Aesop's Fables · Chapter
The Debtor and His Sow explained
A man of Athens, unable to pay his debt, tries to sell his only sow at market, claiming it produces piglets according to Athenian festivals.
What happens
A man of Athens, unable to pay his debt, tries to sell his only sow at market, claiming it produces piglets according to Athenian festivals. His creditor exposes the lie by sarcastically adding that the sow also produces kids at the Dionysia, revealing the debtor's deception.
Themes in this chapter
Cunning and Deception
The debtor attempts to deceive a buyer by falsely claiming his sow produces specific litters for festivals, but his creditor exposes the lie.
Justice and Consequence
The creditor's intervention ensures the debtor's dishonesty is revealed, leading to public humiliation and thwarting the sale.
Characters to notice
- The Spendthrift
The debtor who attempts to deceive a buyer about his sow's litters to escape his financial troubles.
- The Pig
The sow being sold by the debtor, central to the deception about its offspring.
Key passages
“Yes, said the Debtor, very fine ones; and the remarkable thing is that she produces females at the Mysteries and males at the Panathenea.”
The debtor claims his sow gives birth to female piglets during the Mysteries and male piglets during the Panathenaea.
The debtor invents a false pattern to make the sow seem more valuable.
“Don’t be surprised, sir; why, still better, at the Dionysia this Sow has kids!”
The creditor sarcastically remarks that the sow also produces kids (young goats) at the Dionysia festival.
The creditor exposes the absurdity of the debtor's claims by adding an impossible detail.