Aesop | Greece
The Donkey and the Pig
The donkey imitates the pig's trick of pretending to be sick for extra care, but stops when he realizes the pig gets killed for food.
One day, the donkey saw the pig lying down, pretending to be sick and refusing to get up. He noticed how the farmer took extra care of the pig, bringing him the best food and making sure he was kept warm. The donkey, seeing all this attention, thought it might be a good idea to do the same.
The next day, the donkey lay down and acted as if he was too sick to work, just like the pig. The farmer, worried about the donkey, brought him delicious food and treated him with special care, just as he had done for the pig.
The donkey felt pleased with himself. He enjoyed the rest and the extra food, thinking his plan had worked perfectly. However, one day, the donkey watched as the farmer led the pig away. After that, he never saw the pig again. The donkey soon realized that the farmer had killed the pig for food.
Frightened for his own life, the donkey immediately stopped pretending to be sick. He quickly got up and returned to work, deciding that he would never try to trick the farmer again.
