This book of fables or fairy tales has been a highly famous book among the most learned on earth, especially among the pagans. Although even now, to tell the truth, of the external life in the
world, I do not know of many books, apart from the Holy Scriptures, that should be superior to it, if one wants to look at usefulness, art, and wisdom, and not high-minded clamor; for in it, under bad words and
*This number is found in the Eisleben edition, vol. II, p. 500; in the Altenburg edition, vol. V, p. 804; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XXII, p. 582 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 64, p. 348. The Latin words form the sixth paragraph of the eightieth chapter in the old editions of the Tischreden. In our edition, they are omitted, but reference is made to this passage. They form the conclusion of a verse that was written in the 15th century over a picture depicting the pope sitting on his throne and dispensing the so-called graces to those who ask him. (Weim. Ausg. Bd. IX, p. 680, note) The presumed time at which Luther wrote the following poem is 1530 during his stay at Coburg or later. (Köstlin II, p. 208.)
**) At Coburg, Luther, for his refreshment and salvation, as Mathesius writes (Mathesius, "Luthers Lehen", St. Louiser Ausg., p. 155), set about purifying the German Aesopus, "which had been destroyed by coarse and un-
In these simple fables you will find the very finest teaching, warning and instruction (for those who know how to use them) on how to conduct oneself in the household, in and against the authorities and subjects, so that you may live wisely and peacefully among the evil people in the false, wicked world.
2. But that it is attributed to Aesopo is, in my opinion, a poem, and perhaps no man on earth was ever called Aesopus; But I think it was brought together piece by piece through the efforts of many wise people over time, and finally put into such order by a scholar, as now in the German language some would like to collect the fables and proverbs that are in use here, and then someone would put them neatly into a book, because such fine fables in this book all the world could not invent now, let alone a man. Therefore, it is more likely that some of these fables were almost old, some even older, but some were new at the time this booklet was collected, as such fables tend to grow and multiply from year to year, according to which one hears and collects from his ancestors and parents.
3 And Quintilianus, the great, sharp master of judging books, also thinks that not Aesopus, but the most learned one in the Greek language, as Hesiodus or the like, is the master of this book; for it seems to him to be impossible, as is also reasonable, that such a dolt as Aesopus paints and describes should be able to do such wit and art as is found in this book and fables, and so this book remains an unknown and unnamed master. And indeed, it praises and extols itself higher than it could extol no master's name.
4 However, those who have invented Aesopum as a master, and have made his life known to the world, may be the best.
may have had reason enough, namely, that they, as the wise people, would have liked to make such a book common to everyone for the sake of common benefit (for we see that the young children and young people are easily moved by fables and fairy tales), and thus [the people] 1) would be led with pleasure and love to art and wisdom, which pleasure and love become all the greater when an Aesopus or such larva or carnival finery 2) is presented, who talks out or presents such art, so that they notice it all the more, and immediately accept and retain it with laughter. Not only the children, but also the great princes and lords cannot be deceived very much, for the truth and for their benefit, because one lets the fools tell them the truth, which they can suffer and hear, otherwise they do not want to or cannot suffer the truth from any wise man, yes, all the world hates the truth when it hits one.
Therefore such wise, high people have invented the fables, and let one animal talk to another, as if they should say: Well, no one wants to hear the truth nor suffer, and one can not do without the truth, so we want to decorate it and dress it under a funny lie color and lovely fable, and because one does not want to hear it through the mouth of man, that one hears it through the mouth of animals and beasts. Thus it happens, when one reads the fables, that one animal tells the truth to another, one wolf to another; yes, sometimes the painted wolf or bear or lion in the book secretly reads a good text to the right bipedal wolf and lion, which otherwise no preacher, friend or foe would be allowed to read to him. So also a painted fox in the
1) Added by us.
2) Putz - Potzen, Popanz.
