The Flea and the Man

058. THE FLEA AND THE MAN. You will find the fable in English on this page; scroll to see if there are multiple English versions. [more info]

The Man and the Gnat

190. THE MAN AND THE GNAT. As a clownish fellow was sitting upon a bank, a gnat settled upon his leg, and stung it. He clapped his hand with great vehemence upon the place, with intention to kill the gnat; but the little nimble insect, skipping lightly between his fingers, escaped, and every time he struck, he gave himself a smart blow upon the leg, without being in the least able to touch the gnat.
This provoked him very much, so that in the height of his passion he fell to invoking Hercules: “O mighty Hercules !” says he, “since nothing can withstand thy power, aid me, I beseech thee, against this pernicious gnat, and with thy invincible strength subdue him, in compassion to me, miserable creature, who am tormented with his venomous sting.” [more info]

The Man and the Flea

6 perry

08.05: THE MAN AND THE FLEA.
Impertinent, we tease and weary Heaven
With prayers which would insult mere mortals even.
'Twould seem that not a god in all the skies
From our affairs must ever turn his eyes,
And that the smallest of our race
Could hardly eat, or wash his face,
Without, like Greece and Troy for ten years' space,
Embroiling all Olympus in the case.
A flea some blockhead's shoulder bit,
And then his clothes refused to quit.
'O Hercules,' he cried, 'you ought to purge
This world of this far worse than hydra scourge!
O Jupiter, what are your bolts about,
They do not put these foes of mine to rout?'
To crush a flea, this fellow's fingers under,
The gods must lend the fool their club and thunder!
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