Aesop's Fables · Chapter
The Cock and the Jewel explained
A Cock, while scratching for food, discovers a Jewel but dismisses its value, preferring a single grain of corn over all the jewels in the world.
What happens
A Cock, while scratching for food, discovers a Jewel but dismisses its value, preferring a single grain of corn over all the jewels in the world.
Themes in this chapter
Wisdom and Foolishness
The Cock's preference for corn over a jewel highlights a contrast between practical wisdom and perceived foolishness.
Characters to notice
- The Cock
The Cock values practical sustenance over precious gems.
Key passages
“Ho! said he, a fine thing you are, no doubt, and, had your owner found you, great would his joy have been. But for me! give me a single grain of corn before all the jewels in the world.”
The Cock acknowledges the jewel's value to its owner but states that he would rather have a single grain of corn than all the jewels in existence.
The Cock's declaration underscores the theme of valuing what is immediately useful over what is conventionally precious.