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Commuting with the City Mouse: Aesop’s Fables and Academic Commentary Alex Mueller English Department

Commuting with the City Mouse: Aesop’s Fables and Academic Commentary Alex Mueller English Department. The City Mouse and the Country Mouse.

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Commuting with the City Mouse: Aesop’s Fables and Academic Commentary Alex Mueller English Department

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  1. Commuting with the City Mouse: Aesop’s Fables and Academic Commentary Alex Mueller English Department

  2. The City Mouse and the Country Mouse A city mouse once happened to pay a visit to the house of a country mouse where he was served a humble meal of acorns. The city mouse finished his business in the country and by means of insistent invitations he persuaded the country mouse to come pay him a visit. The city mouse then brought the country mouse into a room that was overflowing with food. As they were feasting on various delicacies, a butler opened the door. The city mouse quickly concealed himself in a familiar mouse hole, but the poor country mouse was not acquainted with the house and frantically scurried around the floorboards, frightened out of his wits. When the butler had taken what he needed, he closed the door behind him. The city mouse then urged the country mouse to sit back down to dinner. The country mouse refused and said, "How could I possibly do that? Oh, how scared I am! Do you think that the man is going to come back?" This was all that the terrified mouse was able to say. The city mouse insisted, "My dear fellow, you could never find such delicious food as this anywhere else in the world." “Acorns are enough for me," the country mouse maintained, "so long as I am secure in my freedom!" 
 It is better to live in self-sufficient poverty than to be tormented by the worries of wealth.

  3. Aesop in the Medieval Classroom Codex VindobonensisPalatinus 303 Promythium for “De lupo et agno” [The wolf and the lamb] (fol. 13r): . . . Sursumbibebat lupus Sursumbibebat lupus longequeinferiusagnus. [The wolf was drinking upstream the wolf was drinking upstream and the lamb a long way downstream.] [omits the following “moral”] Haec in illos dicta estfabula qui hominibuscalumniantur" [this fable is written about those who falsely accuse others]

  4. Heinrich Steinhöwel’sAesop • First printed as a bilingual edition (German/Latin) by Johann Zainer at Ulm in 1476/1477. • Translated into several languages, including French, Dutch, and Spanish. • Base text for William Caxton’s English Aesop in 1481. • Expanded to 300 fables by schoolmaster Sebastian Brant for 1501 printing.

  5. Esopusmoralizatus Printed in Reutlingen by Michael Greyff (23 July, 1489). This copy (99975) is currently held in the Huntington Library, San Marino, CA. Note: The commentary for each fable begins in the margin and then concludes below the fable text.

  6. EsopusMoralizatus Printed in Cologne by Heinrich Quentell (23 Mar., 1489) This copy (99974) is currently held in the Huntington Library, San Marino, CA. Note: In contrast to the previous example, this edition only contains commentary below each fable.

  7. Earlier Commentary on the elegiac Romulus Klosterneuburg, Stiftsbibliothek, Codex Claustroneoburgensis 1093, folio 349v (mid-15th century) Note: The commentary to the verse prologue begins in the margins [bottom right], . .

  8. . . . completely fills the next folio, and continues onto the following leaf, surrounding the second half of the verse prologue [below middle right] (fol. 350v-351r).

  9. The Crow and the Water Jar A thirsty crow noticed a huge jar and saw that at the very bottom there was a little bit of water. For a long time the crow tried to spill the water out so that it would run over the ground and allow her to satisfy her tremendous thirst. After exerting herself for some time in vain, the crow grew frustrated and applied all her cunning with unexpected ingenuity: as she tossed little stones into the jar, the water rose of its own accord until she was able to take a drink. This fable shows us that thoughtfulness is superior to brute strength, since this is the way that the crow was able to carry her task to its conclusion.

  10. Medieval Commentary on “The Crow and the Water Jar”Copenhagen, Gl. Kgl. Saml., 1905 4o (14th century) Ingentem. Hic docet quod ingeniumpreualetuiribus, et hoc per coturnicemquedumsitiret in quodam campo urnamsemiplenam aqua inuenit, quam uiribusinclinare non potuit. Sedeamingeniolapillisinpleuit et istamaquamextraxit. Fructustalisest: Meliorest sapiens fortiuiro (fol. 139r). [Ingentem. Here he teaches that cleverness is better than strength; and he teaches that through a quail, which, when it was thirsty, found an urn half-full of water in a field, and it could not tip the urn. But using its cleverness, it filled it with stones and drew out the water. The moral is this: The wise man is better than the strong.]

