Section 80
The Boy and the Filberts explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
A Boy put his hand into a jar of Filberts, and grasped as many as his fist could possibly hold. But when he tried to pull it out again, he found he couldn't do so, for the neck of the jar was too small to allow of the page of so large a handful. Unwilling to lose his...
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Public-domain original
A Boy put his hand into a jar of Filberts, and grasped as many as his
fist could possibly hold. But when he tried to pull it out again, he
found he couldn't do so, for the neck of the jar was too small to
allow of the page of so large a handful. Unwilling to lose his nuts
but unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears. A bystander, who
saw where the trouble lay, said to him, "Come, my boy, don't be so
greedy: be content with half the amount, and you'll be able to get
your hand out without difficulty."
Do not attempt too much at once.
Public-domain original text shown for study context. Underlined terms can be tapped for simple reader notes.
What happens here
A boy grabs too many nuts and cannot pull his hand out of the jar.
Why this scene matters
This fable teaches that wanting too much can make someone lose everything.
Characters in this scene
- Boy: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- the Filberts: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
Simple story version
A boy fills his fist with nuts. He cannot remove his hand until he lets some go.