The Fly and The Draught-Mule
Aesop | Greece
A tiny fly threatened to bite a mule for being slow, but the mule ignored it, knowing only its master's commands mattered.
Once upon a time, in a sunny field, a tiny fly landed on a big wagon. The wagon was being pulled by a strong mule. The fly, feeling very important, looked at the mule and started to speak.
"You're so slow!" it buzzed. "Can't you go faster? If you don't, I'll bite you with my sharp stinger."
The mule felt the tiny tickle of the fly on the wagon and just laughed. He knew the fly was too small to really bother him.
"I don't care about your threats," the mule said calmly. "I only listen to the person in charge of this wagon. He tells me when to go faster or slower. Your words don't worry me, little fly, because I know when to speed up and when to take my time."
The mule continued at his steady pace, pulling the wagon through the sunny field. The fly, feeling less important, buzzed away, leaving the mule in peace.
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