  11. The Fourfold Model of Medieval ExegesisVenice, BibliotecaMarciana MS 4018 (14th century) Licteragestarefert, quod credasaligoria Moralis quod agas, quod speresanagogia. [The literal presents the acts, the allegorical that which you ought to believe, the moral what you ought to do, the anagogical what you ought to hope.]

  12. More Medieval Commentary on “The Crow and the Water Jar”Wrocław, Bibl. univ., ms. cod. Q.126 (15th century) in hoc appologodocemur quod multasuntquecitiusfiunt per artem quam per vires(fol. 130r). [in this fable we learn that there are many things which can be done more quickly by skill than by strength.]

  13. Even More Medieval Commentary on “The Crow and the Water Jar”Berlin, Staatsbibliothek, PreußischerKulturbestiz, cod. Q 536 (15th century) Hic monetnosutstudiosiusacquiramusscientiam quam vires, quiamagisproficit (fol. 9r). [Here he urges us that we be more eager to acquire knowledge than power, because it is more useful]

  14. Proverbial Elaboration upon Medieval Commentary on “The Crow and the Water Jar”Munich, BayerischeStaatsbibliothek, cgm 3974 (15th century) Vnde: Homo sepevincitilla per sapientiamque per vires non faceret. Eciammonetnosutstudiosiussapientia et ingenioinsistamusmagis quam viribus (fol. 228v). [Whence the saying: A man often conquers with knowledge those things that he could not do by force. This also urges us to rely more on wisdom and cleverness than on strength.]

  15. Homiletic Elaboration upon Medieval Commentary on “The Crow and the Water Jar”Budapest, Magyar nemzetimúzeum, ms. lat. med. aev. 123 (15th century) In hoc appollogoauctordocetnos quod queramusprudenciam, dicens “Tudebesscire quod prudenciaestmaiorviribus et prevaleteam, quia per sapienciamvincet homo qui viribusvincere non posset.” Ideosubiungitdicens quod sapienciacomplet opus cuiuslibethominisinceptum. Vnde Salomon Prouerbiorum: “Potenciorestsapiencia”(fol. 15r). [In this fable the author teaches us that we should seek knowledge, saying, "You should know that knowledge is greater than strength and more valuable, because with wisdom a man can conquer what he cannot conquer with strength." He continues saying that wisdom accomplishes the task begun by anyone. Thus Solomon in the Proverbs: "Wisdom is stronger.”]

  16. Commentary Revising Fable: “The Crow and the Water Jar”Prague, UniversitníKnihovna, ms. 546 (15th century) Ingentemsitiens. Hic actor ostendit quod prudenciaestmelior et maiorviribus. Ergo studiosiusadmonetutsciamus et prudenciamacquiramus, quod probatdicens: Quedamsitienscornixvolansper campumvenit ad vnumfontem, quem circa viditpenderevnamvrnam in qua modicum aquefuit, quam haurire non valebat. Post heccupienseffunderevrnamplaniscampis, quiacornixnusquampotuitinclinare, tandem invenitsua arte calliditatem, et congreganslapillos in vrnammisit. Quibusimmissis aqua sursumascendit et sic habuitfacilemviampotandi (fol. 22r). [Ingentemsitiens.Here the author demonstrates that wisdom is better and greater than strength. Thus he urges us quite eagerly that we know that we should seek wisdom, which he shows by saying: A thirsty crow, flying across a field, came to a well, above which it saw a bucket hanging in which there was little water, which it could not pour out. Then, hoping to spill the vessel onto the ground, because the crow could not tip it, it nevertheless thought up a strategy in its cleverness; and gathering pebbles it dropped them into the bucket. When they had been put in, the water rose up, and thus the crow had an easy way to drink.]

