Section 189
The Astronomer explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
There was once an Astronomer whose habit it was to go out at night and observe the stars. One night, as he was walking about outside the town gates, gazing up absorbed into the sky and not looking where he was going, he fell into a dry well. As he lay there groaning, some one...
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Public-domain original
There was once an Astronomer whose habit it was to go out at night and
observe the stars. One night, as he was walking about outside the town
gates, gazing up absorbed into the sky and not looking where he was
going, he fell into a dry well. As he lay there groaning, some one
passing by heard him, and, coming to the edge of the well, looked down
and, on learning what had happened, said, "If you really mean to say
that you were looking so hard at the sky that you didn't even see
where your feet were carrying you along the ground, it appears to me
that you deserve all you've got."
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
There was once an Astronomer whose habit it was to go out at night and observe the stars.
Why this scene matters
This fable matters because it turns a common human habit into a short lesson about judgment and consequences.
Characters in this scene
- The Astronomer: A figure in the fable whose choice helps reveal the lesson.
Simple story version
There was once an Astronomer whose habit it was to go out at night and observe the stars. One night, as he was walking about outside the town gates, gazing up absorbed into the sky and not looking where he was going, he fell into a dry well.