Aesop's Fables · Chapter
Jupiter and the Monkey explained
Jupiter offers a prize to the beast with the most beautiful offspring.
What happens
Jupiter offers a prize to the beast with the most beautiful offspring. The Monkey presents her hairless, flat-nosed baby, which the gods laugh at, but she insists her child is the most beautiful.
Themes in this chapter
Appearance vs. Reality
The monkey's baby is objectively ugly to the gods, yet the mother sees it as beautiful, highlighting subjective perception versus objective appearance.
Human Nature and Vice
The monkey's blind parental pride reflects a common human vice of seeing one's own as superior despite evidence.
Characters to notice
- Jupiter
Issues a proclamation and offers a prize for the most beautiful offspring.
- The Monkey
Presents her baby, which is ridiculed by the gods, but she defends its beauty.
Key passages
“Jupiter issued a proclamation to all the beasts, and offered a prize to the one who, in his judgment, produced the most beautiful offspring.”
Jupiter announced a contest among all animals, promising a reward to the one he deemed to have the most beautiful child.
Sets up the premise of the fable.
“Among the rest came the Monkey, carrying a baby monkey in her arms, a hairless, flat-nosed little fright.”
The Monkey arrived holding her baby, which was bald and had a squashed face, looking quite ugly.
Describes the appearance of the monkey's offspring.
“When they saw it, the gods all burst into peal on peal of laughter; but the Monkey hugged her little one to her, and said, “Jupiter may give the prize to whomsoever he likes: but I shall always think my baby the most beautiful of them all.””
The gods laughed loudly at the sight, but the Monkey embraced her baby and declared that regardless of Jupiter's decision, she would always consider her child the most beautiful.
Highlights the monkey's unwavering maternal pride.