Abstract: This article revisits the famous fables of Jean de La Fontaine to illustrate key concepts and proposals of degrowth and its close ties with the energy issue. Through the curiosity of a hummingbird, we question the dominant paradigm reflected in unsustainable existing patterns of energy production and consumption. We introduce, in a simple way, the main ideas and references of current and former degrowth proposals. Summary 1. Introduction About the motivation for the topic of degrowth About the spontaneous use of fables 2. The awakening of the hummingbird: a fable in three acts Act One: The hummingbird and the chicken Act Two : The hummingbird and the grasshopper Act Three: The hummingbird and the snail 3. Final considerations 4. References
Keywords: degrowth; energy; La Fontaine’s fables.