Silenic

The juxtaposition of the mask and the silenic face not only invites but also necessitates their complementary interpretation.

Like Silenus, the comically monstrous box contained good advice and wisdom, its drunken exterior belying its profound interior. As the tale's initial metaphor, this comparison characterizes the story that follows as one, that, like its Silenic exemplum, appears to be one thing on the outside and another on the inside.