Section 91
The Shipwrecked Man and the Sea explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
A Shipwrecked Man cast up on the beach fell asleep after his struggle with the waves. When he woke up, he bitterly reproached the Sea for its treachery in enticing men with its smooth and smiling surface, and then, when they were well embarked, turning in fury upon them and sending both ship and sailors to destruction. The...
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Public-domain original
A Shipwrecked Man cast up on the beach fell asleep after his struggle
with the waves. When he woke up, he bitterly reproached the Sea for
its treachery in enticing men with its smooth and smiling surface,
and then, when they were well embarked, turning in fury upon them and
sending both ship and sailors to destruction. The Sea arose in the
form of a woman, and replied, "Lay not the blame on me, O sailor, but
on the Winds. By nature I am as calm and safe as the land itself: but
the Winds fall upon me with their gusts and gales, and lash me into a
fury that is not natural to me."
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
A shipwrecked man blames the sea, and the sea says winds cause the danger.
Why this scene matters
This fable teaches that blame should be directed at the true cause, not the nearest target.
Characters in this scene
- Shipwrecked Man: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- the Sea: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
Simple story version
A man curses the sea after a wreck. The sea answers that wind, not water alone, made the storm dangerous.