The Astronomer

An Astronomer used to go out of a night to observe the stars. One evening, as he wandered through the suburbs with his whole attention fixed on the sky, he fell unawares into a deep well. While he lamented and bewailed his sores and bruises, and cried loudly for help, a neighbour ran to the well, and learning what had happened, said: "Hark ye, old fellow, why, in striving to pry into what is in heaven, do you not manage to see what is on earth?"

From The Astronomer by Aesop, translated by George Fyler Townsend (1867). Public domain.

Check your understanding

1. What is the primary irony of the Astronomer's situation in the passage?

He is an expert at observing the heavens but fails to navigate his immediate earthly surroundings.He falls into a well that he himself dug while looking for stars.The neighbor who rescues him is also an astronomer but manages to avoid the well.He discovers a new constellation only after falling into the deep well.

2. Analyze the tone of the neighbor's remark at the end of the passage. How does the author's word choice shape this tone?

3. What theme does the author convey about the pursuit of abstract knowledge versus practical awareness? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

4. Defend or challenge the neighbor's assessment of the Astronomer's actions. Is the neighbor's criticism entirely justified based on the text?