37 lines
2.3 KiB
Plaintext
37 lines
2.3 KiB
Plaintext
THE HORSE AND THE DONKEY
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Once upon a time . . . an old carter kept a horse and a donkey in the same
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stable. He was equally fond of both his animals, but as he used the horse to
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pull his trap, he gave it better food and more attention than he did the
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donkey. However, the donkey, knowing he was not so precious as his stablemate,
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ate straw instead of corn and hay, without complaining. Even when both animals
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carried sacks to market, the donkey's was the heavier load, for the carter did
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not want to overwork his noble horse, though he had no such feelings about the
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donkey. As time went by, the horse grew more handsome and robust, while the
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donkey became thin and weak. One day, on their way to market, the donkey was
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carrying his usual heavy load, while the horse had only two lightweight sacks
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tied to the saddle.
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"I can't go much further!" moaned the donkey. "I'm much weaker today! I can
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hardly stand and unless I can get rid of some of this weight, I won't be able
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to go on. Couldn't you take some of my load?"
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When the horse heard this, he looked the donkey up and down in disdain, for
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he considered himself much superior, and said: "Our master gave you the heavy
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load, because he knows that donkeys are beasts of burden. Their loads ought to
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be heavier than those of noble horses!"
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So the wretched donkey stumbled on. But after a short distance, he stopped
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again, bleary-eyed, his tongue hanging out.
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"Please, please listen! If you don't help me, I'll never reach market
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alive." But without even a glance, the horse haughtily replied: "Rubbish! Come
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on, you'll manage this time too!" But this time, after a few tottering steps,
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the donkey dropped dead to the ground. The donkey's master, who had lingered
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to pick mushrooms, ran up when he saw the animal fall.
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"Poor thing!" he said. "He served me well for so many years. His load must
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have been too heavy."
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Then he turned to the horse: "Come here! You'll have to carry your
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companion's load too now!" And he hoisted the donkey's sacks onto the horse's
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back.
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"I'd have done better to help the donkey when he was alive," said the horse
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to himself. "A little more weight wouldn't have done me any harm. Now, I'm
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frightened of collapsing myself under a double load!" But feeling sorry too
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late did nothing to lighten his load.
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