Aesop's Fables · Chapter
The Travellers and the Plane-Tree explained
Two travellers rest under a Plane-tree on a hot day and criticize it for being fruitless and useless, only to be rebuked by the tree for its shade they are enjoying, illustrating how services are often met with ingratitude.
What happens
Two travellers rest under a Plane-tree on a hot day and criticize it for being fruitless and useless, only to be rebuked by the tree for its shade they are enjoying, illustrating how services are often met with ingratitude.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the victor Cock, swollen with pride after his triumph, is sud…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Wisdom and Foolishness
The travellers display foolishness by failing to recognize the value of the shade they are enjoying, while the Plane-tree's response highlights wisdom in pointing out their ingratitude.
- Human Nature and Vice
The fable illustrates the vice of ingratitude, a common human failing where benefits received are overlooked or dismissed.
Characters to notice
- The Woodman
One of the two travellers who rests under the Plane-tree and complains about its lack of fruit.
- The Fir Tree
The Plane-tree that provides shade and rebukes the travellers for their ingratitude.
Key passages
“What a useless tree the Plane is! It bears no fruit and is of no service to man at all.”
The travellers complain that the Plane-tree is worthless because it does not produce fruit.
This quote captures the travellers' ingratitude and narrow view of usefulness.
“You come and take shelter under me from the scorching sun, and then, in the very act of enjoying the cool shade of my foliage, you abuse me and call me good for nothing!”
The Plane-tree points out the irony that the travellers are benefiting from its shade while insulting it.
The tree's rebuke underscores the theme of ingratitude.