  17. “The Crow and the Water Jar” as a Metaphor for the Collaborative Construction of KnowledgeErfurt, Stadtbücherei, Amplon.Q.21 (15th century) Licet sicudcornix non potuiteffunderevrnam, sic nullusscholarisstudenspotestquamlibetscientiamacquirere; set potestacquirerealiquampartemscientiesiproiciatlapidem, id estsiadhibitlaborem et dilegenciam (fol. 35r). [Just as the crow could not spill the urn, so no student can attain any knowledge he desires; but he can acquire a certain portion of knowledge if he throws in a stone, that is to say if he applies effort and diligence.]

  18. “The Crow and the Water Jar”:Writing as Accumulating"Novus Avianus" Munich, BayerischeStaatsbibliothek, clm 14703 and Vienna, ÖsterreichischeNationalbibliothek, cpv 303 Versus cevscribit, taliter arte bibit (10). [In the same way as the author writes verses, so the crow drinks by skill.]

  19. “The Crow and the Water Jar”:Rhetorical Amplificatio or ElaborationGeoffrey of VinsaufDocumentum de modo et arte dictandi et versificandi[Instruction in the Art and Method of Speaking and Versifying] sic ex modica maxima crescitaqua. [And so, from a little water, much water arises.]

  20. Uncertain Amplificatio in English:Robert Henryson’sMorallFabillis [This cock . . . may be compared to a fool.] [this cock well may we call foolish, proud men.] [This wolf I liken to sensuality.] [This innocent sheep may represent the figure of the poor commoner.] This cok . . . may till anefule be peir. (141-2) this cokweillmay we call Nyseproude men. (590-1) This volf I likkin to sensualitie. (1118) This seliescheipmay present the figure Of pure commounis. (1258-9)

  21. The City Mouse and the Country Mouse:Henryson’s Commentary Thy awinfyre, freind, thocht it be botanegleid, It warmisweill, and is worth gold to the; And Solomon sayis, gif that thow will reid, "Vnder the heuin I can not better se Than ay be blyith and leif in honestie.” QuhairfoirI may conclude be this ressoun: Of eirthlyioy it beirismaistdegre, Blyithnes in hart, with small possessioun. (373-96) Blissed be sempilllyfewithoutindreid; Blissed be sober feist in quietie. Quhahesaneuch, of namairhes he neid, Thoct it be littill into quantatie. Grit aboundance and blind prosperitie Oftytmesmakisaneeuillconclusioun. The sweitestlyfe, thairfoir, in this cuntrie, Is sickernes, with small possessioun. Of wantoun man that vsis for to feid Thy wambe, and makis it a god to be; Luke to thy self, I warne the weill on deid. The cat cummis and to the moushesee; Quhat is avale thy feist and royaltie, With dreidfull hart and tribulatioun? Thairfoir, best thing in eird, I say for me, Is merry hart with small possessioun. [Blessed be a simple life without fear; blessed be a temperate feast in peace. Whoever has enough, though it is little in quantity, has no need of more. Great abundance and blind prosperity often produce a bad conclusion. Therefore, in this country the sweetest life is security with modest possessions. O greedy man, accustomed to feed your stomach and make it a god, look to yourself, I warn you in all earnest. That cat comes, and has an eye on the mouse. What is the use of your feasting and splendor, with a fearful heart and tribulation? Therefore, the best thing on earth, I say for my part, is a merry heart with modest possessions. Your own fire, friend, though it is only a coal, warms well, and is worth gold to you. And Solomon says, if you care to read him, "Under the heaven I can see nothing better than to be always happy and live virtuously." Wherefore, I may conclude with this saying: "The highest degree of earthly joy comes from blitheness of heart, with modest possessions."]

  22. Fable Commentary as “Writerly Text” Because the goal of literary work (of literature as work) is to make the reader no longer a consumer, but a producer of the text. Our literature is characterized by the pitiless divorce which the literary institution maintains between the producer of the text and its user, between its owner and its consumer, between its author and its reader. Roland Barthes, S/Z, trans. Richard Miller (New York: Hill and Wang, 1974), 4.

  23. Fable Commentary as Hypertext By “hypertext,” I mean non-sequential writing – text that branches and allows choices to the reader, best read at an interactive screen. As popularly conceived, this is a series of text chunks connected by links which offer the reader different pathways. Theodor H. Nelson, Literary Machines (Swarthmore, Pennsylvania: Self-published, 1981), 0/2.

  24. The Wisdom of the City Mouse? My dear fellow, you could never find such delicious food as this anywhere else in the world . . .

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