Foreword:
This fable represents association with greedy persons. Not to be confused with a completely different fable with the same name and numbered 287 in the Perry Index, this fable is wrongly attributed to Aesop, although there is no ancient source to substantiate such claim. Hence, it is not catalogued in the Perry Index. However, it remains a very popular ancient fable. The Arab and his Camel
ADVERTISEMENTS

 
An Arab was travelling with his camel, across a desert.
 
The Arab and his Camel
They travelled all day, and in the evening, the Arab stopped the camel, and put up a tent to rest for the night. He fastened a rope with the camel outside the tent.
 
To cook some food, and protect himself from the cold desert night, the Arab lit a small fire inside the tent.
 
Soon, the fire heated the tent from inside, and the tent became a warm, cosy place.
 
As he rested inside, the Arab observed the camel peeping inside the tent.
 
"Master?", the camel said, "It is very cold outside. Will you allow me to keep my head inside the tent?"
 
The Arab and his Camel
"Of course!", the Arab replied, "You may keep your head inside the tent."
 
The camel enjoyed the warmth inside the tent for some time, and said again, "Master?"
 
"What is it, now?", enquired the Arab.
 
"It is colder, than you can imagine, out here", said the camel, "May I also warm my neck, for some time?"
 
"Certainly!", the Arab replied, "You can put your neck inside the tent, also." And, he moved a bit, to allow some space to the camel.
 
Now, the camel turned his head and neck around, enjoying the warmth.
 
The Arab and his Camel
After some time, the camel said, "Master?"
 
"What is it, this time?", asked the Arab.
 
"It is very awkward for me to stand like this", said the camel, "Would you mind, if I move my forelegs inside?"
 
"No! I won't mind", replied the Arab, "But, before you do, let me move over to the other side."
 
So, he moved over to the other side, in order to accomodate the camel's forelegs, inside the tent. And, the camel moved in, accordingly.
 
Now, the camel clapped his forelegs, and relished the warmth inside the tent.
 
ADVERTISEMENTS

 
The Arab and his Camel
"Master?", the camel said, after some time.
 
"Now, what?", asked the Arab.
 
"It is very chilling outside, with extremely cold winds blowing", said the camel, "Would you mind, if I put my hump inside the tent, as well?"
 
"Well, of course!", said the Arab, not very willingly, "Wait, till I stand up, to make some room."
 
And so, the Arab stood himself up, to make room for the camel to move his hump, and thus, half of his body, into the tent.
 
Now, the camel shook his body, and rejoiced the warmth inside the tent.
 
The Arab and his Camel
After some more time, "Master?", the camel said. "What?", asked the Arab.
 
"I see you are beginning to feel chilly, not warm anymore!", the camel said, "That is because, by standing in the manner that I am, a lot of cold wind is flowing in."
 
"As a matter of fact, that is true!", replied the Arab.
 
"In that case, my master, both of us are feeling cold", the camel continued, "Would you mind, if I put inside my tail and rearlegs, and move entirely inside?"
 
The Arab observed, that there was no other way to stop the inward flow of cold winds, and nodded in agreement.
 
The Arab and his Camel
As the camel came entirely inside the tent, the Arab was squeezed into a corner. "It is quite crowded, in here!", he remarked.
 
"Yes, my master!", agreed the camel, "After all, there is not enough room for both of us inside this small tent."
 
The camel continued, "Since, you are smaller between the two of us. You should stand yourself outside the tent."
 
With this observation, the camel pushed the Arab out of the tent.
 
"I should have known, that it will end like this!", the Arab said to himself, shivering outside in the cold windy desert, while his camel rested inside.
 
 
Moral:
A greedy person is never satisfied.
Or,
Foresake a greedy friend, before you lose everything.
 
 
Summary:
An Arab travelling in the desert with his camel, decided to rest for the night. He set up a tent for himself, and lit a small fire inside the tent to help himself through the cold desert night. After a while, the camel stuck its head inside the tent to share some heat of the fire. It then requested to stick its neck inside for the warmth, too. As the Arab accomodated its request, it requested to stick its front inside the tent, too. Being pushed in the corner, the Arab did his best to accomodate it. But after some time, citing unbearable cold winds outside, it requested its entire body inside the tent. As the tent was too small for both of them, the Arab spent the rest of the night outside the tent, while the camel rested inside.
 « Previous   Next » 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Copyright © 2015-2025
All Rights Reserved
Classic Aesopica

helpdesk@classixter.com