올드코난 (Old Conan)이 재해석하는 현대판 이솝우화 (Aesop's Fables, Aesopica) => 원 저작자: Aesop; 참고 번역본 저자: 조지 파일러 타운센드(George Fyler Townsend, 1814-1900) 외 / 현재 알려진 이솝우화들을 현대적으로 해석해 소개해 드리겠습니다.
올드코난의 이솝우화 제 93화 꼬리 잘린 여우 (Perry 17. The Fox without a Tail)
예쁜 꼬리를 가진 여우가 있었다. 어느날 그 여우는 사냥꾼이 놓은 덫에 걸리고 말았다. 다행히 덫을 빠져나왔지만, 꼬리가 잘려나가고 말았다. 여우는 이 모습이 무척 창피하게 느껴졌다. 무엇보다 다른 여우들이 자신을 놀리는게 싫었다. 그렇다고 여우의 꼬리가 다시 자라지는 않는다. 여우는 혼자 이런저런 생각을 하다 모든 여우들이 자신처럼 꼬리를 잘라 버리게 만들면 자신을 놀리지 않을 것이라는 생각을 하게 된다.
여우들이 한데 모인 자리에서 꼬리 잘린 여우가 괜히 멋잇는척 행동하며 이렇게 말했다.
“꼬리가 없으니 이렇게 편할 수가 없어, 그리고 보기 멋있지 않니?”
그러자 여우들이 이렇게 말했다.
“우린 네가 어떤 녀석인지 잘 알아. 만일 꼬리가 그대로 있었다면 그리고 그 모습이 정말 좋다면 너는 절대 그런 말을 할 녀석이 아니지.”
믿을수 없는 자의 말에 속지 마라. 나쁜자의 충고를 듣지 마라.
[올드코난 한마디]
이 이야기는 자신의 결함을 감추기 위해 다른 이들도 자신과 똑 같은 결함이 있는 사람으로 만드려고 하는 나쁜 마음 혹은 지독히 이기적인 사고를 가진 자를 경계하라는 교훈이 담겨있다. 훌륭한 리더는 부하를 유능하게 만들지만, 나쁜 리더는 부하를 무능하게 만든다.
바로 지금 대한민국의 현실이 그렀다.
무능하고 나쁜 마음을 가진 자들이 국민들을 생각없는 사람으로 만들고 있는 것이다. 속지 말자.
[영어 문장]
The Fox Who Lost His Tail
A Fox lost his tail in a trap and tried to get fellow foxes to trim their tails. They saw through the ruse.
Distrust advice from someone who stands to gain.
1. Aesop For Children (The Fox Without a Tail)
A Fox that had been caught in a trap, succeeded at last, after much painful tugging, in getting away. But he had to leave his beautiful bushy tail behind him.
For a long time he kept away from the other Foxes, for he knew well enough that they would all make fun of him and crack jokes and laugh behind his back. But it was hard for him to live alone, and at last he thought of a plan that would perhaps help him out of his trouble.
He called a meeting of all the Foxes, saying that he had something of great importance to tell the tribe.
When they were all gathered together, the Fox Without a Tail got up and made a long speech about those Foxes who had come to harm because of their tails.
This one had been caught by hounds when his tail had become entangled in the hedge. That one had not been able to run fast enough because of the weight of his brush. Besides, it was well known, he said, that men hunt Foxes simply for their tails, which they cut off as prizes of the hunt. With such proof of the danger and uselessness of having a tail, said Master Fox, he would advise every Fox to cut it off, if he valued life and safety.
When he had finished talking, an old Fox arose, and said, smiling:
“Master Fox, kindly turn around for a moment, and you shall have your answer.”
When the poor Fox Without a Tail turned around, there arose such a storm of jeers and hooting, that he saw how useless it was to try any longer to persuade the Foxes to part with their tails.
Moral: Do not listen to the advice of him who seeks to lower you to his own level.
2. Caldecott
A Fox had had his tail docked off in a trap, and in his disgrace began to think his life not worth living. It therefore occurred to him that the best thing he could do was to bring the other Foxes into the same condition, and so conceal his own deficiency in the general distress. Having assembled them all together he recommended them to cut off their tails, declaring that a tail was an ungraceful thing; and, further, was a heavy appendage, and quite superfluous. To this one of them rejoined: “My good friend, if this had not been to your own advantage you would never have advised us to do it.”
3. Eliot/Jacobs Version
A Fox caught its tail in a trap, and lost all of it but a stump. He determined to put a bold face upon his misfortune, and gathered all the foxes to a general meeting. When they had assembled the Fox proposed that they should all do away with their tails. He pointed out how inconvenient a tail was when they were pursued by the dogs and how much it was in the way when they desired to sit down. “That is all very well,” said one of the older foxes; “but I do not think you would have recommended we dispense with our chief ornament if you had not happened to lose it yourself.”
4. JBR Collection
A Fox was once caught in a trap by his tail, and in order to get away, was forced to leave it behind. Knowing that without a tail he would be a laughing-stock for all his fellows, he resolved to try to induce them to part with theirs. So at the next assembly of Foxes he made a speech on the unprofitableness of tails in general, and the inconvenience of a Fox’s tail in particular, adding that he had never felt so easy as since he had given up his own. When he had sat clown, a sly old fellow rose, and waving his long brush with a graceful air, said, with a sneer, that if, like the last speaker, he had lost his tail, nothing further would have been needed to convince him; but till such an accident should happen, he should certainly vote in favour of tails.
5. Townsend version
A Fox caught in a trap escaped, but in so doing lost his tail. Thereafter, feeling his life a burden from the shame and ridicule to which he was exposed, he schemed to convince all the other Foxes that being tailless was much more attractive, thus making up for his own deprivation. He assembled a good many Foxes and publicly advised them to cut off their tails, saying that they would not only look much better without them, but that they would get rid of the weight of the brush, which was a very great inconvenience. One of them interrupting him said, “If you had not yourself lost your tail, my friend, you would not thus counsel us.”
6. L’Estrange version
There was a Fox taken in a trap, that was glad to compound for his neck by leaving his tayle behind him. It was so uncouth a sight, for a fox to appear without a tayle, that the very thought on’t made him e’en weary of his life; for ’twas a loss never to be repair’d: but however for the better countenance of the scandal, he got the Master and Wardens of the Foxes Company to call a Court of Assistants, where he himself appear’d, and made a learned discourse upon the trouble, the uselessness, and the indecency of foxes wearing tayles. He had no sooner say’d out his say, but up rises a cunning snap, then at the bord, who desir’d to be enform’d, whether the worthy member that mov’d against the wearing of tayles, gave his advice for the advantage of those that had tayles, or to palliate the deformity and disgrace of those that had none.
Moral: When a man has any notable defect, or infirmity about him, whether by nature, or by chance, ’tis the best of his play, to try the humour, if he can turn it into a fashion.
7. Vulpes Sine Cauda
In foveam incidit vulpecula et inde, cauda detruncata, occurrit multis vulpeculis. Quas cum indignabunde conspexerat, inquit, “Fraterculi, quo vaditis?” “Ad leonis basilicam eundum est nobis,” respondebant. “Ad leonis basilicam?” inquit vulpes. “Profecto, ego ab ea nuperrime redii, et mos iamiam novellus est ut omnes ferae detruncent caudas.” Quibus auditis, illico detruncabant illae suas caudas. Quas cum vidit vulpes, irrisit et consolabatur se socios, si non periculi, saltem pudoris, creavisse.
Moral: Solamen miseris est socios habuisse doloris.
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