Section 164
The Bald Man and the Fly explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
A Fly settled on the head of a Bald Man and bit him. In his eagerness to kill it, he hit himself a smart slap. But the Fly escaped, and said to him in derision, "You tried to kill me for just one little bite; what will you do to yourself now, for the heavy smack you have just...
Read full original text in reading mode
Public-domain original
A Fly settled on the head of a Bald Man and bit him. In his eagerness
to kill it, he hit himself a smart slap. But the Fly escaped, and said
to him in derision, "You tried to kill me for just one little bite;
what will you do to yourself now, for the heavy smack you have just
given yourself?" "Oh, for that blow I bear no grudge," he replied,
"for I never intended myself any harm; but as for you, you
contemptible insect, who live by sucking human blood, I'd have borne a
good deal more than that for the satisfaction of dashing the life out
of you!"
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
A Fly settled on the head of a Bald Man and bit him.
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 Bald Man: A figure in the fable whose choice helps reveal the lesson.
- The Fly: A figure in the fable whose choice helps reveal the lesson.
Simple story version
A Fly settled on the head of a Bald Man and bit him. In his eagerness to kill it, he hit himself a smart slap.