THE ASS and HIS MASTERS
by Aesop · from Aesop's Fables; a new translation
Adapted Version
Once there was a little ass. He worked for The Gardener. The ass was not happy.
The Little Ass worked for The Gardener. He carried many heavy things. He worked all day in the garden. He did not get much rest. He felt very tired. The Little Ass was not happy.
The Little Ass looked at the big sky. He wished for a new life. He wished for a new master. "Oh, Sky God," he thought. "Please help me now. I work too hard. I am not happy here. I want a new, good master."
Sky God heard the Little Ass's wish. Sky God was very kind. He sent Helper to help. Helper went to The Gardener. "Sell The Little Ass," Helper said. The Gardener sold The Little Ass. The Little Ass went to The Potter. He had a new master.
The Little Ass worked for The Potter. He pulled heavy carts of clay. He walked many miles each day. This work was also very hard. He worked even more now. The Little Ass was still not happy. He wanted one more new master.
The Little Ass looked up again. He wished to Sky God. "Oh, Sky God," he thought. "This work is too hard. I am still not happy. Please help me again. I need a new master. A better master this time."
Sky God heard the Little Ass's wish again. Sky God was very kind. He sent Helper to help him. Helper went to The Potter. "Sell The Little Ass," Helper said. The Potter sold The Little Ass. The Little Ass went to The Tanner. He had a new master.
The Little Ass saw The Tanner's work. It was very dirty work. It was very smelly work. He saw many beast skins. He saw big, deep vats. This work looked very bad. He knew this was the worst work. He would always do this bad work.
The Little Ass felt very, very sad. He thought of The Gardener. He thought of The Potter. Their work was not so bad. This new work was much worse. He wished he was happy before. He wished he stayed with The Gardener.
The Little Ass was very sad. He missed The Gardener. He missed the Potter. He learned a big lesson. Be happy with what you have. The end.
Original Story
THE ASS AND HIS MASTERS
A Gardener had an Ass which had a very hard time of it, what with scanty food, heavy loads, and constant beating. The Ass therefore begged Jupiter to take him away from the Gardener and hand him over to another master. So Jupiter sent Mercury to the Gardener to bid him sell the Ass to a Potter, which he did. But the Ass was as discontented as ever, for he had to work harder than before: so he begged Jupiter for relief a second time, and Jupiter very obligingly arranged that he should be sold to a Tanner. But when the Ass saw what his new master's trade was, he cried in despair, "Why wasn't I content to serve either of my former masters, hard as I had to work and badly as I was treated? for they would have buried me decently, but now I shall come in the end to the tanning-vat."
Servants don't know a good master till they have served a worse.
Story DNA
Moral
Servants don't know a good master till they have served a worse.
Plot Summary
A miserable Ass begs Jupiter to change his master. He is sold to a Potter, but finds the work even harder and complains again. Jupiter then sells him to a Tanner. Upon seeing the Tanner's trade, the Ass realizes his ultimate fate will be to be skinned and tanned, leading him to despair and regret ever leaving his previous masters, as his end is far worse than his initial suffering.
Themes
Emotional Arc
discontentment to despair
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Aesop's Fables are a collection of ancient Greek stories, many featuring anthropomorphic animals, intended to convey moral lessons.
Plot Beats (8)
- An Ass suffers under a Gardener, receiving little food, heavy loads, and beatings.
- The Ass prays to Jupiter to be freed from the Gardener and given a new master.
- Jupiter, through Mercury, arranges for the Ass to be sold to a Potter.
- The Ass finds his new work with the Potter even harder than before and remains discontented.
- The Ass prays to Jupiter a second time for relief.
- Jupiter arranges for the Ass to be sold to a Tanner.
- Upon seeing the Tanner's trade, the Ass realizes his ultimate fate will be to become a tanned hide.
- The Ass cries out in despair, regretting his previous complaints about the Gardener and Potter, as his end will be far worse.
Characters
★
The Ass
A sturdy, medium-sized donkey, somewhat gaunt from poor nourishment, with visible ribs beneath a dull, coarse grey-brown coat. His legs are thick and strong, but often appear weary. His ears are long and often droop slightly.
Attire: None, as an animal, but often bears a heavy, worn wooden pack saddle with frayed rope straps, sometimes with empty baskets or sacks tied to it.
Wants: To find an easier life with less work and better treatment.
Flaw: His inability to appreciate his current situation, always believing the grass is greener elsewhere; his constant complaining.
Starts discontent, seeks change, finds each new situation worse, and ultimately regrets his choices, learning a bitter lesson about appreciating what he had.
