Simplicity - A Fable

Once upon a time there was a crocodile and a fox. The fox used his crafty speech to catch his mutton and was praised by all the animals for his wily ways. While the crocodile often caught more to eat, he was frequently overlooked. 

“Fox, why do all the animals praise you when you starve more than you eat?” the crocodile asked the fox. “I eat every day and am ignored.”

“I am an entertainer—a master trickster,” the fox responded. “I convince sheep to come to me with sweet talk and eloquent language. You just sit there with your mouth agape waiting for your meals to come to you. Although it works, it bores the onlookers.”

The crocodile was left feeling despondent but determined to hunt the way the fox does. The crocodile went to the owl who taught him grandiose language and eloquence. Then, he went to the other animals and spoke to them.

“I am a changed beast,” the crocodile said. “From now on, I will hunt as the fox does with crafty speech and superb magniloquence.”

The other animals were excited to see the crocodile in action as the fox had not caught a meal for a long while. The crocodile approached a grazing calf and all the animals watched in suspense. The fox chuckled in anticipation of the failure.

“Greetings and salutations. If it at all obliges you, I would be most chuffed if you would peregrinate thither. I promise, I mean you no anguish nor damage,” the crocodile reasoned.

The young calf did not understand the crocodile’s vocabulary, but only saw the fierce form of a predator. So, the calf immediately turned and ran. The fox, already prepared for the calf’s sudden departure, pounced on the poor animal and killed it. The crowd of animals booed his lack of craftiness.

The fox simply responded, “At least I have something to eat,” and walked away.

Sometimes, it is better to achieve simply than fail with eloquence.

Progymnasmata, of which the fable is one, are writing exercises for speech writers and are often read aloud to practice delivering speeches. This year at school, I am taking rhetoric, so in addition to learning the history of speeches, we are practicing our own as we go through these exercises. The second progymnasmata is a narrative. You can check out my narrative here on my YouTube channel!