Aesop’s Fables Month: The Bald Man and The Fly 👴🏻🪰💥🤕
After diving into some heavier waters yesterday regarding spiritual leadership, hired hands, and the tender protection of our Good Shepherd, I thought our souls could use a little lightness today.
Laughter is like medicine, but sometimes the funniest moments in life also hold the sharpest mirrors.
Have you ever watched someone absolutely lose their mind over a minor nuisance? Or maybe—if you’re feeling brave enough to admit it—you’ve been that person yourself? You stub your toe, or someone cuts you off in traffic, or you get an error on a cellphone app or game (or a computer glitch) that ruins an otherwise peaceful afternoon, and before you know it, you’ve launched a full-scale war over a paper-thin annoyance. If you’re like me, you might have kicked the item on which you stubbed your toe only to realize (quite painfully) that inanimate objects do not care nearly as much about being kicked and your newly injured other toe does. 🦶🙃
Aesop understood this peculiarly human brand of foolishness and turned it into one of his most delightfully funny, yet convicting, fables.
The Classic Fable Retold: The Bald Man and the Fly (Perry 525)
A gentleman of distinguished bearing was enjoying a quiet afternoon in his garden courtyard. His scalp, long stripped of hair by time, shone smoothly in the afternoon sun.
Without warning, a tiny, insolent fly landed squarely on the very crown of his bare head and delivered a sharp, stinging bite.
Incensed by the audacity of the pest, the gentleman’s face flushed red. Forgetting all dignity, he clenched his jaw, raised his heavy right hand high into the air, and swung down with all his might to crush the offender into oblivion.
WHACK!
The agile little fly, sensing the wind of the blow, darted away quickly and flew freely into the air. The man’s open palm landed with a resounding, thunderous slap squarely against his own bald skull.
Stars danced before his eyes. As he winced, rubbing his smarting, reddened crown, the fly hovered lazily just above his nose, buzzing with impudent delight: “You sought to avenge a tiny nip with instant execution! Now tell me, sir: what punishment will you pass upon yourself, seeing that you’ve dealt your own head a far more painful blow than I could ever dream of giving you?”
Nursing his throbbing head, the gentleman muttered through gritted teeth: “I can easily forgive myself, for I bore no malice against my own skin. But as for you, vile pest, I’d gladly strike myself twice as hard if it meant swatting you out of existence!”
Straining at Gnats and Slapping Our Own Heads
How often do we do the exact same thing when offense buzzes into our lives? And moreso if that offense comes in with arrogance.
We receive a snide comment on social media, get an insensitive remark from an acquaintance, or let an everyday inconvenience land on us like a pesky fly. The sting is real, but it’s minuscule. But instead of waving it off or letting it go, our pride flares up. We wind up our emotions, take a furious swing to get even, and end up delivering a stinging blow to our own peace, our health, and our relationships.
We nurse grudges that give us ulcers, not the person who offended us. We stew in resentment, replaying the argument in the shower, effectively slapping our own bald heads over and over while the “fly” buzzes away completely oblivious.
There’s a great old quote (possibly by Saint Augustine) that says, “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” Sometimes, the quote says unforgiveness, but it could just as well say offense. And I found a good article about that quote at a site called “The Bible Teaching Lady.”
Truthfully, though, Scripture gives us many wiser, calmer paths to walk to deal with life’s little gnats. Here are a couple of them:
“A person’s insight gives him patience, and his glory is to overlook an offense.”
— Proverbs 19:11 (B.S.B.)
“He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.”
— Proverbs 14:29 (B.S.B.)
Overlooking an offense isn’t weakness; it’s wisdom. It’s the grace to realize that taking a wild swing at every petty irritant only leaves us with a headache.
Simon’s Cat: The Art of the Overreaction
If you want a visual reminder of what it looks like when we wage an all-out war over a tiny insect, look no further than Simon’s Cat in the hilarious short Fly Guy. It’s one of his oldest comic videos, and totally my favorite. He redid it in color, but I think the original is best. Watch how quickly a peaceful afternoon nap turns into total household destruction:
If you want to see it in color (or subscribe), visit YouTube here.
Today, if a petty annoyance lands on the top of your head, or anywhere along your path, take a breath. Don’t ball up your hand. Don’t forfeit your joy over a momentary sting. Shake your head, smile at the absurdity of it, and let the Prince of Peace keep your heart calm!
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