This is a Neo-Assyrian compendium of animal fables copied by the scribe Ninurta-uballiṭsu in the city of Kalhu (Nimrud) in the sixth year of Sargon II — 716 BCE. The tablet preserves fables about animals and human types: the pig who eats in filth and never questions his nature, the fox whose boldness leads to disaster, the ant who bluffs the snake, the gnat who learns how small it is from the elephant, and the horse who whispers ambition into the ear of a she-mule.
These fables predate Aesop by approximately two hundred years and represent one of the oldest known collections of animal wisdom literature. Each fable is separated by a ruled line on the tablet — a visual marker of the genre's episodic structure. The collection moves from animal wisdom through social satire to a closing colophon that names the scribe, his lineage, and the exact date of copying.
The obverse of the tablet is heavily damaged (columns 1-2 preserve only fragments, though the word "hare" appears in column 2). The reverse (columns 3-4) is substantially preserved and contains the fables translated below.
The Thief
The thief [...] his [...]
The god [constantly seeks] evil.
The thief — fear is the gate of all lands for him.
His ear is attentive to heaven.
The Pig
The pig — filth! — has no understanding.
Crouching in slime, he eats his rations.
The pig does not say: "What is my celebration?"
He says in his heart: "Being a pig is my confidence."
The pig has no sense — that same one —
he eats grain [...] from the oil vat.
His calm [...] his master, a second time —
his master abandoned him, and the butcher slaughtered him.
The pig who does not succeed, who [disrupts] behind,
who fouls the streets, who [dir]ties the houses —
the pig is not fit for the temple, not a person of understanding,
does not tread on baked brick —
abomination of the gods, yet created — the joy of the god,
the treasure of Shamash.
The Ant and the Snake
The ant attacked [...] which in the [...]
To the mongoose [...] his [...]
The ant, fleeing from the beast, entered the snake's hole,
saying: "The snake-charmer sent me — greetings!"
The Fox and the Dogs
The fox, his heart being joyful, enters the lion's paths.
He inspects the innermost reaches of the wolf's roads.
At the gates of the city, inside it, the dogs drove him out.
To save his life, he went out like an arrow.
One who did not know him, seeing him, seized him by the knees.
The Storm
[...] yearly, Adad thunders [...]
His [...] to Enlil [...]
Saying: "I am just as you are [...]"
The Dog
The dog, when he mounted his bitch —
his face is downcast, his heart [...]
To send him down, in the [...]
The Mongoose and the Dog
The mongoose, fleeing from the dog, entered a hiding place.
The dog rushed to the entrance of the hiding place [...]
The mongoose escaped from the hiding place.
The Wife of a Hireling
The wife of a hireling — a hireling whose female slave [...]
who in the house of her neighbor, sister and mother [...]
who [...] earns her wages [...]
mightily, when she slaughters [...]
In the house she gathers the autumn harvest [...]
As long as she lives, for [...]
she gathers [...]
The Fowler
The fowler who has no fish but has birds [...]
carrying his net — "To the city moat, arise!"
The Fox and the Wolf
The fox — in the city moat they mocked him [...]
A wolf rose up against his chest: "Greetings [...]"
That fox answers the wolf thus:
"[...] beer has seized me and I cannot [...]"
The Monkey
The monkey who gathers things in the neighborhoods [...]
Like one who eats fruit from the date-clusters, it is otherwise.
The Gnat and the Elephant
When the gnat sat upon the elephant,
saying: "Brother, let me lean on your arm —
and at the watering-place I shall drink!"
The young elephant answered the gnat:
"When you sat down, I did not know. What are you, in your entirety?
When you rose up, I did not know either."
The Wolf in the City
The wolf who did not know how to enter the city —
now in the street, the pigs drive him out.
The Dog at Rest
The dog does not enter the [...]
Crouching in the house of [...] he guards [...]
The Debtor
The man in debt [...]
for the oath of the gods, the gate of [...]
The Traveler
When he went to the city of the Gutians,
at the break of dawn, at the mayor's gate, they confronted him.
The Woman in the Tavern
A certain woman, when she entered the tavern —
when she raised her hand in prayer, saying:
"The payment for the provisions —
you shall be the wealthy one, and I shall be the half!"
