English Original
A soldier gave his horse a plentiful supply of oats during wartime and tended to him with utmost care. He wanted the horse to be strong enough to endure the hardships of battle and swift enough to carry him away from danger when needed. However, when the war ended, the soldier put the horse to all sorts of drudgery, paid little attention to him, and fed him nothing but chaff.
When war broke out again, the soldier saddled and bridled his horse, donned his heavy coat of mail, and mounted to ride off to battle. But the poor, half-starved beast sank 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 into a horse."
中文翻译
战争期间，一名士兵给他的马喂食充足的燕麦，并给予它无微不至的照料。他希望这匹马足够强壮，能承受战场的艰辛；也足够迅捷，能在必要时载着他脱离险境。然而，战争结束后，士兵却让马干各种苦活，对它疏于照料，只喂它吃谷壳。
当战争再次爆发时，士兵给马套上鞍和笼头，穿上沉重的盔甲，骑上马准备奔赴战场。但这匹可怜的、半饥饿的牲口在他的重压下瘫倒在地，并对它的骑手说：“这次你只能步行去打仗了。多亏了苦役和劣食，你已把我从一匹马变成了一头驴，你无法在一瞬间再把我变回一匹马。”