Aesop
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Greece

The Ass and His Shadow

A man hired an Ass for his journey, but a dispute over its shadow resulted in a fight, causing them to lose the Ass.
Greed
Consequences
Understanding
Aesop's Fables - The Ass and His Shadow
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time, a man wished to travel far away. So, he hired an Ass from another man for his journey. That day, the sun was burning fiercely, making the day extremely hot.

Halfway through their journey, the traveler grew weary under the scorching sun. Seeing the Shadow of the Ass, he decided to rest beneath it, finding some relief from the unbearable heat. But, the spot under the Ass's Shadow could only shelter one.

The man who owned the Ass saw the traveler resting and insisted that the Shadow was his. He argued that the agreement was only for the Ass, not its Shadow. The traveler, however, disagreed. He believed that since he had hired the Ass, the Shadow came along with it.

A heated argument broke out between the two men. Both firmly believed they were right and neither would back down. The disagreement turned into a fierce quarrel, eventually leading to blows. They were so caught up in their fight that they did not notice the Ass, who, taking advantage of the chaos, galloped away into the distance. And so, both men lost more than just the Shadow.

Once upon a really, really hot day, a guy wanted to go on a big trip. So, he rented an Ass from another guy who seemed super-smart about all things Ass.

"Wowza, it's like a giant oven out here!" said the traveler, fanning himself like he was trying to fly. "I'm so hot I could fry an egg on my head!"

The sun was doing its best impression of a big, yellow, super-hot beach ball in the sky. So halfway through his big adventure, the traveler was super tired and as red as a cherry. Then he saw it—the Shadow of the Ass. It looked as cozy as a super cool pillow fort. "Ah-ha, a VIP spot just for me! Very Important Pillow-fort!"

So, he plopped down, happy as a clam. But then, uh-oh! Here comes Mr. Ass Owner, who looked really mad. "Hey! You're sitting in my Shadow! No fair!"

"What? No way!" said the traveler. "I rented your Ass, which totally means I get the Shadow too!"

"Uh-uh! The Shadow is like a special bonus level. That's extra!"

And just like that, the two started to argue and argue. "It's mine!" "No, it's mine!" "You're silly!" "You're sillier!" They even started to wrestle, like they were both trying to be the champion of a tickle fight.

Now, you might think the Ass would say, "Hey, what's going on here?" But nope, the Ass was way too clever for that. He saw the two silly men busy with their own silliness and thought, "Time to run like the wind!"

And whoosh! Off he went, leaving the two men in a poof of dust and giggles. They looked at each other and then at the empty road where their ride had dashed off.

So, they both lost more than just the Shadow. They lost their Ass, and kinda looked silly too. But hey, that's what happens when you argue over silly stuff.

Mr. Traveler had plans one day,
To go afar, he couldn't stay.
He found Mr. Owner, said, "May I please,
Rent your Ass for my journey with ease?"

With Ass in tow, they took their stand,
Embarking on a trip so grand.
The sun climbed high, a fiery dance,
A sizzling day, not left to chance.

Soon enough, the heat did weigh,
On Mr. Traveler, "Shade, hooray!"
He sat beneath the Ass's shade,
Thinking that his plans well-made.

But Mr. Owner raised a brow,
"That Shadow's mine, I'll tell you now!
You rented Ass, but not his shade,
That spot is mine, where I've oft laid!"

Mr. Traveler shook his head,
"I rented all of Ass," he said.
"The Shadow, too, belongs to me,
For I paid for Ass, as you can see."

And so began a quarrel loud,
Each man in his own belief was shrouded.
They bickered with no end in sight,
Unyielding in their fervent fight.

But while they fussed and while they fray,
The Ass thought it the time to stray.
He seized the chance and trotted free,
Left them both in hot decree.

They lost the Ass, the shade, the way,
A lesson learned, is what we say.
Sometimes it's best to compromise,
Or else you're in for a big surprise!

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Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think the two men started arguing about the shadow?
  2. What happened because they were too busy arguing and fighting?
  3. Can you think of a time when you lost something because you were too focused on something else?
  4. What does this story teach us about being too focused on small disagreements?
  5. How could the men have acted differently to avoid losing the Ass? Can you think of any ideas?

Fable Quotes

Chasing shadows may lead to losing what's real.
Fighting over the small things can cost us everything.
Understanding others is a step towards peace, not battles.
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