The Dogs and the Lion's Skin is a fable ascribed to Aesop and is numbered 406 in the Perry Index.[1] However, it is only found in a mediaeval Greek manuscript claiming to be a translation from the Syriac (Syntipas, Fable 19). The story relates how some dogs, finding the skin of a lion, began to tear it to pieces. Seeing them, a passing fox remarked, "If this lion were alive, you would soon find out that his claws were stronger than your teeth."
The moral in the original commented that "the fable is for people who attack a man of renown when he has fallen from his position of power and glory". When the fable was retranslated by George Fyler Townsend in 1867, he shortened this to the statement generally connected with it now, "It is easy to kick a man that is down".[2] In her collection of the fables, Laura Gibbs compares the moral with the Biblical proverb "A living dog is better than a dead lion" (Ecclesiastes 9:4).[3]
^"The Dogs and the Fox", Three Hundred Aesop's Fables, p.168
^Aesop's Fables: A new translation by Laura Gibbs, Oxford University 2002, Fable 231
October 21, 2023
dogs, lion, skin, fable, ascribed, aesop, numbered, perry, index, however, only, found, mediaeval, greek, manuscript, claiming, translation, from, syriac, syntipas, fable, story, relates, some, dogs, finding, skin, lion, began, tear, pieces, seeing, them, pass. The Dogs and the Lion s Skin is a fable ascribed to Aesop and is numbered 406 in the Perry Index 1 However it is only found in a mediaeval Greek manuscript claiming to be a translation from the Syriac Syntipas Fable 19 The story relates how some dogs finding the skin of a lion began to tear it to pieces Seeing them a passing fox remarked If this lion were alive you would soon find out that his claws were stronger than your teeth A 13th century Spanish translation of SyntipasThe moral in the original commented that the fable is for people who attack a man of renown when he has fallen from his position of power and glory When the fable was retranslated by George Fyler Townsend in 1867 he shortened this to the statement generally connected with it now It is easy to kick a man that is down 2 In her collection of the fables Laura Gibbs compares the moral with the Biblical proverb A living dog is better than a dead lion Ecclesiastes 9 4 3 References Edit Aesopica The Dogs and the Fox Three Hundred Aesop s Fables p 168 Aesop s Fables A new translation by Laura Gibbs Oxford University 2002 Fable 231 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Dogs and the Lion 27s Skin amp oldid 1036266290, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
