Section 22

The Moon and Her Mother explained simply

Aesop's Fables by Aesop

Original excerpt

Excerpt preview

The Moon once begged her Mother to make her a gown. "How can I?" replied she; "there's no fitting your figure. At one time you're a New Moon, and at another you're a Full Moon; and between whiles you're neither one nor the other."
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Public-domain original

The Moon once begged her Mother to make her a gown. "How can I?" replied she; "there's no fitting your figure. At one time you're a New Moon, and at another you're a Full Moon; and between whiles you're neither one nor the other."

Public-domain original text shown for study context.

What happens here

The moon asks for a gown, but her changing shape makes fitting one impossible.

Why this scene matters

This fable shows that unstable needs are hard to satisfy.

Characters in this scene

  • Moon: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
  • Mother: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.

Simple story version

The moon wants clothes, but she keeps changing shape. Her mother says no single gown could fit her.