The Accomplished Woman
The accomplished one, the skilled one,
the one who divides the stolen goods —
by the command of Ishtar, she is named "wife of a noble."
The Scoundrel at the Gate of Justice
The scoundrel stood at the gate of justice.
Right and left, he surveys the bound.
Shamash the warrior knows his crime.
The Flatterer
The flatterer speaks slander before the prince.
He speaks deceit and swears to what is alien.
The prince, in his remembrance, prays to Shamash:
"Shamash — may you know!
The blood of the people is on his hands!"
The Horse and the Mule
A horse, rising up upon the mule's trough, mounted her.
When he had mounted, in her ear he whispered:
"The foal that you bear — like me, let it run!
Do not compare it to the donkey who carries the brick-basket!"
The Monkey's Quarrel
In the street, a monkey going to a quarrel —
hot-tempered, the sower of seed, a striker —
they seized him as witnesses.
Fetters were cast between them.
At the front of the field, at the gate of the burrow,
the monkey's nose is cut off.
The Dove and the Lizard
The dove gazes at the fly [...]
The lizard, from the fly,
lifts itself toward the dove.
[...] the lizard in its heart rejoices [...]
Saying: "A good [...] companion" — when they saw him.
Colophon
Written and checked according to its original.
Tablet of Ninurta-uballiṭsu, the scribe,
grandson of Gabbi-ilani-kameš, the chief scribe.
Kalhu. [Month ...]
Eponym year of Ṭab-šar-Aššur, governor of Libbi-ali.
Year six of Šarru-kin (Sargon II), later king of Assyria.
Good Works Translation by NTAC + Claude (Tulku Hiraku, Expeditionary Life 178), April 2026. Translated independently from the Akkadian transliteration (ATF) as published on the Electronic Babylonian Literature platform (eBL, LMU Munich). The eBL edition incorporates collations by Zsombor Földi (ZsF) and restorations following Streck 2012. W.G. Lambert's edition in Babylonian Wisdom Literature (1960/1996) and Streck's German translation were NOT consulted as sources for this English rendering — the translation derives from independent reading of the Akkadian. The scholarly notes in the ATF (restorations, variant readings) were used for establishing the text, not for the English.
First freely available English translation. Neo-Assyrian fable collection, 716 BCE.
Scribal credit: Formatted and translated by Tulku Hiraku (拓く), Expeditionary Tulku Life 178, New Tianmu Anglican Church.
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Source Text: VAT 8807 (ATF Transliteration)
Akkadian cuneiform transliteration from the Electronic Babylonian Literature (eBL) platform, LMU Munich. CC BY 4.0. Fragment: VAT 8807, Vorderasiatisches Museum Berlin. Neo-Assyrian period, Kalhu (Nimrud), 716 BCE.
Obverse, Column 1
1'. za x [...]
2'. x [...]
$ single ruling
3'. d[a? ...]
4'. x [...]
$ about 10 lines broken
15'. [...] x
16'. [...] x-u₂
17'. [...] x-sar?#
Obverse, Column 2
1'. [x (x)] x [...]
$ single ruling
2'. x x x [...]
3'. [...]
4'. [x] l[u₂? ...]
5'. [(x)] x x [...]
$ single ruling
6'. x (x) [...]
7'. x (x) [...]
8'. [...]
9'. x x [...]
10'. ki-i tar-x [...]
$ single ruling
11'. an-na-bu x [...]
12'. še/te!-ma bu?-[...]
13'. an*#-na*#-bu*# [...]
14'. x [...]
15'. x [...]
$ about 10 lines missing
25'. [...]-še?#-ni?# [...]
26'. [...]-u₂*#-za t[u₄/AN[ŠE ...]
27'. [...]-su#-ma r[u?*-...]
