# The Sole explained — Household Tales

> Chapter companion for Household Tales by Jacob Grimm.

## What happens

The fishes, discontented with the disorder in their kingdom, decide to choose a king who can swim fastest and help the weak. They race, and when the herring is declared the winner, the jealous sole, far behind, spitefully calls the herring 'naked.' As punishment, the sole's mouth is twisted to one side.

## Themes in this chapter

### Jealousy and Envy

The sole's envy of the herring's victory leads to spiteful words and punishment.

### Virtue Rewarded and Vice Punished

The herring's swiftness is rewarded with victory, while the sole's jealousy is punished by a deformed mouth.

## Character check-ins

### the sole

The jealous fish who insults the herring and is punished with a twisted mouth.

### the herring

The winner of the race, called 'naked' by the sole.

### the pike

Gives the signal for the race to start.

## Key lines

> The fishes had for a long time been discontented because no order prevailed in their kingdom.

The fish were unhappy with the chaos in their underwater realm.

_Sets up the need for a king to establish order._

> Since that time the sole’s mouth has been at one side for a punishment.

From then on, the sole's mouth was permanently twisted as a consequence.

_Explains the origin of the sole's distinctive mouth shape._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/household_tales_se/chapters/the-sole
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/household_tales_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/household_tales_se/chapters