What Is The Story Of The Ass And The Lapdog?

This is a very old story; it is one of Aesop's fables and appears in other ancient sources too. A farmer had an ass, which he fed well and valued as a good working animal. He also had a little lapdog. This animal was kept solely as a pet; the farmer fed it on choice foods, played with it, stroked it and called it by pet names. The ass often watched the two together and felt envious. One day it decided that if it could imitate the dog's behaviour, it might become the farmer's pet too. So it rushed out of the stable, braying affectionately, and ran up to the farmer. It climbed into his lap and tried to lick his face. To its surprise, the farmer was far from pleased; he dragged the donkey back to the stable and thrashed it soundly. The donkey learned that it is best to be content with what you are and not try to be something quite different.

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