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peacock √
crane √
stork √
swallow √
owl √
pigeon √
hawk, eagle √
jackdaw √
bat √
Aquatics dolphin √
whales √
Total /Percentage 40/100% 1/2.5% 18/45% 21/52.5%
2.1 The Positive Image
In Aesop’s Fables, there is only one animal that seems to carry a positive cultural image, the ox, taking up only 2.5% of the total number of animals. In Aesop’s Fables, the ox always sees the reality easily and warns the others kindly although he cannot change the ending. For instance, in “The Stage in the Ox-Stall” , a stag, roundly chased by the hounds and blinded by fear to the danger he was running into, took shelter in a farmyard and hid himself in a shed among the oxen. An ox gave him this kindly warning that the farmyard was not a safe haven. At the approach of the evening the herdsman came to feed his cattle, but did not see the stag; and even the farm-bailiff with several laborers passed through the shed and failed to notice him. The stag, congratulating himself on his safety, began to express his sincere thanks to the oxen for kindly helping him in the hour of need. One of them again reminded him that his life was still in peril. At that moment the master himself entered, and having had to complain that his oxen had not been properly fed. While he thus examined everything in turn, he spied the tips of the antlers of the stag peeping out of the straw. Then summoning his laborers, he ordered that the stag should be seized and killed (Aesop, 2012:42).
Also in “The Oxen and the Butchers”, the oxen once sought to destroy the butchers, who practiced a trade destructive to their race. They assembled on a certain day to carry out their purpose, and sharpened their horns for the contest. But one old ox warned them that if they killed the butchers, they would fall into the hands of unskillful operators, and they would suffer a double death (Aesop, 2012:170). Again the ox in this fable showed his wisdom in seeing the consequence of an impulsive act, and accepted his role in the food chain serving as beef for human beings.
Another case in point is “The Flea and the Ox”. In this fable, a flea once questioned an ox why a big strong fellow like him would be content to serve mankind. The ox explained that he was grateful to human beings for feeing and housing him well, and sometimes showing their fondness for him by patting him on the head and neck (Aesop, 2012:238). In this fable, the ox is depicted as an animal bearing a heart full of gratitude, which is also a virtue cherished by human society.
Why was the ox chosen as the only animal with a positive image in Aesop’s Fables? Given the fact that ox was one of the animals people harnessed to do farm chores at that time, which was deemed as diligent, obedient and upright, serving as a good epitome of the then working people.
2.2 The Negative Images
There are quite a lot of animals in Aesop’s Fables that carry a negative image, such as the ass, the frog, and the horse and so on. There are 18 animals all together with a negative image, accounting for 45% of all the animals.