The Rabbits Who Caused All the Trouble
Encyclopedia
"The Rabbits Who Caused All the Trouble" is a short modern fable
written by James Thurber
. It was first released in The New Yorker
with the issue date August 26, 1939. In 1940 it became part of the collection Fables for Our Time and Famous Poems Illustrated
.
.
The wolves believe that their way of life is the only way to live, and therefore they dislike the rabbits. After an earthquake happens the wolves incriminate the rabbits because "it is well known that rabbits pound on the ground with their hind legs and cause earthquakes". The wolves also blame the rabbits for lightning because "it is well known that lettuce-eaters cause lightning". After the wolves announce plans "to civilize" the rabbits if they don't stop causing natural disasters, the rabbits decide to flee to an island. However, the other nameless animals - living out of harm's way - convince the rabbits to stay because "This is no world for escapists" and guarantee them protection against the wolves - "in all probability".
After a flood - "it is well known that carrot-nibblers with long ears cause floods" - the wolves decide to imprison the rabbits, "for their own good". Weeks later the other animals are missing the rabbits and they ask the wolves what happened. The wolves answer that it is "a purely internal matter" (because they ate the rabbits). The wolves also claim the rabbits were trying to escape "and, as you know, this is no world for escapists".
and intolerance rose in Nazi Germany
and other fascistic
and authoritarian countries in Europe it may be seen as a parable
about prejudices.
Fable
A fable is a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized , and that illustrates a moral lesson , which may at the end be expressed explicitly in a pithy maxim.A fable differs from...
written by James Thurber
James Thurber
James Grover Thurber was an American author, cartoonist and celebrated wit. Thurber was best known for his cartoons and short stories published in The New Yorker magazine.-Life:...
. It was first released in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
with the issue date August 26, 1939. In 1940 it became part of the collection Fables for Our Time and Famous Poems Illustrated
Fables for Our Time and Famous Poems Illustrated
Fables for Our Time and Famous Poems Illustrated is a 1940 book by James Thurber. Thurber updates some old fables and creates some new ones of his own too. Notably there is 'The Bear Who Could Take It Or Leave It Alone' about a bear who lapses in into alcoholism before sobering up and going too far...
.
Synopsis
The actors of the fable consist of a family of rabbits representing the minority, a pack of wolves living near them, and other nameless animals which may be seen as the silent majoritySilent majority
The silent majority is an unspecified large majority of people in a country or group who do not express their opinions publicly. The term was popularized by U.S...
.
The wolves believe that their way of life is the only way to live, and therefore they dislike the rabbits. After an earthquake happens the wolves incriminate the rabbits because "it is well known that rabbits pound on the ground with their hind legs and cause earthquakes". The wolves also blame the rabbits for lightning because "it is well known that lettuce-eaters cause lightning". After the wolves announce plans "to civilize" the rabbits if they don't stop causing natural disasters, the rabbits decide to flee to an island. However, the other nameless animals - living out of harm's way - convince the rabbits to stay because "This is no world for escapists" and guarantee them protection against the wolves - "in all probability".
After a flood - "it is well known that carrot-nibblers with long ears cause floods" - the wolves decide to imprison the rabbits, "for their own good". Weeks later the other animals are missing the rabbits and they ask the wolves what happened. The wolves answer that it is "a purely internal matter" (because they ate the rabbits). The wolves also claim the rabbits were trying to escape "and, as you know, this is no world for escapists".
Allegorical interpretations
Written at the time when racismRacism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
and intolerance rose in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and other fascistic
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
and authoritarian countries in Europe it may be seen as a parable
Parable
A parable is a succinct story, in prose or verse, which illustrates one or more instructive principles, or lessons, or a normative principle. It differs from a fable in that fables use animals, plants, inanimate objects, and forces of nature as characters, while parables generally feature human...
about prejudices.