The Ass Carrying the Sacred Statues
Aesop's Fables · 1 min read
A donkey was tasked with carrying a set of sacred statues through the streets of a town during a religious procession, and as he walked, crowds of devout townspeople bowed respectfully and murmured prayers at every step, exactly as their tradition required whenever the statues passed.
The donkey, feeling the attention and respect directed his way, grew increasingly puffed up with pride, eventually coming to a complete stop in the middle of the street and refusing to move, expecting the crowd's devotion to somehow increase further if he simply stood still and let them admire him longer.
His owner, understanding immediately what had happened, struck him firmly with a stick to get him moving again, and said sharply, "Foolish creature — it is not you these people bow to, but the sacred statues on your back. You are merely the one carrying something valuable; you are not valuable yourself. Confuse the two again, and you'll find yourself carrying nothing but blows instead of honors." The donkey, chastened, walked on without further delay, having learned that borrowed importance is not the same as earned respect.
Moral of the story
Being the one who carries something valuable does not make you valuable yourself — don't confuse borrowed importance with earned respect.