The Old Man and the Ass by Jean de La Fontaine

An old man riding his ass finds a patch of rich grass and lets the weary animal loose to feed. Delighted by the pasture, Old Grizzle kicks, rolls, rubs himself on the ground, friskily grazes, brays, and enjoys his freedom. When armed men approach, the old man urges the ass to flee with him. The ass asks whether the newcomers will make him carry heavier burdens; when the man says no, the ass refuses to run. He declares that he will remain and belong to whoever takes him, since his master, rather than any new owner, is his only enemy.

By Jean de La Fontaine · First published 1668 · Genre: Fable, Didactic Literature, Animal Tale · 257 words

First lines

An old man, riding on his ass, / Had found a spot of thrifty grass, / And there turn'd loose his weary beast. / Old Grizzle, pleased with such a feast, / Flung up his heels, and caper'd round, / Then roll'd and rubb'd upon the ground, / And frisk'd and browsed and bray'd, / And many a clean spot made. / Arm'd men came on them as he fed: / 'Let's fly,' in haste the old man said. / 'And wherefore so? ' the ass replied; / 'With heavier burdens will they ride? ' / 'No,' said the man, already started. / 'Then,' cried the ass, as he departed, / 'I'll stay, and be -- no matter whose; / Save you yourself, and leave me loose. / But let me tell you, ere you go, / (I speak plain French, you know,) / My master is my only foe. '[1]

• Open reader

Similar titles

• The Sun And The Frogs Book Vi by Jean De La Fontaine
• Death And The Unfortunate by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Horse Wishing To Be Revenged Upon The Stag by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Ass And The Little Dog by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Dog That Dropped The Substance For The Shadow by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Eagle The Wild Sow And The Cat by Jean De La Fontaine

Genres

• Fable — A brief animal-centered narrative that conveys a pointed moral observation about masters, servitude, and political change.
• Didactic Literature — The poem uses a simple incident and dialogue to teach that a change of rulers may not improve the condition of those who remain burdened.
• Animal Tale — The ass is personified, speaks rationally, and serves as the central vehicle for the work's social insight.
• Allegory — The old man, ass, and approaching armed men function as figures for political subjects, rulers, and the limited consequences of changing masters.

Tags

French fable · verse narrative · seventeenth-century literature · rural pasture · old man · donkey · animal protagonist · master and servant · burdens of labor · animal freedom · armed men · flight from danger

What this Textopian page supports

The Old Man 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, Didactic Literature, Animal Tale, Allegory, Satire
• Length: 257 words
• Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Old Man 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
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

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