Aesop's Fables · Chapter
The Weasel and the Man explained
A man captures a weasel that has been sneaking around his house.
What happens
A man captures a weasel that has been sneaking around his house. The weasel pleads for its life by reminding the man of its usefulness in catching mice and lizards. The man acknowledges this but counters that the weasel also killed fowls and stole meat, concluding that it does more harm than good, and therefore must die.
Themes in this chapter
Justice and Consequence
The man weighs the weasel's deeds and delivers a final judgment based on net harm versus benefit.
Cunning and Deception
The weasel attempts to deceive the man by highlighting only its beneficial actions while omitting its misdeeds.
Characters to notice
- The Weasel
Pleads for its life by citing its usefulness in clearing the house of pests.
- The Man
Captures the weasel and decides to kill it despite its plea, judging its harm outweighs its good.
Key passages
“You have not been altogether useless, I grant you: but who killed the fowls? Who stole the meat? No, no! You do much more harm than good, and die you shall.”
I admit you've been somewhat helpful, but you also killed the chickens and stole the meat. Your harm outweighs your help, so you must die.
The man acknowledges the weasel's partial usefulness but condemns it for its greater misdeeds.