Illustration by Arthur Rackham, 1912
Illustration by Arthur Rackham, 1912

Today’s tale,”The Man and the Satyr,” is one of Aesop’s fables, but it’s different from most I’ve read. I usually think of animal stories that have a lesson to teach. This one includes a mythical being and made me laugh at the end.

A man who was lost in the woods met a satyr who offered to let him stay at his home for the night and to guide him out of the forest the next morning. The man thankfully Man had lost his way in a wood one bitter winter’s night. As he was roaming about, a Satyr came up to him, and finding that he had lost his way, promised to give him a lodging for the night, and guide him out of the forest in the morning. The man was thankful and followed the satyr home, blowing on his hand to keep him warm. The satyr asked why he was doing that and the man told him that his hands were so cold they were almost numb and his breath warmed them.

After the got to the satyr’s home, the satyr made some porridge and set a steaming dish of it in front of the man. The man raised his spoon and began blowing on it. Once again, the satyr asked why he was doing that.  The man told him the porridge was too hot and that his breath would cool it.

“Out you go,” said the Satyr. “I will have nought to do with a man who can blow hot and cold with the same breath.”

You can read the story several places, including here.

Just made me laugh. The satyr has a good point though. I guess it’s the basis for the expression, blowing hot and cold, keep changing on a subject or to be enthusiastic one moment and not interested the next.

Thursday’s Tales is a weekly event here at Carol’s Notebook. Fairy tales, folktales, tall tales, even re-tellings, I love them all.

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