Il
nostro consiglio per la lettura - da stampare e conservare:
“THE TRUTH AND THE FABLE”
di Jean Pierre Claris De Florian
The following apologue
was born during the absolute monarchy before the French Revolution, but
it is good in every time. The Truth, when it shows herself with her plain(bare)
face is humiliated and rejected, when she is dressed up with the
fable's clothes, she can make the men accept her moral
teaching.
The Truth, they say, goes naked all around
and lives at the bottom of a well. One day, maybe she got bored of her
deep solitude, she got off the well and went among the people. Nice idea!
Soon all those who saw her went off like a shot. The Truth tried to knock
at some house: they all slammed the door in her face. Nobody wanted to
put her up. The poor Truth, humiliated and numb, took a country road.
There, she met a beautiful lady dressed with lace and silk, feathered
as an ostrich, covered with jewels, most of which were imitation, but
they were very glittering: it was the Fable.
- Oh, Good Morning - said the Fable
friendlily - But what the hell are you doing all by yourself on
this road?
- You see - answered sadly the Truth - I'm freezing
with cold. There's nobody who wants to have anything to do with
me. As soon as I get near, they all run away.
- And yet, you and I, we are close relatives, and I'm welcomed wherever
I go. But I understand - laughing, she added - You're
wrong: you show yourself too little dressed…No, no! You know what
we're going to do? Come and protect yourself under my cloak and
let's go together, as good sisters. You'll see, it'd
be better for both of us. The wise will welcome me thanks to the Truth
I'm hiding, and the mad ones will give you their hearty welcome
because you'll be rustling thanks to my silk and glittering thanks
to my jewels.
( Jean Pierre Claris De Florian
)
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