Section 63
The Horse and the Ass explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
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A Horse, proud of his fine harness, met an on the high-road. As the Ass with his heavy burden moved slowly out of the way to let him pass, the Horse cried out impatiently that he could hardly resist kicking him to make him move faster. The Ass held his peace, but did not forget the other's...
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Public-domain original
A Horse, proud of his fine harness, met an on the high-road. As
the Ass with his heavy burden moved slowly out of the way to let him
pass, the Horse cried out impatiently that he could hardly resist
kicking him to make him move faster. The Ass held his peace, but did
not forget the other's insolence. Not long afterwards the Horse became
broken-winded, and was sold by his owner to a farmer. One day, as he
was drawing a dung-cart, he met the Ass again, who in turn derided him
and said, "Aha! you never thought to come to this, did you, you who
were so proud! Where are all your gay trappings now?"
Public-domain original text shown for study context. Underlined terms can be tapped for simple reader notes.
What happens here
A horse refuses to help an overloaded ass and later must carry the whole load himself.
Why this scene matters
This fable teaches that ignoring another person’s burden can create a bigger burden later.
Characters in this scene
- Horse: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- the Ass: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
Simple story version
An ass asks a horse to share the load. The horse refuses, the ass collapses, and the horse ends up carrying everything.