The Horse and the Ass by Jean de La Fontaine
La Fontaine’s fable urges people of every rank to help one another, since a neighbour’s misfortune may eventually become another’s burden. An ass and a horse travel together, but the ass is crushed by a heavy load while the horse carries only harness. The ass politely asks the horse to take half his burden, saying that it would scarcely trouble him, but the horse contemptuously refuses. The ass dies under the weight, and the horse then suffers the consequence of his selfishness: the ass’s pack is placed on his back, along with the ass’s hide.
By Jean de La Fontaine · First published 1668 · Genre: Fable, Moral Literature, Didactic Poetry · 227 words
First lines
In such a world, all men, of every grade, / Should each the other kindly aid; / For, if beneath misfortune's goad / A neighbour falls, on you will fall his load.
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Genres
- Fable — A brief animal tale that uses the horse and ass to deliver an explicit moral lesson about mutual assistance and the consequences of selfishness.
- Moral Literature — The poem directly teaches that people should help one another in hardship, since refusing aid may ultimately increase one's own burden.
- Didactic Poetry — Written in verse, the work is designed primarily to instruct readers through a concise exemplary narrative.
- Allegory — The animals represent recognizable human attitudes: the overloaded ass embodies vulnerable need, while the horse embodies pride, indifference, and belated regret.
Tags
fable · verse narrative · moral allegory · animal characters · horse · ass · donkey · burden · heavy load · travelling companions · road to town · mutual aid
What this Textopian page supports
The Horse and the Ass is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jean de La Fontaine, dated 1668 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Jean de La Fontaine
- Date: 1668 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Moral Literature, Didactic Poetry, Allegory, Animal Fiction
- Length: 227 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Horse and the Ass by Jean de La Fontaine
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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More by Jean de La Fontaine
- To Monseigneur the Dauphin (1668)
- The Grasshopper and the Ant (1668)
- The Raven and the Fox (1668)
- The Frog that Wished to be as Big as the Ox (1668)
- The Two Mules (1668)
- The Wolf and the Dog (1668)
- The Heifer, the Goat, and the Sheep, in Company with the Lion (1668)
- The Wallet (1668)
- All works by Jean de La Fontaine