The Ass and His Masters

AN ASS, belonging to an herb-seller who gave him too little food and too much work made a petition to Jupiter to be released from his present service and provided with another master. Jupiter, after warning him that he would repent his request, caused him to be sold to a tile-maker. Shortly afterwards, finding that he had heavier loads to carry and harder work in the brick-field, he petitioned for another change of master. Jupiter, telling him that it would be the last time that he could grant his request, ordained that he be sold to a tanner. The Ass found that he had fallen into worse hands, and noting his master’s occupation, said, groaning: “It would have been better for me to have been either starved by the one, or to have been overworked by the other of my former masters, than to have been bought by my present owner, who will even after I am dead tan my hide, and make me useful to him.”

八百屋に飼われていたロバが、えさは少なすぎるのに仕事は多すぎるので、今の仕事からときはなって別の主人をあたえてくださるよう、ユピテルに願い出た。ユピテルは、そんな願いをしたことを後悔するだろうと警告したうえで、ロバをかわら職人に売られるようにしてやった。それからまもなく、ロバは前よりも重い荷物を運ばされ、れんが工場でもっときつい仕事をさせられるとわかると、また主人を変えてほしいと願い出た。ユピテルは、願いをかなえてやるのはこれが最後だと告げて、ロバが皮なめし職人に売られるように定めた。ロバは前よりもひどい者の手にわたってしまったことに気づき、主人の仕事を見て、うめきながら言った。「これなら、前の主人のひとりに飢え死にさせられるか、もうひとりにこき使われて死ぬほうがましだった。今の持ち主は、わたしが死んだあとでさえ、わたしの皮をなめして自分の役に立てるのだから」