Section 82
The Olive-Tree and the Fig-Tree explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
An Olive-tree taunted a Fig-tree with the loss of her leaves at a certain season of the year. "You," she said, "lose your leaves every autumn, and are bare till the spring: whereas I, as you see, remain green and flourishing all the year round." Soon afterwards there came a heavy fall of snow, which settled on the...
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Public-domain original
An Olive-tree taunted a Fig-tree with the loss of her leaves at a
certain season of the year. "You," she said, "lose your leaves every
autumn, and are bare till the spring: whereas I, as you see, remain
green and flourishing all the year round." Soon afterwards there came
a heavy fall of snow, which settled on the leaves of the Olive so that
she bent and broke under the weight; but the flakes fell harmlessly
through the bare branches of the Fig, which survived to bear many
another crop.
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
An evergreen olive-tree mocks a fig-tree, but the fig-tree survives the snow better.
Why this scene matters
This fable shows that apparent weakness may protect someone in changing conditions.
Characters in this scene
- Olive-Tree: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- the Fig-Tree: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
Simple story version
The olive-tree boasts of constant leaves. Snow weighs it down, while the bare fig-tree is spared.