The Hare with Many Friends Flashcards
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Flashcard Review
Flashcards: The Hare with Many Friends
What is the moral of "The Hare with Many Friends"?
The moral is "He who has many friends may have no true friend at all." The fable teaches that popularity and genuine loyalty are not the same thing. When the hare faces real danger, every one of her supposed friends finds an excuse to avoid helping. The story warns against confusing social agreeableness with the kind of deep commitment that true friendship requires.
Who originally wrote "The Hare with Many Friends"?
The story was originally written in verse by the English poet John Gay as the final fable in his 1727 collection <i>Fables</i>. Joseph Jacobs later retold it in prose in his 1894 Aesop compilation, attributing it to Aesop. Although it does not appear in the Perry Index of classical Aesop fables, it has been widely reprinted as an Aesop story ever since.
Why does every animal refuse to help the hare?
Each animal offers a plausible-sounding excuse: the horse has urgent business, the bull has an appointment, the goat fears hurting the hare, the ram worries about his own safety, and the calf claims inexperience. The fable's point is that none of these excuses are openly cruel—they sound reasonable individually. But taken together, they reveal a pattern of polite abandonment that defines fair-weather friendship.
How does the hare escape in the end?
The hare escapes by relying on her own swift legs—the very ability she always possessed. This ending adds a second layer to the moral: not only should we be wary of false friends, but we should also recognize our own strengths. The hare wasted valuable time begging for help she did not ultimately need, suggesting that self-reliance is as important as choosing loyal companions.
What is a fair-weather friend?
A fair-weather friend is someone who is present and supportive only during good times but disappears when you face difficulty. The term comes from the idea of friends who are around only in "fair weather" and vanish when storms arrive. Every animal in this fable fits the definition perfectly. For another Aesop fable about the danger of trusting the wrong companion, see <a href="/author/aesop/short-story/the-farmer-and-the-snake/" class="al-title">The Farmer and the Snake</a>.
How is this fable relevant today?
In an age of social media, where people accumulate hundreds or thousands of "friends" and followers, the fable is more relevant than ever. It warns that a large social network does not guarantee genuine support. Studies in psychology confirm Aesop's insight: most people have only a handful of truly close relationships, regardless of how many acquaintances they maintain. The fable encourages us to invest deeply in a few relationships rather than superficially in many.
What other Aesop fables teach lessons about friendship and trust?
Several Aesop fables explore related themes. <a href="/author/aesop/short-story/the-lion-and-the-ass/" class="al-title">The Lion and the Ass</a> shows what happens when an unequal partnership reveals one party's true contempt. <a href="/author/aesop/short-story/the-frog-and-the-mouse/" class="al-title">The Frog and the Mouse</a> warns against trusting a false friend whose "help" is really a trap. And <a href="/author/aesop/short-story/the-miser/" class="al-title">The Miser</a> illustrates how hoarding—whether wealth or social connections—means nothing if you never put it to use.
What did Jonathan Swift say about this fable?
Jonathan Swift saw the fable as a mirror of his friend John Gay's own experience at the English court. After Gay spent fourteen years cultivating powerful connections and failed to receive the patronage he expected, Swift wrote that Gay, "the Hare with many friends, / Twice seven long years at court attends." The poem turned Gay's fable into autobiography, suggesting the poet knew the sting of fair-weather friendship firsthand.