The Dog Whose Ears Were Cut

"The Dog Whose Ears Were Cut" is a fable written by Jean de La Fontaine. The story revolves around a dog whose ears are cut off by a grieving Athenian as a sacrificial offering to the gods in the hope that it will bring back his dying son to life. This act leads to a series of events showing that actions often have unintended consequences and teach lessons about real-life situations. The fable draws on the themes of sacrifice, misunderstanding, superficial judgment, and the complexity of human nature and relationships.

• Fable

								
"What have I done, I should like to know,
That my master should make me a public show?
Amongst other dogs I can never now go!
    Oh, kings of animals, human race!
    Tyrants, authors of my disgrace!
I wish some demon would treat you the same!"
Thus a young Dog reflected, mad with pain,
As they cropped his long ears, but his cries were in vain,
And he thought himself lost; but he found, one fine day.
That his loss was a gain, for, by nature endowed
With a combative spirit, in many a fray
He saw that to cropping his long ears he owed
Avoidance of many a subject for tears,--
Rough dogs, when they fight, bite their enemies' ears:
For hostile mastiffs his were best of all.
'Tis easy to defend one opening in a wall;
Armed with a collar, and with ears but small,
Our young Dog meets his foes, fights, and defeats them all.
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