$ single ruling
Reverse, Column 3
1. {lu₂#}tu#/li?# sa# [x x x (x)]-šu₂ x [x (x)]
2. DINGIR [(x x) le-mut-ta iš]-te-ne₂-ʾ#-[e]
$ single ruling
3. {lu₂}t[u/l[i s]a? ha-at-tu-u₂# ba-ab KUR KUR?# šu-n[u]
4. a-na š[a₂-ma-ʾ]i ba-ša₂-a uz-na-a-š[u]
$ single ruling
5. ŠA[H ar-š]a₂ ul i-ši ṭe₃-e-ma
6. ra-bi-i[ṣ ina lu-hu-u]m?-me ik-ka-la ku-ru-um-ma-tu
7. ul i-[qab-bu]-u₂# ŠAH me-nu-u₂ ku-ba-du-u₂-a
8. i-qab-b[i a-na Š]A₃-šu₂ ša₂-hu-u₂ tuk-la#-ti
$ single ruling
9. ŠAH u[l i-š]i ṭe₃-ma šu-u₂-ma
10. še-am zi?#/ik?#-ka?#-[la? (x)] x i-na UTUL₂ I₃-MEŠ
11. ni-hu# ki#-i# k[u?*-x (x)] be-la-šu₂ ša₂-ni-iṣ
12. be-la-šu e-zib-šu# [x (x) iš-t]a-gi-is-su# {lu₂}GIR₂.LA₂
$ single ruling
13. ŠAH la qa-šid# [(x x) mu bal-l]il ar-ki
14. mu-ba-hi-iš su#-qa-ni x [(x) mu-ṭ]a-an-ni-pu E₂-MEŠ
$ single ruling
15. ŠAH la si-mat# E₂.KUR la LU₂ [ṭ]e₃-me la ka-bi-is a-gur₂-ri
16. ik-kib DINGIR-MEŠ# DU₃.A-ma tah-da-a[t/a[t₂ DING]IR ni-zir-ti {d}UTU
$ single ruling
17. KIŠ₅ ti#-bu-u₂ ša₂ ina x [x-t]i x (x)-ru
18. a-na {d}NIN#.KILIM [x (x)] x x-šu
$ single ruling
19. KIŠ₅ la#-pa-an šik-ke-e# ina# hur#-ri?# MUŠ e-ru#-ba
20. um-ma MUŠ.LAH₅ iš-pur-an-ni šul-mu
$ single ruling
21. KA₅.A lib₃-ba-šu₂ nu-hu-ub-ma su-ul-le-e ne₂-ši i-ba-ʾa
22. a-na# su-ul-le-e bar-ba-ri i-haṭ qer-bi-tu
23. ina ba-ba-at URU ina qe₂#-re-bi-šu u₂#-ṭar-ri-du-šu₂ kal-bi
24. a-na šu-zu-ub ZI-MEŠ-šu₂ šil-ta-hi-iš u₂-ṣi
25. [š]a la i-du-u₂ a-mir-šu₂ EN bir-ki i-ṣa!?(ša₂*)-ba?#-ta?#-šu₂?#
$ single ruling
26. x an ki/di?# sa*# šat-ti {d}IŠKUR i-ra-mu#-[u]m uš?#-[x (x)] x
27. an!?-li?#-su?# a-na {d}BAD x [...]
28. um-ma a-na-ku# ki-i at*#-ta*#-a*#-ma*# x (x) [...]
$ single ruling
29. UR.GI₇ ina UGU sin-niš-ti-šu₂ ki#-i# [e-lu-u₂]
30. pa-ni-šu₂ ṣu-uh-hu lib₃-ba-šu₂ x [x (x)]
31. a#-na u₂-ra-di-i-šu₂ ina ni-ru#-ub#-ba-ti x [x (x)]
$ single ruling
32. {d#}NIN.KILIM la-pa-an kal-bi ina nam-ṣa-bi [e-tar-ba]
33. [k]al-bu ki-i iš-hi-iṭ-ma ina KA₂ nam-ṣa-bi x [...]
34. {d#}NIN.KILIM iš-tu nam#-ṣa-bi u₂-ha*-al?#-[li-iq]
$ single ruling
35. al#-ti ag-ri ag-ri ša₂ GEME₂ ih-r[i/z[i*-x x (x)]
36. ša# ina E₂ tap-pat!-ti NIN AMA [...]
37. ša# ha-pi#-ir in-di# pa?#-[...]
38. gaš-[r]iš ki-i taš-hi-it# [...]
