui qui le premier a pu l\u2019apercevoir<\/i><\/p>\n
En sera le gobeur ; l\u2019autre le verra faire.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u2013 Si par l\u00e0 l\u2019on juge l\u2019affaire,<\/i><\/p>\n
Reprit son compagnon, j\u2019ai l\u2019oeil bon, Dieu merci.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u2013 Je ne l\u2019ai pas mauvais aussi,<\/i><\/p>\n
Dit l\u2019autre ; et je l\u2019ai vue avant vous, sur ma vie.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u2013 H\u00e9 bien ! vous l\u2019avez vue ; et moi je l\u2019ai sentie. \u00bb<\/i><\/p>\n
Pendant tout ce bel incident,<\/i><\/p>\n
Perrin Dandin arrive : ils le prennent pour juge.<\/i><\/p>\n
Perrin, fort gravement, ouvre l\u2019Hu\u00eetre, et la gruge,<\/i><\/p>\n
Nos deux messieurs le regardant.<\/i><\/p>\n
Ce repas fait, il dit d\u2019un ton de pr\u00e9sident :<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00ab Tenez, la cour vous donne \u00e0 chacun une \u00e9caille<\/i><\/p>\n
Sans d\u00e9pens ; et qu\u2019en paix chacun chez soi s\u2019en aille. \u00bb<\/i><\/p>\n
Mettez ce qu\u2019il en co\u00fbte \u00e0 plaider aujourd\u2019hui ;<\/i><\/p>\n
Comptez ce qu\u2019il en reste \u00e0 beaucoup de familles ;<\/i><\/p>\n
Vous verrez que Perrin tire l\u2019argent \u00e0 lui,<\/i><\/p>\n
Et ne laisse aux plaideurs que le sac et les quilles.<\/i><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Two pilgrims on the sand espied<\/p>\n
An oyster thrown up by the tide.<\/p>\n
In hope, both swallow’d ocean’s fruit;<\/p>\n
But ere the fact there came dispute.<\/p>\n
While one stoop’d down to take the prey,<\/p>\n
The other push’d him quite away.<\/p>\n
Said he, “‘Twere rather meet<\/p>\n
To settle which shall eat.<\/p>\n
Why, he who first the oyster saw<\/p>\n
Should be its eater by the law;<\/p>\n
The other should but see him do it.”<\/p>\n
Replied his mate, “If thus you view it,<\/p>\n
Thank God the lucky eye is mine.”<\/p>\n
“But I’ve an eye not worse than thine,”<\/p>\n
The other cried, “and will be cursed,<\/p>\n
If, too, I didn’t see it first.”<\/p>\n
“You saw it, did you? Grant it true,<\/p>\n
I saw it then, and felt it too.”<\/p>\n
Amidst this sweet affair,<\/p>\n
Arrived a person very big,<\/p>\n
Ycleped Sir Nincom Periwig.<\/p>\n
They made him judge,\u2014to set the matter square.<\/p>\n
Sir Nincom, with a solemn face,<\/p>\n
Took up the oyster and the case:<\/p>\n
In opening both, the first he swallow’d,<\/p>\n
And, in due time, his judgment follow’d.<\/p>\n
“Attend: the court awards you each a shell<\/p>\n
Cost free; depart in peace, and use them well.”<\/p>\n
Foot up the cost of suits at law,<\/p>\n
The leavings reckon and awards,<\/p>\n
The cash you’ll see Sir Nincom draw,<\/p>\n
And leave the parties\u2014purse and cards.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Famous French fabulist Jean de La Fontaine offers us another poetic gem in L\u2019Hu\u00eetre et les Plaideurs (The Oyster and the Litigants). La Fontaine was not only a master of the French language but had the ability to tell des histoires (stories) that people from all walks of life could relate to. You will notice…<\/p>\n