Section 125
The Horse and His Rider explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
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A Young Man, who fancied himself something of a horseman, mounted a Horse which had not been properly broken in, and was exceedingly difficult to control. No sooner did the Horse feel his weight in the saddle than he bolted, and nothing would stop him. A friend of the Rider's met him in the road in his headlong...
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Public-domain original
A Young Man, who fancied himself something of a horseman, mounted
a Horse which had not been properly broken in, and was exceedingly
difficult to control. No sooner did the Horse feel his weight in the
saddle than he bolted, and nothing would stop him. A friend of the
Rider's met him in the road in his headlong career, and called out,
"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" To which he, pointing to the
Horse, replied, "I've no idea: ask him."
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
A rider trains his horse for war but uses him for display in peace.
Why this scene matters
This fable warns that habits built for show may fail when real need returns.
Characters in this scene
- Horse: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- His Rider: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
Simple story version
The rider values appearance and ease until battle comes. Then he expects the horse to perform like before.