Monday, March 23, 2026

Hans Christian Andersen / This Fable Is Intended for You

THIS

FABLE IS INTENDED

FOR YOU

(It’s You the Fable has in Mind!)

A fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen

The wise men of ancient times have cleverly discovered how, without being rude to their faces, one could tell people the truth. For they held up to them a mysterious mirror in which all kinds of animals and remarkable things came into view and produced a spectacle that was as amusing as it was edifying. This they called a fable, and whatever stupid or wise things the animals happened to perform there, humans could transfer these to themselves and thereby realise: It’s you the fable has in mind! In that way, no one could feel vexed. Let us take an example:

There were once two mountains, and on top of each stood a castle. Down in the valley a dog was running, it sniffed the ground in front of it as if, to allay its hunger, it was in search of a mouse or partridge. Suddenly, from one of the castles the sound of a trumpet rang out, announcing that dinner was ready. The dog immediately hurried up the mountain so as to get a little food too, but when it had got halfway, the trumpet stopped blowing, and a trumpet from the other castle began. Then the dog thought, they’ll have already finished eating by the time I arrive, but over there they are only getting ready to eat at the moment; so it ran down again and up the other mountain. But then the trumpet from the first place started up again, while the other one stopped. The dog ran down again, and up again, and kept on doing this until finally both trumpets fell silent, and the meal was over no matter which place the dog arrived at.

Just guess what the ancient wise men would want to say by means of this fable, and who the fool is that tires himself out running without ever winning anything, either here or there.

1836