This chapter is concerned with the fable, in this case the Akkadian fable of The Date-Palm and the Tamarisk, which travelled eastward to Persia and westward to Greece: in both places, the fable retained its ‘deep structure’ but underwent adaptations on the surface to suit the new localities. The fable posed a fundamental question to its audiences – is the cult of the gods more important than preservation of humans? – and provided a platform on which views and beliefs of other cultures could be built, with the change of scene or characters as needed.