Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine

In Short

This collection presents two narrative poems that examine the erratic nature of romantic pursuit. In one, a high-born Roman courtesan discovers true passion, forcing her to abandon her pride; in the other, a guileless apprentice loses his golden opportunity through sheer lack of urgency. These stories endure because they capture the eternal tension between human impulse and the rigid expectations of the world. With a sharp eye for irony and a playful, rhythmic style, the writing highlights how easily a well-laid plan can be undone by a misplaced word or an inopportune hesitation.

The Story

The collection opens with the tale of Constance, a Roman courtesan of immense beauty and even greater vanity. Constance is a woman who treats the affections of powerful men—cardinals and popes among them—with cold indifference, reserving her attention only for the most elite. Her world shifts abruptly when she encounters Camillus, a gentleman of modest but refined character. Upon seeing him, her haughty demeanor vanishes, replaced by a consuming and uncharacteristic passion. She is so overcome that she must resort to silent sighs and pensive melancholy, unable to navigate the unfamiliar territory of genuine feeling.

One evening, after a social gathering, Constance follows Camillus to his chambers, determined to reveal her heart. She arrives at his door, only to be met with his feigned coldness. Camillus, testing her sincerity, treats her with aloofness, forcing her to beg for a place at his side. Constance, stripping away her dignity along with her fine silk lace, humbles herself completely, offering to serve as his valet just to remain in his presence. Her vulnerability eventually breaks through his reserve. Recognizing her devotion, Camillus drops his guard, promising her his fidelity and eventually marriage, provided they keep their union a secret for a time. Constance finds in this surrender a depth of pleasure she never experienced in her transactional past.

The tone shifts to the second tale, centered on Nicaise, an apprentice whose simplicity is as profound as his ignorance of courtship. Nicaise is pursued by his master’s daughter, a clever young woman who is promised to a wealthier suitor but wants to experience a tryst with the handsome, albeit dim, youth. She explicitly tells Nicaise that she will grant him her favor on the morning of her wedding day. When that morning arrives, the two meet in a garden bower. As they prepare to be together, Nicaise suddenly notices the dampness of the ground and worries that the girl’s expensive wedding finery will be soiled. Despite her frantic protests—she tells him to forget the dress and seize the moment—Nicaise insists on running to fetch a carpet to protect her clothes. While he is gone, the girl’s desire cools into bitter resentment. Recognizing the boy’s total lack of spirit and awareness, she resolves to be a faithful wife to her new husband instead. When Nicaise returns, carpet in hand, he finds his opportunity gone forever, leaving him as bewildered as he was at the start.

How It Unfolds

The transformation begins The narrator introduces the irresistible power of love, which can turn wolves into sheep and fools into poets. He establishes that even the most hardened or cynical figures, such as the Roman courtesan Constance, are not immune to the sudden strike of Cupid’s dart.

A collision of worlds Constance finds herself spellbound by the gentle Camillus and makes a desperate, uncharacteristic attempt to win his affection. She humbles her pride in a quiet, private encounter, trading her silks and societal standing for a chance to be near him.

The test of devotion Camillus pushes Constance to the brink of despair by rejecting her advances, forcing her to prove her sincerity. Only after she offers to humble herself as a servant does he reveal his own feelings, securing their bond through a secret pact.

The apprentice’s mistake The story shifts to the dull-witted Nicaise, whose master’s daughter attempts to initiate an affair on her wedding morning. She offers him a fleeting window of time, but he remains preoccupied with the practical, trivial matter of protecting her dress.

The loss of the moment Nicaise’s decision to prioritize the carpet over the lady causes her to instantly fall out of love with him. By the time he returns, the bride has regained her resolve and moved on, leaving Nicaise to wander in confusion, having failed to grasp the urgency of time.

The People

Constance begins as a symbol of unattainable luxury and cold, calculated pride. She is a woman who measures men by their rank and jewels, yet she undergoes a radical shift. By the end, she is a woman transformed by a genuine, consuming affection that strips her of her defenses and leaves her willing to embrace a life of hidden, private devotion.

Camillus acts as the foil to Constance’s initial vanity. He is cool, observant, and cautious. He is not easily swayed by beauty, demanding instead a display of authenticity. His journey is one of discovery; he tests the waters of Constance’s heart, eventually finding her worthy of his trust and affection.

Nicaise is the archetype of the well-meaning but hopeless fool. He is described as a "prince of fools," someone who lacks the fundamental instinct to recognize what is valuable when it is placed directly into his hands. His failure is not one of malice, but of perspective.

The Master’s Daughter serves as the bridge between desire and social reality. She is practical, desiring a moment of passion before committing to a marriage of convenience. When she realizes her partner is incapable of meeting her halfway, she pivotally chooses to discard her illicit impulses, showing that even she is a creature of shifting, pragmatic loyalties.

In Its Own Voice

LOVE licked the cub, and decent soon he grew.

The narrator describes the transformative effect of love on a savage, unrefined youth, suggesting that even the most uncouth souls can be polished by passion.

Delays are dangerous, in love or war, And Nicaise is a proof they fortune mar.

The narrator concludes the folly of the apprentice, offering a cynical, age-old proverb as the moral for failing to recognize the fleeting nature of opportunity.

What It's Really About

These stories examine the tension between the volatility of human desire and the rigid, practical structures of society. The book argues that love is a force that acts independently of reason, capable of dismantling the most entrenched pride. However, it also posits that love requires a certain level of existential urgency. The tragedy of Nicaise is not that he is unloved, but that he fails to recognize the "lucky hour" when it arrives. Ultimately, the work suggests that we are all, to some extent, at the mercy of our own character—be it the pride that blinds us to affection or the foolishness that blinds us to opportunity.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the sharp, ironic wit of the seventeenth century will find much to admire here. The writing is brisk and rhythmic, managing to be both elegant and earthy. It feels like an intimate performance, with a narrator who is constantly pulling the reader aside to point out the absurdity of the characters' decisions.

There are, however, hurdles to consider. The period attitudes toward women and the transactional nature of romance can feel jarring to a modern reader. The prose relies on classical allusions and a specific, antiquated style of moralizing that demands patience. Furthermore, the humor is often built upon the "fool" archetype, which may not resonate with those seeking complex character psychology.

Yet, for those who value the history of storytelling, the book offers a window into a world where morality was often treated as a game of wit. It is a cynical, yet deeply human exploration of why we act against our own interests. What stays with you is not the moralizing itself, but the vivid, slightly biting portrait of how quickly we can lose our happiness through a simple failure to pay attention to the world around us. It is a book that rewards a reader who appreciates a well-placed barb and a clever turn of phrase.