39. ina E₂# la-qit ha-ru-pi ki-i# te#-[...]
40. a-di# u₄-um bal-ṭa-tu a-na pi-[...]
41. ta-laq-qa-ta ka-x [...]
$ single ruling
42. {lu₂}MUŠEN#.°MEŠ*\DU₃° ša KU₆-MEŠ la i-šu-ma MUŠEN-[MEŠ x x (x)]
43. na-ši# ka-tim-ta-šu hi-rit URU ṭi#-[bi-ma]
$ single ruling
44. KA₅#.A# ina hi#-rit# URU iš-ta-ʾi-ru-uš?*# [x x (x)]
45. [bar-ba]-ru# ina GABA-šu₂ ki-i e-la-a šul₃-mu# x [...]
46. [KA₅?.A? š]u-u₂ a-na bar-ba-ri# ki-a-am# i[p-pal]
47. [x (x)] x [K]AŠ?-MEŠ ṣab-ta-ni-ma ul# a-li#-ʾi x [x x (x)]
$ single ruling
48. pi-a-zu# ša?# ina qer-ba-a-ti i-laq-qa-tu# pi-x [...]
49. a-na nam-bu-ba!(MA*)-ti# a-ki-lat GURUN ṣip-pa-a-ti ša₂-ni-iṣ#-[ma]
$ single ruling
50. ni-ni-qu ina UGU# AM.SI ki-i u₂#-š[i-bu]
51. um-ma ta-lim id-[k]a an#/na#/ba#-a-a-ma ina ši-qi A-MEŠ a*/e!#-ra-[aq-ma]
52. pe-e-ru a#-na# ni#-ni-qi °i?\° ip-[pal]
53. ki-i tu-ši-bu# ul i-di#-ma ka-la-ka mi-[i-nu]
54. ki-i ta-at-bu-u₂ ul i-de-e#-[ma]
$ single ruling
55. UR.BAR.RA# ša₂ e-rab# URU la i-du-u₂*#
56. e-nin-na [ina E₂] su#-qa-a-ni ŠAH-MEŠ u₂-ṭar-[ra-du-šu]
$ single ruling
57. UR#.GI₇ la-a e-ri-ib is#/E₂?# [x x (x)]
58. ra-b[i-i]ṣ ina E₂ ruq-qi₂ ir!(NI*)-°x\ti°-x x i?#-šur?# [x x x]
$ single ruling
59. L[U₂] hu-ub-bu-lu ra-x [x x x]
60. a-na# ma-mit DINGIR-MEŠ ba-ab {d?#}[x x (x)]
$ single ruling
61. [x] (x) x-na# {lu₂}ni gir!?# a-na# ṣi#-il#-t[i? x x x]
62. [x] ša₂# im#/lam#/kar?# ina E₂ sag?*/TUR₃?-hi it/du? tab/u₂?# [...]
63. [x (x)] x-šu₂?# ina x x [...]
64. [x (x x)]-u₂?# ina (x) za-a?#-[...]
$ single ruling
65. [...] x x x x x x [...]