He "made thirteen ("sixteen" in Mathesius is the result of a printing error in the Wittenberg edition, which has also passed into the Jena edition) beautiful fables, which are full of wisdom, good teaching and polite admonition. Even later, he did not find time to translate all of Aesop's fables, "although Melanchthon is said to have promised him (Köstlin, M. Luther (Z), Vol. II, p. 206) that he would pay him a thousand guilders from a high lord to whom he might give the booklet". The preface may have been written by him already at that time, but we only know that for sure, that he read it to his friends on November 6, 1538 (cf. Tischreden, Cap. 73, Z9, St. Louis edition, vol. XXII, 1565). Recently, the manuscript of our writing was found in the library of the Vaticans and published: E. Thiele, "Hallesche Neudrucke", Heft 76, 1888. In print, it first appeared in the Wittenberg edition. There it is found (1569) vol. IX, p. 454d; in the Jenaer (1566), vol. V, p. 268d; in the Altenburger, vol. V p. 403; in the Leipziger, vol. XXII, appendix, p. 61 and in the Erlanger, vol. 64, p. 349. We give the text after the Wittenberger.
Book, if one reads the fable, should 1) probably address a fox over the table so that the sweat wants to break out, and should probably want to stab or burn the Aesopum. As the poet of Aesopi indicates that Aesopus, too, was killed for the sake of truth, and ihu did not help that he, in fables, as a fool, in addition a fictitious Aesopus, let the animals speak such truth, because truth is the most unpleasant thing on earth.
For this reason we have undertaken to sweep this book and to give it a little better form than it has had up to now, mostly for the sake of the youth, so that they may learn such fine teachings and warnings under the lovely form of fables, as in a mummery or game, and keep them all the better. For we have seen what a clumsy book they have made of the Aesopo, who have given the German Aesopum that exists, which would be well worthy of a great punishment, as they not only made such a finely useful book to shame and useless, but also added much addition from their head; although this would still have to suffer.
(7) Such disgraceful, lewd knavery is mixed into it that no virtuous, pious person can suffer it, nor can any young person read or hear it without harm, just as if they had put a book into the common women's house or otherwise among loose knaves, because they did not seek benefit and art in the fables, but only made a pastime and laughter out of them, just as if the wise people had directed their faithful, great diligence to it, so that such frivolous people should make a babble and fool's work out of their wisdom. They are sows and remain sows, before whom one should not cast pearls.
Therefore we ask all pious hearts to eradicate the same German disgraceful Aesopum, and to use this in its place; one can nevertheless be cheerful, and act such fables in the evening over the table with children and servants in a useful and merry way, so that one may not be so shameful 2) and unreasonable, as in the lewd taverns and taverns; for we have done our diligence.
1) Wittenberger: so.
2) In the old editions: schampar.
have to bring vain fine, pure, useful fables into a book, in addition the Legend Aesopi.
(9) What are otherwise useful and not harmful fables, we also want to purify and sweep in time, God willing, so that it becomes a funny and lovely, yet respectable and chaste and useful Aesopus, which one could laugh at and use without sin to warn and instruct children and servants on their future life and conduct, therefore it was invented and made from the beginning.
(10) And that I hasten to give examples of the good use of fables, when a householder wants to have amusement over the table that is useful, he can ask his wife, child, and servants, What is the meaning of this fable or that fable? and both of them and themselves practice it. The fifth fable, about the dog with the piece of meat in its mouth, means that if a servant or maid is too well and wants to improve, he or she, like the dog, loses the good and does not get the better. Item, if one servant is attached to the other and allows himself to be seduced, so that he is like the frog tied to the man in the third fable, which the consecration ate both of them, and so from then on in the other fables with love, with sorrow, with troubles and curls, as one is able, without us having to do our part with them.
I. Thorheit.
From the rooster and pearls.
A cock scratched on the manure, and found a precious pearl; when he saw it lying in the dung, he said: "See, you, his dinglein, lie here so miserable, if a merchant found you, he would be happy, and you would come to great honors, but you are of no use to me, and I to you, I take a grain or a worm, and leave all the pearls to you; you may stay as you lie.
Teaching.
This fable teaches that this booklet is worthless among peasants and coarse people, as all art and wisdom is despised among them, as one says: Art goes after bread; but it warns that one should not despise the teaching.
3) "so" in the Jena, missing in the Wittenberg.
II. Hatred.
Of the wolf and the little lamb.
