Aesop | Greece
The Donkey and The Horse
The Donkey requested food from the Horse, who refused and promised more later; the Donkey saw through the empty promises and remained content.
Once upon a time, on a quiet farm, there lived a Donkey and a Horse. They were neighbors and lived side by side. The Horse always had lots of yummy food like fresh hay and barley, while the Donkey mostly ate simple, plain food.
One day, the Donkey decided to ask the Horse for some tasty food. "Dear friend," said the Donkey kindly, "Can you share a little of your yummy food with me?"
The Horse, who thought he was better than the Donkey, said, "I will give you what's left of my food after I'm done eating. And if you come to my stall in the evening, I might give you a small bag of barley."
The Donkey was smart and knew that if the Horse wouldn’t share a little food now, he probably wouldn’t give more later.
"Thank you," replied the Donkey. "But I don't believe you will give me more later when you won't even share a tiny bit with me now."
From then on, the Donkey realized that promises from those who can't be kind in small ways are often empty. The Donkey kept to his simple meals and was happier, knowing he had the wisdom to see things as they truly were.