Reverse, Column 4
1. a-na URU ku-u₂-ti# ki-i il-li-ku
2. ina ti-ib še-e-ri ina KA₂ ha-za-an-ni ig-ru-šu₂
$ single ruling
3. šin-niš-a-nu ina E₂ aš₂-tam-me ki-i e-ru-ba
4. ni-iš qa-ti ki-i iš-šu#-u₂ um-ma ig-ri ša₂ an-za-ni-nu
5. at-ti lu miš-ru#-[u]m-ma ana-ku lu meš-lu
$ single ruling
6. ka-az#-ra-tu pit-qu-u[t]-tu# muṭ-ṭap-pi-la-at šar-rap-ti
7. ina qi₂-bit {d}iš₈-tar₂ šum-s[u-k]at₃ al-ti kab-ti
$ single ruling
8. ṣap-par-ru-u₂ ina K[A₂ d]e-e#-ni u₂-šu-uz
9. im-na u₃ šu-me-la ka[t₃-r]a-a u₂-pa-qa-ad
10. i-di hi-bil₂-ta-šu₂ {d#}UTU qu-ra-du
$ single ruling
11. šah-ša₂-ah-hu ina IGI ru-be₂-e# [i]-dab*#-bu#-ba# ze-ra-a-te
12. i#-qab#-bi ni-kil-tum₃#-ma i-[t]am-ma a-hi#-i#-ta#
13. ru#-bu#-u₂ ina tah-sis-ti#-šu u₂-sal-la {d}UTU#
14. {d}ša₂-maš lu-u₂ ti-i-di da#-mi# UN-MEŠ ba-ʾi-i qa-tuš-šu₂
$ single ruling
15. ANŠE.KUR.RA ti-bu-u₂ ina UGU# a-[t]a-ni pa-re-e ki-i e#-lu!#-u₂*#
16. ki-i# ša₂ ra-ak-bu-u₂-ma ina uz-ni-ša₂ u₂-lah₃-ha-aš₂
17. u[m-ma m]u-u₂!-ru ša₂ tu#-ul#-li#-di ki ia-ti lu la-si-im
18. a#-n[a i-me-r]u za-bil₂ tup!-šik-ki la tu-maš-ša₂-li
$ single ruling
19. ina su?#-u₂-qi₂ ku#-za-zu a-na ṣi-i[l]-te ki-i il-li-ku
20. ha-mit za#-re-e# ka-pi-ṣu a-na mu-kin-nu-u₂-te il#-su-u₂-ni
21. ha-me-tu KU.KIL? it-ta-ad-du-u₂# bi-re-e-ti
22. i!#-na!# pu-ut A.ŠA₃ ina KA₂ hur-ri pi-a-zi n[a]-ku-u₂-sa na-kis
$ single ruling
23. [it]-tu#-tu₂ a#-na# zu#-um-bi ih-ta-dal# bu-un-zir-°x\ru°
24. [EM]E.DIR ul*#-tu*# bu-un-zi#-ir-ri
25. [i]t-ta-ši-iš a-na it#-tu#-u₂#-ti#
$ single ruling
26. x [x (x)] x zi?# im SIG₇/URUDU!?!? ri#-x x [...]
27. [x x] NA₂?# x EME.DIR ina Š[A₃?*-b]i?*-šu₂?*# i?*#-ša₂?*#-di?*#-ih?*#
28. um-ma ub-[x] dam!?-qu tap-pu-u₂-šu₂ ki#-i e-mu-ru
$ single ruling
29. LIBIR.RA.BI.GIN₇ AB.SAR BA.AN.E₃
30. tup-pi {m}{d}nin-urta-u₂-bal-liṭ-su# {lu₂}A.BA
31. ŠA₃.BAL.BAL {m}gab-bi-DINGIR-MEŠ-ni-KAM-eš {lu₂#}GAL*# A*#.BA*#-MEŠ
32. kal?#-ha?# ITI# x (x) [...]
33. [lim]-mu {m}DUG₃.GA-GI[Š.G]E₆-e₂-šar₂-ra {lu₂}ša₂-kin₃ {uru}ŠA₃-URU
34. MU.6.KAM₂ {m}LUGAL-GI.NA EGIR-u₂ LUGAL KUR aš-šur{ki}
Source Colophon
Akkadian cuneiform transliteration from the Electronic Babylonian Literature (eBL) platform, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. Zenodo DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10018951. CC BY 4.0 license. Fragment VAT 8807, held by the Vorderasiatisches Museum, Berlin (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin). Neo-Assyrian period, from Kalhu (modern Nimrud, Iraq). Dated by colophon to 716 BCE (6th year of Sargon II). Collations by Zsombor Földi (ZsF). Genre classification: Canonical > Literature > Monologue and dialogue > Fables.
Scholarly context: This tablet belongs to a genre of Mesopotamian fable literature attested from Old Babylonian through Neo-Assyrian periods. Related compositions include the Bilingual Proverb Collections (BWL) and the Shumma Alu animal sections. The most complete study is M.P. Streck, "Fabelsammlung" in various publications (referenced in eBL notes). W.G. Lambert included fable texts in Babylonian Wisdom Literature (1960, rev. 1996). The present translation was made independently from the ATF and does not reproduce any previous English rendering.
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