Aesop's Fables, Part 31 summary
Part 31 of 284 · 1 min to read the part
In The Fox and the Monkey, two travelers dispute whose family is better, and the Monkey claims that the cemetery monuments honor his distinguished ancestors. The Fox calls this a lie and points out that the dead cannot expose him, linking the boast to the absence of anyone able to challenge it.
What happens
- The Fox and the Monkey travel together and argue about whose family is better.
- They reach a cemetery, where the Monkey looks around and sighs.
- When the Fox asks why, the Monkey claims the monuments honor his important ancestors.
- The Fox briefly falls silent, then calls the claim a lie that the dead cannot expose.
- The closing moral connects boasting with freedom from exposure.
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In this part
What to notice
The moral explains why the Monkey chooses dead ancestors to support his claim: they cannot contradict him.
Quick check
Why does the Fox say the Monkey is safe from exposure?
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