A man once owned a beautiful black horse and a very ugly donkey.
The horse always had plenty to eat and was well groomed, but the
donkey was very poorly cared for.
One bright morning both animals were made ready for a long
journey. A saddle was placed upon the horse, and a heavy pack of
goods was loaded upon the donkey.
The donkey was a very patient animal. When well, he never
complained of his hard lot, but this morning he staggered under
the weight of his load. After going a short distance, he looked up
at the proud horse and asked:
"Would you mind helping me to-day? I feel too ill to carry this
heavy load. If you will help me, I shall soon be well and able to
carry the whole load. If you refuse to help me, I shall surely
fall by the way; then you will have to bear the burden alone."
The horse held his head very high while the donkey was talking;
then he replied:
"Go on, you lazy beast! I am not a burden bearer. No, I will not
take one ounce of your load."
The donkey groaned and moved forward a few steps, then fell to the
ground dead.
The load was taken from the dead donkey's back and placed upon the
horse.
At the close of the day the horse reached the end of his journey.
Every bone in his body was aching, and he was so lame that he
could hardly walk.