Section 116
The Old Woman and the Wine-Jar explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
An old Woman picked up an empty Wine-jar which had once contained a rare and costly wine, and which still retained some traces of its exquisite bouquet. She raised it to her nose and sniffed at it again and again. "Ah," she cried, "how delicious must have been the liquid which has left behind so ravishing a smell."
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Public-domain original
An old Woman picked up an empty Wine-jar which had once contained a
rare and costly wine, and which still retained some traces of its
exquisite bouquet. She raised it to her nose and sniffed at it again
and again. "Ah," she cried, "how delicious must have been the liquid
which has left behind so ravishing a smell."
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
An old woman enjoys the smell left in an empty wine jar.
Why this scene matters
This fable suggests that traces of something good can show how excellent the original must have been.
Characters in this scene
- Old Woman: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- the Wine-Jar: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
Simple story version
A woman smells an empty jar that once held fine wine. The remaining scent makes her imagine how good the wine was.