Dogs in La Fontaine’s fables

Read five of La Fontaine's fables through their canine roles: a comfortable life with a hidden cost, mutual help refused, hospitality abused, an entrusted meal and a hunting pack. Discover how dialogue, reversals and satire speak about human society. Plot details are included; the historical stories are not guidance for treating animals.

Training mode

Dogs in La Fontaine’s fables

0 / 20 answered

  1. 1. What human situation does La Fontaine explicitly compare with the stolen dinner?

    What human situation does La Fontaine explicitly compare with the stolen dinner?
  2. 2. Can a dog matter to a fable without being its main speaking character?

    Can a dog matter to a fable without being its main speaking character?
  3. 3. What does the ass tell the dog instead of helping him?

    What does the ass tell the dog instead of helping him?
  4. 4. What does the old French word lice mean in La Lice et sa Compagne?

    What does the old French word lice mean in La Lice et sa Compagne?
  5. 5. What changes when the puppies have grown stronger in La Lice et sa Compagne?

    What changes when the puppies have grown stronger in La Lice et sa Compagne?
  6. 6. In The Wolf and the Dog, why is the dog's reassuring speech not the whole truth?

    In The Wolf and the Dog, why is the dog's reassuring speech not the whole truth?
  7. 7. Which detail changes the wolf's mind about joining the dog?

    Which detail changes the wolf's mind about joining the dog?
  8. 8. In The Ass and the Dog, how does the dog's later reply echo the ass's refusal?

    In The Ass and the Dog, how does the dog's later reply echo the ass's refusal?
  9. 9. Why does the entrusted dog eventually take a portion himself?

    Why does the entrusted dog eventually take a portion himself?
  10. 10. In The Ass and the Dog, why does the hungry dog ask the ass to bend down?

    In The Ass and the Dog, why does the hungry dog ask the ass to bend down?
  11. 11. Why does the female dog first borrow her companion's shelter?

    Why does the female dog first borrow her companion's shelter?
  12. 12. What is the target of the shelter fable's warning?

    What is the target of the shelter fable's warning?
  13. 13. At the start of La Fontaine's The Wolf and the Dog, what attracts the wolf?

    At the start of La Fontaine's The Wolf and the Dog, what attracts the wolf?
  14. 14. In The Cat and the Fox, what is the cat's single effective escape?

    In The Cat and the Fox, what is the cat's single effective escape?
  15. 15. What does the meal-carrying dog first do when another dog tries to take it?

    What does the meal-carrying dog first do when another dog tries to take it?
  16. 16. What interrupts the boasting in La Fontaine's The Cat and the Fox?

    What interrupts the boasting in La Fontaine's The Cat and the Fox?
  17. 17. Which principle frames both the opening and ending of The Ass and the Dog?

    Which principle frames both the opening and ending of The Ass and the Dog?
  18. 18. What responsibility does the dog initially have in La Fontaine's dinner fable?

    What responsibility does the dog initially have in La Fontaine's dinner fable?
  19. 19. What weakness does the fox's abundance of tricks reveal?

    What weakness does the fox's abundance of tricks reveal?
  20. 20. What does the wolf ultimately choose over assured meals?

    What does the wolf ultimately choose over assured meals?
Questions covered in this exam
  1. At the start of La Fontaine's The Wolf and the Dog, what attracts the wolf?
  2. Which detail changes the wolf's mind about joining the dog?
  3. What does the wolf ultimately choose over assured meals?
  4. In The Wolf and the Dog, why is the dog's reassuring speech not the whole truth?
  5. In The Ass and the Dog, why does the hungry dog ask the ass to bend down?
  6. What does the ass tell the dog instead of helping him?
  7. In The Ass and the Dog, how does the dog's later reply echo the ass's refusal?
  8. Which principle frames both the opening and ending of The Ass and the Dog?
  9. What does the old French word lice mean in La Lice et sa Compagne?
  10. Why does the female dog first borrow her companion's shelter?
  11. What changes when the puppies have grown stronger in La Lice et sa Compagne?
  12. What is the target of the shelter fable's warning?
  13. What responsibility does the dog initially have in La Fontaine's dinner fable?
  14. What does the meal-carrying dog first do when another dog tries to take it?
  15. Why does the entrusted dog eventually take a portion himself?
  16. What human situation does La Fontaine explicitly compare with the stolen dinner?
  17. What interrupts the boasting in La Fontaine's The Cat and the Fox?
  18. In The Cat and the Fox, what is the cat's single effective escape?
  19. What weakness does the fox's abundance of tricks reveal?
  20. Can a dog matter to a fable without being its main speaking character?

Further reading

SnoutScoop Newsletter

A little more dog in your inbox

Stories, discoveries and things to learn about dogs. Get news from SnoutScoop in your preferred language.