Section 191
The Cage-Bird and the Bat explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
A Singing-bird was confined in a cage which hung outside a window, and had a way of singing at night when all other birds were asleep. One night a Bat came and clung to the bars of the cage, and asked the Bird why she was silent by day and sang only at night. "I have a very go...
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Public-domain original
A Singing-bird was confined in a cage which hung outside a window, and
had a way of singing at night when all other birds were asleep. One
night a Bat came and clung to the bars of the cage, and asked the Bird
why she was silent by day and sang only at night. "I have a very good
reason for doing so," said the Bird: "it was once when I was singing
in the daytime that a was attracted by my voice, and set his
nets for me and caught me. Since then I have never sung except by
night." But the Bat replied, "It is no use your doing that now when
you are a prisoner: if only you had done so before you were caught,
you might still have been free."
Precautions are useless after the event.
Public-domain original text shown for study context. Underlined terms can be tapped for simple reader notes.
What happens here
A Singing-bird was confined in a cage which hung outside a window, and had a way of singing at night when all other birds were asleep.
Why this scene matters
This fable matters because it turns the lesson “Precautions are useless after the event.” into a compact story about everyday judgment.
Characters in this scene
- The Cage-Bird: A figure in the fable whose choice helps reveal the lesson.
- The Bat: A figure in the fable whose choice helps reveal the lesson.
Simple story version
A Singing-bird was confined in a cage which hung outside a window, and had a way of singing at night when all other birds were asleep. One night a Bat came and clung to the bars of the cage, and asked the Bird why she was silent by day and sang only at night.