Aesop's Fables · Chapter
The Fowler and the Lark explained
A Fowler sets nets for birds and deceives a curious Lark by claiming he is founding a city.
What happens
A Fowler sets nets for birds and deceives a curious Lark by claiming he is founding a city. The Lark, enticed by bait, becomes trapped, and the Fowler captures her. The Lark laments her folly, remarking that such a city would be slow to fill with fools.
Themes in this chapter
Cunning and Deception
The Fowler uses a false pretense to lure the Lark into the net, exemplifying how deceit can exploit curiosity.
Wisdom and Foolishness
The Lark's lack of caution and her eventual self-reproach highlight the folly of trusting without scrutiny.
Characters to notice
- The Fowler
Deceives the Lark by pretending to found a city, then captures her when she is ensnared.
- The Lark
Curious and trusting, she is tricked by the Fowler's ruse and caught in the net, realizing her foolishness too late.
Key passages
“I am engaged in founding a city”
The Fowler claims he is building a city to mislead the Lark.
This lie is the central deception that leads to the Lark's capture.
“What a fool I was!”
The Lark realizes her mistake too late.
Expresses the moral of the fable about the consequences of gullibility.