The Two Pots
- 2 minute read
- Ages 6-10
- Aesop's Fables
A river flooded and carried away two pots that had been standing on the bank.
One was made of brass. The other was made of clay.
They went downstream together, turning slowly in the current, side by side.
Stay close
"Do not be afraid," said the brass pot cheerfully. "Stay near me. I will look after you. Nothing in this river can hurt me and I will keep the worst of it off you."
The clay pot moved away.
"Thank you," she said, "but I would rather keep my distance."
"Why? I am only trying to help."
"I know," said the clay pot. "That is what worries me. If the river throws us together, it will not matter at all whether you meant to hit me. You will be exactly as hard either way, and I will be exactly as breakable."
And she kept her distance the whole way down, and came out at the bend below the mill in one piece.
Moral of the story
Good intentions do not make a strong thing safe to stand next to. Judge a risk by what could happen, not by what anyone means to do.
Questions and answers
- How did the two pots end up in the river?
A flood carried them away from the bank where they had been standing.
- What was each pot made of?
One was brass, which is hard metal, and the other was clay, which breaks easily.
- What did the brass pot offer?
To stay close and protect the clay pot from the worst of the river.
- Why did the clay pot refuse?
Because if the current threw them together, the brass pot's good intentions would not stop the clay pot from breaking.
- What happened to the clay pot in the end?
She kept her distance the whole way and came out of the river undamaged.
Word meanings
- brass
- A hard yellow metal made from copper and zinc.
- clay
- Soft earth that is baked hard to make pots, and which breaks easily.
- current
- The flow of water in a river.
- breakable
- Easily broken or damaged.
Questions about The Two Pots
What is the moral of The Two Pots?
The moral is that intention does not change consequence. Something that can hurt you will hurt you just as much when it did not mean to.
Is the brass pot a villain?
No, and that is what makes the fable subtle. He is genuinely kind and genuinely offering help. He simply cannot make himself less hard.
How can children use this lesson?
It is a useful way into talking about friendships where one person is much stronger, older or more forceful, even when they are not unkind.
Why is this fable so short?
Aesop's shortest fables carry a single idea with no distraction. This one needs only the two objects and one exchange to make its point.