Section 156
The Charger and the Miller explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
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A Horse, who had been used to carry his rider into battle, felt himself growing old and chose to work in a mill instead. He now no longer found himself stepping out proudly to the beating of the drums, but was compelled to slave away all day grinding the corn. Bewailing his hard lot, he said one day...
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Public-domain original
A Horse, who had been used to carry his rider into battle, felt
himself growing old and chose to work in a mill instead. He now no
longer found himself stepping out proudly to the beating of the drums,
but was compelled to slave away all day grinding the corn. Bewailing
his hard lot, he said one day to the Miller, "Ah me! I was once a
splendid war-horse, gaily caparisoned, and attended by a groom
whose sole duty was to see to my wants. How different is my present
condition! I wish I had never given up the battlefield for the mill."
The Miller replied with asperity, "It's no use your regretting the
past. Fortune has many ups and downs: you must just take them as they
come."
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
A warhorse sold to a miller complains about his lower work.
Why this scene matters
This fable shows how fortune can change status quickly.
Characters in this scene
- Charger: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- the Miller: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
Simple story version
A proud charger that once went to battle now turns a mill. He mourns the fall from glory to labor.