The eagle and the magpie
The eagle and the magpie (French: L'Aigle et la Pie ) is the eleventh fable from the twelfth book of the first collection of fables by Jean de La Fontaine .
Once upon a time, the eagle and the magpie, who are completely different in spirit, understanding, language and plumage, met by chance. The magpie was afraid of the eagle, but the eaten eagle calmed her down and even suggested that they fly together, because he was bored and wanted to have fun. He graciously allowed her to entertain him. Making a virtue out of necessity, the magpie began to gossip as much as it could and soon became obnoxious. Thereupon the eagle sent her home, with which the magpie had reached her destination.
Although there is no direct allusion to Louis XIV ("Jupiter of Versailles"), it is reasonable to assume that La Fontaine alluded to the circumstances at the court of Louis XIV, where things were hypocritical and the aging monarch had become monotonous.
La Fontaine's version differs from the version Abstemius ' (1440-1508), according to which the magpie unsuccessfully asked the eagle to join his company, the magpie clearly giving the eagle the impression of wanting to please him, but in reality only annoying him and wants to escape his presence.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Jean de La Fontaine: Fables Choisies, Mises En Vers. P. 95 , accessed on January 3, 2020 (French).
- ^ Ernst Dohm : Lafontaine's fables. P. 324 , accessed January 3, 2020 .
- ^ Ferdinand Lotheissen : History of French Literature in the XVII. Century . C. Gerold's Sohn, 1877, p. 204 ( google.de [accessed on January 3, 2020]).
- ↑ Randolph Paul Runyon, Randolph Runyon: In La Fontaine's Labyrinth: A Thread Through the Fables . Rookwood Press, 2000, ISBN 978-1-886365-16-2 , pp. 168 (English, google.de [accessed on January 3, 2020]).