Complaining, discontented, short-sighted, regretful, hardworking (despite his complaints).
◆
The Gardener
A man of average height and sturdy build, weathered by outdoor work. His hands are calloused and strong. He likely has a sun-darkened complexion from working in the fields.
Attire: Simple, practical working clothes typical of a Greek or Roman peasant: a short, coarse tunic made of undyed linen or wool, possibly cinched at the waist with a rope or leather belt. His legs are bare or wrapped in simple cloth. He wears sturdy leather sandals.
Wants: To maintain his garden and livelihood through hard work.
Flaw: His harsh treatment of the Ass, possibly due to his own hard life.
Remains unchanged, a static character representing the Ass's initial master.
Demanding, practical, hardworking, perhaps a bit harsh but not malicious.
◆
Jupiter
A majestic and powerful deity, depicted as a mature, muscular man with a commanding presence. His form radiates authority and divine power.
Attire: Flowing, regal robes of deep purple or gold, often draped over one shoulder, revealing a muscular chest. He might wear a laurel wreath or a golden circlet.
Wants: To maintain order and respond to pleas, often with a lesson in mind.
Flaw: Perhaps a slight amusement at mortal folly, or a tendency to grant wishes without fully considering the long-term implications for the petitioner.
Remains unchanged, a static divine figure.
Powerful, obliging (to a point), somewhat detached, just, but also prone to letting mortals learn their own lessons.
○
Mercury
A slender and agile young man, with a graceful and athletic build. He appears swift and light-footed.
Attire: A short, light chlamys (cloak) often red or purple, fastened at the shoulder, leaving his limbs free for movement. He wears winged sandals (talaria) and carries a caduceus (a winged staff entwined with two serpents).
Wants: To faithfully execute Jupiter's commands.
Flaw: None apparent in this context, as he is merely an agent.
Remains unchanged, a static divine messenger.
Swift, obedient, efficient, a messenger who carries out divine will without personal involvement.
◆
The Potter
A man of average build, perhaps a bit stronger in the arms and shoulders from working with clay and operating a potter's wheel. His hands might be stained with clay.
Attire: Simple, practical working clothes similar to the Gardener, but perhaps with a leather apron over his tunic to protect from clay. His tunic is likely made of coarse linen or wool, and he wears sturdy sandals.
Wants: To produce pottery and earn his living.
Flaw: His relentless demand for work from his animals.
Remains unchanged, a static character representing a different kind of demanding master.
Demanding, focused on his craft, hardworking, perhaps less physically abusive than the Gardener but equally demanding of labor.
◆
The Tanner
A robust, strong man, likely with a somewhat rough appearance due to the nature of his trade. His hands would be particularly strong and perhaps stained or scarred from working with hides and chemicals.
Attire: Very practical and durable working clothes, likely made of thick, coarse wool or leather, possibly stained and worn. He would wear a heavy leather apron to protect from the tanning process. His tunic would be simple, and his footwear sturdy, perhaps thick leather boots or heavy sandals.
Wants: To process animal hides into leather for profit.
Flaw: His trade's grim reality, which frightens the Ass.
Remains unchanged, a static character representing the worst fate for the Ass.
Practical, unsentimental, focused on his trade, likely accustomed to the harsh realities of his work.
Locations
The Gardener's Farmyard
A rustic, somewhat neglected farmyard with a small, simple cottage, surrounded by vegetable patches and fruit trees. The ground is likely packed earth, possibly muddy in places, with scattered farm implements.
Mood: Toilsome, weary, mundane, with an underlying sense of hardship.
The Ass endures his initial harsh servitude, constantly beaten and poorly fed, leading him to pray to Jupiter for a new master.
The Potter's Workshop and Yard
A bustling, dusty workshop area, likely with an open-sided shed or a simple building, surrounded by stacks of unfired and fired pottery. The air would be dry and earthy from clay dust, with the smell of woodsmoke from a kiln.
Mood: Industrious, busy, but still demanding and physically taxing.
The Ass is sold to the Potter and finds his new work even harder, leading him to appeal to Jupiter a second time.
The Tanner's Yard
A foul-smelling, grim yard dominated by large vats for tanning hides. The ground would be damp and stained, possibly with discarded animal parts or scraps of leather. The air is heavy with the pungent odor of chemicals and decaying animal matter.
Mood: Grim, despairing, repulsive, with a sense of impending doom.
The Ass realizes the grim fate awaiting him at the Tanner's, lamenting his previous masters and expressing utter despair.