The Ass and the Old Peasant by Aesop with new words in real context, video, discussion questions and moral of the short story for ESL students based on the English Immersion Program
The Ass and the Old Peasant is now in the public domain available on Gutenberg Project.
Video of the Ass and the Old Peasant
The Ass and the Old Peasant
An old peasant was sitting in a meadow watching his ass, which was grazing close by, when all of a sudden, he caught sight of armed men stealthily approaching. He jumped up in a moment, and begged the ass to fly with him as fast as he could, “Or else,” said he, “we shall both be captured by the enemy.”
But the ass just looked round lazily and said, “And if so, do you think they’ll make me carry heavier loads than I have to now?” “No,” said his master. “Oh, well, then,” said the ass, “I don’t mind if they do take me, for I shan’t be any worse off.”
English proverbs from the short story
Here are a couple of English proverbs that relate to the themes of loyalty and ingratitude in Aesop’s fable “The Ass and the Old Peasant”:
Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
This proverb warns against being ungrateful or disloyal to those who provide support or help.
Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.
This saying emphasizes the potential risks of switching allegiances or changing situations without fully understanding the new circumstances.
Vocabulary in real context
- peasant: farmer, laborer, rustic, farmworker
- meadow: grassy field
- graze: (of cattle) to eat grass in fields
- all of a sudden: suddenly
- caught sight of: spotted, glimpsed, noticed
- stealthy: furtive, trying to avoid being noticed
- capture: to imprison, take someone prisoner, detain
- approach: to get closer to, move toward, come near
- or else: otherwise
- shan’t: shall not
Moral of the short story
The moral of Aesop’s fable “The Ass and the Old Peasant” is that ingratitude and betrayal often lead to dire consequences. In the story, the old peasant takes good care of his ass, yet when threatened, the ass betrays his master by foolishly switching sides to the enemy. In the end, the ass realizes his mistake when he faces harsher treatment from the new master. This fable teaches us the importance of loyalty and gratitude and the unfortunate repercussions of betrayal and shortsighted decisions.
Discussion questions
- What moral lesson does the fable “The Ass and the Old Peasant” teach, and how can it be applied to modern life?
- How do the actions of the ass in the fable reflect the themes of trust and loyalty?
- In what ways does the old peasant’s reaction to the ass’s behavior highlight the consequences of impulsive decisions?
