# The Bee and Jupiter explained — Aesop's Fables

> Chapter companion for Aesop's Fables by Aesop.

## What happens

A Queen Bee from Hymettus presents fresh honey to Jupiter, who is so pleased that he promises to grant any wish. The Bee asks for stings to kill humans who steal honey. Jupiter, though displeased because he loves mankind, keeps his word but makes the stings fatal to the bee itself, illustrating that evil wishes often harm the one who makes them.

## Themes in this chapter

### Justice and Consequence

Jupiter grants the Bee's wish but ensures that the sting leads to the bee's own death, showing that harmful desires bring about their own punishment.

### Human Nature and Vice

The Bee's request for a deadly weapon reflects a vengeful and shortsighted aspect of nature, which ultimately backfires.

## Character check-ins

### The Bee

A Queen Bee from Hymettus who offers honey to Jupiter and requests deadly stings for bees.

### Jupiter

The god who receives the gift and grants the Bee's wish, but with a consequence that punishes the bees.

## Key lines

> Evil wishes, like fowls, come home to roost.

Bad intentions eventually return to harm the one who holds them.

_The moral of the fable, emphasizing that malicious desires often lead to self-destruction._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fables_se/chapters/the-bee-and-jupiter
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fables_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fables_se/chapters