The Wasp — 1878 — page 231: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a political allegory based on Aesop's Fable "The Mountain in Labor." The image depicts a mountain labeled "LEGISLATURE" in visible distress, with clouds of smoke emerging from its peak and labels reading "WILD SCHEME" and "POLICE OUTRAGE." The caption explains the satirical conceit: rumors spread that a neighboring mountain (the legislature) was "in labour," with widespread anticipation of delivering something extraordinary—a giant, an enormous monster, a grand and astonishing result. The masses gathered eagerly to witness the miraculous event. The punchline: after prolonged waiting, the mountain produced only a mouse. The cartoon mocks the legislature's grandiose schemes and dramatic posturing that ultimately yield trivial, insignificant results—a classic critique of political theater and empty promises.