A Muleteer (Mule-Driver) set off on a journey, driving before him a Donkey and a Mule, both well laden with goods to trade and money.

The Donkey, as long as he traveled along the flatlands, carried his load easily, but when he began to ascend the steep path of the mountain, he felt his load to be more than he could bear.

The Donkey pleaded with the Mule to relieve him of a small portion of his load, that he might carry home the rest; but the Mule paid no attention to the request.

The Donkey shortly afterwards fell down dead under his burden. Not knowing what else to do in such a wild region, the Muleteer placed upon the Mule the load carried by the Donkey in addition to his own, and at the top of all placed the hide of the Donkey, after he had skinned him.

The Mule, groaning beneath his heavy burden, said to himself: “I am treated according to my deserts. If I had only been willing to assist the Donkey a little in his need, I should not now be bearing, together with his burden, himself as well.”

Moral: Help your friends in their need or you will carry the burden all by yourself.

A young Pig was shut up in a fold-yard with a Goat and a Sheep.

One time, when the shepherd grabbed the Pig, he grunted and squeaked and resisted violently.

The Sheep and the Goat complained of his distressing cries, saying, “The shepherd often handles us, and we do not cry out.”

To this the Pig replied, “Your handling and mine are very different things. He catches you only for your wool, or your milk, but he lays hold on me for my very life.”

Moral: Don’t compare another’s troubles to your own.

A Cat caught a Rooster, and pondered how he might find a reasonable excuse for eating the Rooster.

The Cat accused the Rooster of being a nuisance to people by crowing in the night time and not permitting them to sleep. The Rooster defended himself by saying that he did this for the benefit of people, that they might rise in time for work.

The Cat replied, “Although you have many excuses, I shall not remain supperless”; and he made a meal of him.

Moral: It doesn’t matter what you say to an evil person: they will still do evil.

A Groom used to spend whole days in currycombing and rubbing down his Horse, but at the same time stole his oats and sold them for his own profit.

“Alas!” said the Horse, “if you really wish me to be in good condition, you should groom me less, and feed me more.”

Moral: Don’t try to cheat your way to excellence.

Some Cranes made their feeding grounds on a field which had been newly sown with wheat.

For a long time the Farmer, brandishing an empty sling, chased the Cranes away by scaring them. When the birds found that the sling was only swung in the air, they stopped taking any notice of it and would not move.

The Farmer, on seeing this, filled his sling with stones, and killed a great number of Cranes. The remaining birds at once forsook his fields, crying to each other,

“It is time for us to be off: for this man is no longer content to scare us, but begins to show us in earnest what he can do.”

Moral: If words suffice not, blows must follow.