The Horse and the Ass by Esopo
Esopo's "The Horse and the Ass" is a fable about two animals who make a deal to exchange their roles for a day. The horse, eager to experience life as an ass, is disappointed to find that he cannot eat as much as he wants or sleep as long as he pleases. Meanwhile, the ass, now in the role of the horse, discovers that he cannot run as fast or carry heavy loads as easily as his new form allows. The moral of the story is that one should be content with their own abilities and not envy others for what they have.
By Esopo · First published 1608 · Genre: Fable, Children's Literature, Folklore · 139 words
First lines
A Horse, proud of his fine harness, met an Ass on the high road. As the Ass with his heavy burden moved slowly out of the way to let him pass, the Horse cried out impatiently that he could hardly resist kicking him to make him move faster. The Ass held his peace, but did not forget the other's insolence. Not long afterwards the Horse became broken-winded, and was sold by his owner to a farmer. One day, as he was drawing a dung-cart, he met the Ass again, who in turn derided him and said, "Aha! you never thought to come to this, did you, you who were so proud! Where are all your gay trappings now? "
What this Textopian page supports
The Horse and the Ass is listed on Textopian as a fable by Esopo, dated 1608 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Esopo
- Date: 1608 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Children's Literature, Folklore, Fantasy
- Length: 139 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Horse and the Ass by Esopo
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Horse and the Ass?
- How does this fable by Esopo fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
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Similar titles
- The Dog And The Sow by Esopo
- The Dogs And The Hides by Esopo
- The Man And The Satyr by Esopo
- The Mule by Esopo
- The Lion And The Ass by Esopo
- The Wolf And The Horse by Esopo
Genres
- Fable — The author, Esopo, is known for his fables, and 'The Horse and the Ass' is one of his fables, featuring talking animals that teach moral lessons.
- Children's Literature — Esopo's fables, including 'The Horse and the Ass', are often used as children's literature because they convey moral and ethical lessons.
- Folklore — Esopo's fables, including 'The Horse and the Ass', are part of the broader genre of folklore, given their narrative features and didactic purpose.
- Fantasy — 'The Horse and the Ass' incorporates elements of the fantastical, with anthropomorphic animals and unexpected circumstances.
Tags
fable · animal · morality · friendship · loyalty · wisdom · humor · allegory · lesson · cautionary tale · character traits · social commentary