Library / Fantastic Fables

The Circular Clew

A fable by Ambrose Bierce

Satire for older readers

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The Circular Clew

A detective searching for the murderer of a deceased man was suddenly approached by a Clew. "Follow me," said the Clew, "and there’s no telling what you may uncover."

Intrigued, the detective decided to follow the Clew for an entire year, navigating through a labyrinth of twists and turns. At long last, he found himself in the office of the Morgue. "There!" exclaimed the Clew, pointing to the open register.

The detective eagerly scanned the page and discovered an official statement confirming that the deceased was indeed dead. Satisfied with this piece of information, he quickly made his way to Police Headquarters to report his progress.

Meanwhile, the Clew strolled leisurely among the bustling haunts of men, arm in arm with an Ingenious Theory.

The moral
The pursuit of truth can sometimes lead to misdirection and trivial conclusions, highlighting the importance of critical thinking over blind following.

Discussion questions

  1. What does the Clew represent in terms of the challenges we face when searching for truth?
  2. How could the Detective's experience have been different with a more critical approach?
  3. Can you think of a situation in your life where you followed a misleading lead? What did you learn?

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Good night.

Tomorrow night: The Fox and the Crane