<SPAN name="THE_ASS_AND_THE_LAP-DOG"></SPAN>
<h2>THE ASS AND THE LAP-DOG</h2>
<br/>
<p>There was once a man who had an Ass and a Lap-dog. The Ass was
housed in the stable with plenty of oats and hay to eat and was as
well off as an ass could be. The little Dog was made a great pet of
by his master, who fondled him and often let him lie in his lap;
and if he went out to dinner, he would bring back a tit-bit or two
to give him when he ran to meet him on his return. The Ass had, it
is true, a good deal of work to do, carting or grinding the corn,
or carrying the burdens of the farm: and ere long he became very
jealous, contrasting his own life of labour with the ease and
idleness of the Lap-dog. At last one day he broke his halter, and
frisking into the house just as his master sat down to dinner, he
pranced and capered about, mimicking the frolics of the little
favourite, upsetting the table and smashing the crockery with his
clumsy efforts. Not content with that, he even tried to jump on his
master's lap, as he had so often seen the dog allowed to do. At
that the servants, seeing the danger their master was in,
belaboured the silly Ass with sticks and cudgels, and drove him
back to his stable half dead with his beating. "Alas!" he cried,
"all this I have brought on myself. Why could I not be satisfied
with my natural and honourable position, without wishing to imitate
the ridiculous antics of that useless little Lap-dog?"</p>
<br/>
<br/>
<hr>
<br/>
<br/>
<div class="figleft"><SPAN href="images/03fir.jpg" name= "03fir"><ANTIMG src="images/03-tfir.jpg" alt=
"THE FIR-TREE AND THE BRAMBLE"></SPAN></div>
<div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />
1 of 2
2 of 2
Previous
Next
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.