Section 280
The Hunter and the Horseman explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
A Hunter went out after game, and succeeded in catching a hare, which he was carrying home with him when he met a man on horseback, who said to him, "You have had some sport I see, sir," and offered to buy it. The Hunter readily agreed; but the Horseman had no sooner got the h...
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Public-domain original
A Hunter went out after game, and succeeded in catching a hare, which
he was carrying home with him when he met a man on horseback, who said
to him, "You have had some sport I see, sir," and offered to buy it.
The Hunter readily agreed; but the Horseman had no sooner got the
hare in his hands than he set spurs to his horse and went off at full
gallop. The Hunter ran after him for some little distance; but it soon
dawned upon him that he had been tricked, and he gave up trying to
overtake the Horseman, and, to save his face, called after him as loud
as he could, "All right, sir, all right, take your hare: it was meant
all along as a present."
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
A short fable about The Hunter and The Horseman shows how choices, assumptions, or desires can lead to consequences.
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 Hunter: A figure in the fable whose choice helps reveal the lesson.
- The Horseman: A figure in the fable whose choice helps reveal the lesson.
Simple story version
A Hunter went out after game, and succeeded in catching a hare, which he was carrying home with him when he met a man on horseback, who said to him, "You have had some sport I see, sir," and offered to buy it. The Hunter readily agreed; but the Horseman had no sooner got the hare in his hands than he set spurs to his horse and went off at full gallop.