A wolf and a little lamb came to a brook to drink; the wolf drank at the top of the brook, but the little lamb drank far below. When the wolf saw the little lamb, 1) he ran to it and said, "Why are you muddying my water so that I cannot drink? And the little lamb answered, How can I muddy thy water, seeing thou drinkest above me, and wilt muddy it for me? The wolf said: How? do you curse me in addition? The little lamb answered: I do not curse thee. The wolf said, "Yes, your father did the same to me six months ago, you want to curse. 2) The little lamb answered, If I was not born then, how shall I repay my father? The wolf said, "But you have gnawed and ruined my meadows and fields. The little lamb answered, "How is that possible, for I have no teeth yet? Well, said the wolf, and even if you can talk a lot and blabber, I still won't stay gnawed; and so he strangled the innocent little lamb and ate it.
Teaching.
The course of the world is: He who wants to be pious must suffer, if one should break a thing from the old fence, because violence goes for right. If one wants to the dog, then he has eaten the leather; if the wolf wants, then the lamb is wrong.
III Infidelity.
From the frog and the mouse.
A mouse would have liked to cross a water, but could not, and asked a frog for advice and help. The frog was a mischievous one, and said to the mouse, "Tie your foot to my foot, and I will swim and pull you across. But when they came to the water, the frog dived down and wanted to drown the mouse; but the mouse resisted, and
1) Jenaer and Erlanger: was.
2) In the Wittenberg, "vetern". Perhaps "fiddern" is to be read, i.e., to adorn, to talk out. Middle High German: videren. Dietz "Wörterbuch zu Luthers deutschen Schriften" s. v. fidern.
a harrier flies along and catches the mouse, takes the frog out too, and eats them both.
Teaching.
Beware with whom you deal, the world is false and full of infidelity, for whichever friend is able to put another in sackcloth; but infidelity always strikes its own master, as happens to the frog here.
IV. Envy.
From dogs and sheep.
The dog approached a sheep in court for bread that he had lent him. But since the sheep denied, the dog appealed to witnesses, who had to be admitted. The first witness was the wolf, who spoke: I know that the dog lent bread to the sheep; the harrier said: I have been there; the vulture said to the sheep: How may you deny it so insolently? So the sheep lost its business, and had to attack its wool at the wrong time to pay for the bread it did not owe.
Teaching.
Beware of evil neighbors, or be patient if you want to live with people. For no one begrudges another anything good; that is the way of the world.
V. Stinginess.
From dogs in the water.
A dog was running through a stream of water and had a piece of meat in its mouth, but when it saw the shine of the meat in the water, it thought it was also meat and grabbed it greedily. But when he opened his mouth, the piece of meat fell out of his mouth, and the water carried it away; so he lost both the meat and the shadows.
Teaching.
One should be content with what God gives. 3) He who spurns the little does not get the greater; he who wants too much keeps nothing in the end; some lose the certain over the uncertain.
3) In the Wittenberg and the Jena: Wem.
VI. sacrilege. Violence.
An ox, a goat and a sheep joined the lion and went hunting together in a forest. When they had caught a stag and divided it into four equal parts, the lion said: "You know that one part is mine, as your companion, the other is mine, as a king among the animals, the third I want because I am stronger and have run and worked harder for it than all three of you; but whoever wants the fourth must take it from me by force. So the three had to pay for their efforts and the damage.
Teaching.
Don't go high, stick to your own kind. Dulcis inexpertis cultura potentis amici. It is not good to eat cherries with gentlemen, they throw you with the stalks. Ulpian. L. Si non fuerint. This is a society with the lion, where one alone has the enjoyment, the other alone the damage.
VII This fable is presented in a different way.
A lion, a fox and a donkey were hunting together and caught a deer, so the lion told the donkey to divide the venison. The donkey made three parts; therefore the lion was angry, and tore the skin over the donkey's head, so that he stood there bloodied, and told the fox to divide the venison. The fox pushed the three parts together and gave them to the lion. The lion laughed and said, "Who taught you to divide like that? The fox pointed to the donkey and said, "The doctor in the red beret.
This fable teaches two pieces:
The first: gentlemen want to have advantage, and one should not eat cherries with gentlemen, they throw one with the stalks; the other: Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum. He is a wise man who can improve on another's accident.
From the thief.
