THE SOLDIER AND HIS HORSE

A Soldier gave his Horse a plentiful supply of oats in time of war, and tended him with the utmost care, for he wished him to be strong to endure the hardships of the field, and swift to bear his master, when need arose, out of the reach of danger. But when the war was over he employed him on all sorts of drudgery, bestowing but little attention upon him, and giving him, moreover, nothing but chaff to eat. The time came when war broke out again, and the Soldier saddled and bridled his Horse, and, having put on his heavy coat of mail, mounted him to ride off and take the field. But the poor half-starved beast sank down under his weight, and said to his rider, “You will have to go into battle on foot this time. Thanks to hard work and bad food, you have turned me from a Horse into an ass; and you cannot in a moment turn me back again into a Horse.”

士兵与马

战争时期，一个士兵给自己的马吃大量的燕麦，照顾也十分用心，他希望马能够身体强壮，忍受住战场上的艰难困境，驮着他轻松奔腾，需要的时候，带着他脱离危险。但战争结束后，他开始让马做各种苦工，却很少关注它了，给它的食物也只有干草而已。战争再次爆发，士兵又给马套上马鞍和缰绳，他披上铠甲，跨上马奔赴战场。可那可怜的马早已经饿得半死，他一上马，马的身子便塌下来，马对主人说：“这次你得走着去战场了。繁重的劳动和糟糕的食物把我从一匹马变成了一头驴，你可没有办法让我立刻变回马。”