The Clown and the Countryman by Aesop for ESL students with a video, vocabulary in real context, moral of the short story, relevant proverbs in English and discussion questions to test your comprehension
Video of the Clown and the Countryman
The Clown and the Countryman
A wealthy man decided to host a public talent show at the local theater and promised big prizes for anyone who could show off something original and entertaining. The announcement drew a huge crowd of magicians, jugglers, and acrobats—and also a well-known clown who was a favorite among the locals. He claimed he was going to perform a completely new and amazing act.
On the day of the show, the theater was packed long before it even started. One by one, the performers showed off their skills, until finally, the clown walked onto the stage alone, with nothing in his hands. The audience immediately went silent with curiosity.
He bowed his head and then made a squealing noise so realistic that the crowd swore he must be hiding a real pig somewhere on him. But when he showed he had nothing, the audience erupted in wild applause.
In the crowd was a countryman who wasn’t impressed. He claimed he could do the same trick—and do it even better. So he challenged the clown and promised to perform the next day.
Once again, the theater was full. The clown repeated his pig squeal to loud cheers. Then the countryman stepped up, but before going on stage, he had hidden a real pig under his coat. When it was his turn, and people shouted for him to prove himself, he secretly pinched the pig’s ear, making it squeal loudly.
Surprisingly, the audience booed him and shouted that the clown’s version sounded more real!
The countryman then pulled out the pig and held it up, saying sarcastically, “Well, that just shows what kind of experts you all are!”
Proverbs from the Short Story
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Don’t form an opinion based only on appearances; what seems impressive may not be genuine.
“The crowd is not always right.”
Just because many people believe something doesn’t mean it’s true or wise.
“All that glitters is not gold.”
Not everything that looks valuable or true on the outside actually is.
These proverbs all caution against shallow judgment and emphasize the importance of critical thinking.
English Vocabulary in Real Context
- Wealthy: having a lot of money or possessions
- Talent show: a public event where people perform to show their special skills
- Announcement: a public statement that gives information
- Crowd: a large group of people in one place
- Curiosity: the desire to know or learn something
- Erupted: suddenly started loudly (used for sounds like cheers or laughter)
- Impressed: feeling admiration for something good or amazing
- Challenge: to invite someone to compete or do better
- Secretly: in a hidden or private way, without others knowing
- Sarcastically: saying something in a mocking or joking way, not seriously
Moral of the Short Story
The moral of The Clown and the Countryman is that people are often quick to judge based on popularity or entertainment value rather than truth or skill. The audience was so captivated by the clown’s performance that they failed to recognize the real sound of a pig when they heard it. This fable highlights how public opinion can be unreliable and how easily perception can overshadow reality, especially when charisma or fame is involved.
Discussion Questions
- Why did the audience believe the clown’s imitation of a pig was more realistic than the real pig’s squeal?
- What does the countryman’s reaction at the end of the story tell us about his opinion of the audience?
- What lesson can we learn from the audience’s response to both performances?
