Section 168
The Travellers and the Plane-Tree explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
Two Travellers were walking along a bare and dusty road in the heat of a summer's day. Coming presently to a Plane-tree, they joyfully turned aside to shelter from the burning rays of the sun in the deep shade of its spreading branches. As they rested, looking up into the tree...
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Public-domain original
Two Travellers were walking along a bare and dusty road in the heat of
a summer's day. Coming presently to a Plane-tree, they joyfully turned
aside to shelter from the burning rays of the sun in the deep shade of
its spreading branches. As they rested, looking up into the tree, one
of them remarked to his companion, "What a useless tree the Plane is!
It bears no fruit and is of no service to man at all." The Plane-tree
interrupted him with indignation. "You ungrateful creature!" it cried:
"you come and take shelter under me from the scorching sun, and then,
in the very act of enjoying the cool shade of my foliage, you abuse me
and call me good for nothing!"
Many a service is met with ingratitude.
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
Two Travellers were walking along a bare and dusty road in the heat of a summer's day.
Why this scene matters
This fable matters because it turns the lesson “Many a service is met with ingratitude.” into a compact story about everyday judgment.
Characters in this scene
- The Travellers: A figure in the fable whose choice helps reveal the lesson.
- The Plane-Tree: A figure in the fable whose choice helps reveal the lesson.
Simple story version
Two Travellers were walking along a bare and dusty road in the heat of a summer's day. Coming presently to a Plane-tree, they joyfully turned aside to shelter from the burning rays of the sun in the deep shade of its spreading branches.