Perry 181: The Laden Donkey and the Selfish Horse

Today's fable is Perry 181, the story of the heavily laden donkey and the horse who refused to carry even part of the load. At del.icio.us, you can see a complete list of the versions of this fable type that I have collected. This is absolutely one of my favorite Aesop's fables. Not only is the cruel horse punished, but he is punished in a matter that perfectly befits his crime, a very elegant example of karma indeed!

Here is the version from Jacobs & Doering's Latin reader. I was both surprised and pleased to find the story of the laden donkey included in this little book. The fable is not especially famous, but I am guessing that the wonderful moral it teaches is what caught the editors' notice and prompted them to include it in the book!

Asinus, onustus sarcinis, equum rogavit, ut aliqua parte oneris se levaret, si se vivum videre vellet. Sed ille asini preces repudiavit. Paulo post igitur asinus labore consumptus in via corruit et efflavit animam. Tum agitator omnes sarcinas, quas asinus portaverat, atque insuper etiam pellem asino detractam, in equum imposuit. Ibi ille sero priorem superbiam deplorans, O me miserum, inquit, qui parvulum onus in me recipere noluerim, cum nunc cogar tantas sarcinas ferre, una cum pelle comitis mei, cuius preces tam superbe contempseram.

Here it is written out in segmented style to make it easier to follow, while respecting the Latin word order:

Asinus, onustus sarcinis,
equum rogavit,
ut
aliqua parte oneris
se levaret,
si se vivum videre
vellet.
Sed ille
asini preces repudiavit.
Paulo post igitur
asinus
labore consumptus
in via corruit
et efflavit animam.
Tum agitator
omnes sarcinas,
quas asinus portaverat,
atque insuper
etiam pellem asino detractam,
in equum imposuit.
Ibi ille
sero priorem superbiam deplorans,
O me miserum, inquit,
qui parvulum onus
in me recipere noluerim,
cum nunc cogar
tantas sarcinas ferre,
una cum pelle comitis mei,
cuius preces
tam superbe contempseram.

The image is from Osius. What I like about this version is that the donkey looks angry about what is going on.


In other illustrations, the donkey usually looks miserable rather than indignant, as in this image from Salomon (which clearly influenced Osius's illustrator, as often).

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