Fable about the Goat and the Ass

Once upon a time there was a little Grasshopper. She was small and vivacious, she had short, but strong legs and once a month she devastated everything near and far in search for food, as it befits such creatures. But let's not focus now on that as it has no part in our story. Her best friend was the Wolf. On a cold winter morning the two of them went for a walk, like they did every morning. The day was beautiful. The trees put on a thin white mantle that melted during the day and the morning haze rose from the ground like a transparent veil through which the friendly morning sun was already shining. The Grasshopper and the Wolf walked acrossed the field and decided to go to the Hill nearby after a while. They arrived to the top puffing and happy and soon they a herd of deer greeted them. A bit further some ibex and chamois noded them hello and at the end the Grasshopper and the Wolf saw the Linx too, but he didn't say anything as he was just having breakfast and was obviously well educated, because he didn't even greet in return with his mouth full but just flicked his ear in their direction.

The Wolf ran around, all excited, while the Grasshopper was enjoying the fresh air and was looking forward to the well deserved breakfast (the Grasshopper is a grasshopper after all). The two friends were fairly close to their home already when they saw the Goat from afar. The Goat had the Pig with her, as usually. The Pig actually wasn't all that bad, but the problem is that the Goat takes care of him. That means that the Pig romps and jumps around like goats do and is never clean while at it. Furthermore, goats have the nasty habit of butting into others. Yes, the Pig took that habit too. But the Grasshopper, being an eternal optimist, hoped that that time things would be different. Unfortunately she reckoned wrong. They were walking towards each other and the Goat and the Grasshopper greeted. At that time the Pig came running, jumped on the Wolf and almost cut him in half. The Wolf rebuked the Pig and drove him away, which made the Pig turn to the Grasshopper. He was three metres before her when he leaped from the ground and flew directly towards her. The Grasshopper stretched out her front feet, hoping that would stop him, but she failed. The Pig twisted her finger, almost knocked her down and treaded her down completely. Finally the Grasshopper managed to get him off; instantly, the Pig went around her behind her back and jumped on her again. Everybody knows that Pigs are bigger and heavier than Grasshoppers and these two were no different. The Grasshopper barely managed to stay on her feet. At last, she lost her nerves, she took the Pig by the neck and told him she had it with him and she wanted to be left alone. The Pig jumped on his feet and propelled onto the Wolf, who was tired of being treaded on too and gave him a good ticking off. But the Pig is a pig and if he is under the govern of a Goat it can't be good. The Grasshopper decided she had enough of being treated that bad. She greeted the Goat politely, though a bit ill-humouredly and the Goat greeted in return, but didn't apologize. She's a goat, what can you do. The Grasshopper and the Wolf continued their journey home, alleviated that they shook off the rude, unpleasant company, and were happily humming to themselves after a minute.

But the happiness didn't last long. It was only a few minutes later that the Grasshopper saw the Ass with the Bull from a distance. She wasn't exactly looking forward to this encounter either because they had met once or twice before. The Bull is, as most bulls, big, strong and likes to swagger and show off. And the Ass is, what else, an ass. The last time they met the Bull pounced on the Wolf and, bristled all over, stopped only a few metres before him. The Ass ran after him and tried to catch him, but he couldn't and started yelling to the Grasshopper and the Wolf that they should go away. To tell truth neither the Grasshopper nor the Wolf felt the Bull was that bad, his biggest problem was that his master was a real Ass. Anyways, this time the Ass saw the Wolf and the Grasshopper in time and tied the Bull. But we all know how it goes – where the Bull heads, the Ass follows. The Bull went left and right and the Ass followed him whenever he went, he only jerked him every now and then so his pride didn't suffer too much. The Grasshopper told the Wolf to stay near her and only greet politely to avoid any conversation, as unpleasant as the one with the Goat and the Pig. So the friends were walking side by side on the path and politely greeted the Ass, who had retreated to the margin of the path with the Bull. It seems that the Ass was taught his manners at the same place the Goat had because he didn't even return the greeting. Instead he hee-hawed to the Grasshopper if she could educate the Bull as well as she did the Wolf. The Grasshopper jokignly responded that she would if she was well repayed. The Ass was enraptured with the answer and asked her how could they agree upon the matter. The Grasshopper stopped for a second, looking at the Bull and she actually felt sorry for him because his only company is an ass. Thereupon she answered that she was only joking, but the Ass started convincing her to take the offer. The Grasshopper had enough of it and told the Ass: ''You see, you can give me the Bull and I can make an effort and educate him as well as I did the Wolf, but what good could that do to him, as he will then again be lead by an ass.'' The Ass hee-hawed in laughter and tapped the Bull, who was looking at the Wolf and the Grasshopper more and more sadly and yearningly, on the head. The Grasshopper knew it was best to say goodbye, s she greeted them, beckoned the Wolf and they headed off.

Back at home they saw they were both dirty from the Pig and the Grasshopper's finger was hurting more and more by the minute. The Wolf licked her swollen hand in sympathy and then the Grasshopper made them both breakfast. Theiy were soon again in a good mood, but still they couldn't help themselves but to remember the regardlessness and bad manners of others. But what could they do, that's the way things go and the Grasshopper and the Wolf both hope that a lot of time will pass before their next meeting.

As you all know every fable has its moral. And what is the moral of this present fable? I don't know. Maybe that the encounter with a dirty Pig and and a Bull that is full of … himself is unpleasant only if they are guided by an irresponsible Goat and a real Ass.

The end