A merchant, who was at one time Aesop's master, on a certain occasion
ordered all things to be made ready for an intended journey. When the
burdens were divided among the Servants, Aesop asked that he might have
the lightest. He was told to choose for himself, and he took up the
basket of bread. The other Servants laughed, for that was the largest
and heaviest of all the burdens.
When dinner-time came, Aesop, who had with some difficulty sustained
his load, was told to distribute an equal share all around. He did so,
and this lightened his burden one half, and when supper-time arrived he
got rid of the rest.
For the remainder of the journey he had nothing but the empty basket to
carry, and the other Servants, whose loads seemed to get heavier and
heavier at every step, could not but applaud his ingenuity.