A Little Fable
Encyclopedia
"A Little Fable" is a short story written by Franz Kafka
between 1917 and 1923. The anecdote, only one paragraph in length, was not published in Kafka's lifetime Ω and first appeared in Beim Bau der Chinesischen Mauer (1931).
"You only need to change your direction," said the cat, and ate it up.
, is included in Give It Up!
.
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language author of short stories and novels. Contemporary critics and academics, including Vladimir Nabokov, regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century...
between 1917 and 1923. The anecdote, only one paragraph in length, was not published in Kafka's lifetime Ω and first appeared in Beim Bau der Chinesischen Mauer (1931).
Plot
A mouse laments its fate, stating that the world, which was once so large and frightening, has grown smaller and forced it into a narrow chamber where he must run into a trap. A cat retorts that to change its fate the mouse need only turn around, and eats it up.The story
"Alas", said the mouse, "the whole world is growing smaller every day. At the beginning it was so big that I was afraid, I kept running and running, and I was glad when I saw walls far away to the right and left, but these long walls have narrowed so quickly that I am in the last chamber already, and there in the corner stands the trap that I must run into.""You only need to change your direction," said the cat, and ate it up.
Popular culture
A comics adaptation of the story, illustrated by Peter KuperPeter Kuper
Peter Kuper is an American alternative cartoonist and illustrator known for his autobiographical, social, and political observations.-Early life:...
, is included in Give It Up!
Give It Up! (comics)
Give It Up! is a comics adaptation of nine short stories by Franz Kafka drawn by Peter Kuper.In the introduction, by Jules Feiffer, Kuper's adaptations are described as "riffs, visual improvisations."-The Stories:* A Little Fable* The Bridge...
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