Once upon a time a thief was free, and his neighbors were merry at his wedding, for
They hoped that he would become pious. Then a wise man came along, and when he saw them in joy, he said: "Watch out, do not be too happy, the sun also wants to be free once, which frightened the whole world, and became so impatient that they also cursed and scolded the heavens. Jupiter asked from the sky: "What does the cursing mean? Then all the world said, "We now have a single sun, and it is doing us so much harm with its heat that we are almost all perishing; what will happen when the sun begets more suns?
This fable shows the world:
You can't paint the devil over the door.
Gries likes to beat after gramen, 1) One thief begets another.
Help pious people multiply, Otherwise the wicked are too many.
Many a rogue is encouraged by pious people, who then has his equal in him. It is very harmful to land and people, so beware of whom you should advise or help; bread is lost on strange children and dogs.
From the crane and Wolfe.
Once the wolf ate a sheep miserly, and one of his legs got stuck in his throat. He was in great distress and fear, and offered to give a great reward and gift to anyone who would help him. Then the crane came and pushed his long collar into the wolf's throat and pulled out the leg. When he asked for the promised reward, the wolf said, "Do you still want a reward? Thank God that I did not bite off your neck; you should give me a gift for coming out of my boat alive.
This fable shows:
He who wants to do good to the people of the world must consider earning ingratitude; the world is not worthwhile in any other way than with ingratitude, as the saying goes: "He who delivers one from the gallows is gladly helped by him.
1) Dietz explains this by: "kind does not let of kind." - "to look up".is: to re-specify.
From dog and bitch.
A pregnant bitch asked a dog with humble words that he would grant her his house stone until she had littered; the dog did so gladly. Now that the young dogs were growing up, the dog wanted his house stone again, but the bitch did not want it; at last the dog threatened her and told her to leave the house. Then the bitch was angry and said: "If you are bad, then bite us out.
This fable shows:
When the louse gets into trouble, he makes a mess of himself; see how you get rid of evil when it gets the upper hand. The devil is a good guest to ask, but you can't get rid of him.
Of the donkey and the lion.
The donkey was also once a peasant, and when he met a lion, he greeted him mockingly and said: I greet you, brother. The lion was annoyed by the mocking greeting, but thought to himself: Why should I take revenge on this rascal? I scold him or tear him apart, so I, no honor put in: I will let the fool go.
Teaching.
Hoc scio pro certo, quod si cum stercore certo, Vinco vel vincor, semper ego maculor.
Who rams with a dirt,
If he wins or loses, he walks away shitty.
XII. Fable.
From the city and field mouse.
A city mouse went for a walk, and came to a field mouse, which did him good, with acorns, barley, nuts, and whatever he could. But the city mouse said: You are a poor mouse; why do you want to live here in poverty? Come with me, I will provide enough for you and me, of all kinds of delicious food. The field mouse went with her to a beautiful house where the city mouse lived, and they went to the
Kemnoten, there was full of bread, meat, bacon, sausages, cheese and everything; then the city mouse said: Now eat and be good, such food I have daily superfluous. Meanwhile the waiter came, and rumbled with the keys at the door, the mice were frightened and ran away; the city mouse soon found his hole, but the field mouse knew nowhere to go, ran up and down the wall, and had considered his life.
When the waiter had gone out again, the city mouse said: "There is no need now, let us be good. The field mouse answered: "You have said well, you knew how to make your hole, meanwhile I almost died of fear. I will tell you what the opinion is: You remain a rich city mouse and eat sausages and bacon, I will remain a poor little field mouse and eat my acorns. You are not safe for a moment from the waiter, from the cats, from so many mouse traps, and the whole house is hostile to you; I am free and safe in my poor little field mouse.
In big waters you can see big fish, but in small waters you can see good fish.
( Envy,
Who is rich has much ( worry, (Fahr.
Of the raven and the fox.
A raven had stolen a cheese, and sat down on a high tree, and wanted to eat; but when he, according to his kind, cannot be silent when he eats, a fox heard him over the cheese, and read and said: O rah, now I have not seen [a] more beautiful bird of feathers and shape than you are in my life. If you had such a beautiful voice to sing, you should be crowned king over all birds.
The raven was tickled by such praise and flattery, began to let his beautiful song be heard, and when he opened his beak, the cheese fell from him, the fox took it nimbly, ate it, and laughed at the foolish raven.
Beware when the fox praises the raven, Beware of flatterers, so flay and scrape etc.