Foreword:
This fable represents greed and justice, highlighting how conflicts over trivial matters can lead to larger loss. Numbered 460 in the Perry Index (as 460. The Shadow of an Ass), it is also popular as, 'The Ass and His Shadow'. This fable is not to be confused with number 179 in Perry Index titled 'The Ass and Gardener' or 'The Ass with many Masters', which is a different fable.
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A traveller, once, hired a donkey and his guide.
The traveller intended to commute, along with some goods, to a distant place, across a hot sandy plain.
The guide, or the donkey's driver, was also the donkey's master, who offered such services to lead travellers from one place to another.
On agreed financial terms, and timing, they commenced with their journey.
It was a hot and sunny day. As the day progressed, and the sun started to shine fiercely, the heat started to become unbearable, especially for the traveller.
"We need to stop, and rest for a while", the traveller said to the guide, "It is so hot, that I can't move a step further without taking some rest."
The guide, immediately stopped his donkey, and sat him down. He then, proceeded to sit himself beside the donkey.
The traveller got down, and looked around. It was a vegetation-free place full of sand, and there was no shade to take shelter in, for as far as he could see.
And then, instead of sitting down, the traveller circled around the donkey.
"What are you looking for?", asked the guide.
"I am looking at the donkey's shadow", replied the traveller, "And, I am looking where his shadow makes the best shade. The shadow that the donkey is casting due to the Sun, is the only shade available around here!"
Finally, he chose a spot, and noticed that guide was already sitting under it.
The traveller rudely asked the guide to move over, after which he sat himself down, and comfortably settled in the donkey's shadow to take some rest.
Bewildered by the traveller's behaviour, the guide, who had stood himself up for the traveller, took some time to realize that his cosy resting place had been taken over, while he stood directly under the Sun.
"Please move aside, a little", he requested the guide, "I want to sit in the shade, too."
"Sorry, my friend!", the traveller replied, "There isn't enough room for the two of us."
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"This is my donkey!", the irritated guide said, "And therefore, his shadow belongs to me! Move aside, I say, and let me rest under his shadow, too."
"You are wrong, my friend!", explained the traveller, "I have hired the donkey, and therefore, his shadow belongs to me, now!"
"You hired my donkey, and not his shadow!", the guide reasoned back, "When you hired my donkey, you said nothing about his shadow. If you want hos shadow, too, then you must pay extra for it. Or, move aside!"
"But, you never said anything about the shadow, when I hired your donkey!, said the traveller, "If it was not included, you should have told me, that the shadow of your donkey needed to be hired separately!"
Neither of them, was ready to back off from their argument.
Soon, words became heated, the debate turned into quarrel, and pushes turned into blows. In no time, they started fighting each other in the sand, directly under the Sun.
Due to all the commotion, thus caused, the donkey got frightened. He got up, and started running in despair.
When the guide realized it, he stopped fighting, and started running after the donkey, "My donkey! Help! Somebody stop him, before he gets lost!"
The traveller ran after them, too, "My bags! He is running away with all my goods!"
They couldn't catch up with him, and they lost the donkey and all the goods, he was carrying.
Moral:
In quarreling about the shadow, we often lose the substance.
Or,
In arguing about something that is not important, we often lose something that is.
Summary:
A traveller hired a donkey to ride to a distant place. The guide walked beside to point the direction, while the traveller sat on the guide's donkey to travel accross a vegetation-free plain, where the sun shone fiercely and there was no shelter in sight. Tired of the intense heat, the traveller sought to stop and rest for a while. When they stopped and settled, the traveller wished to sit in the shade that the donkey's shadow had cast, that the guide wished too. Since, the shadow could only protect one of them, they started arguing. While the traveller argued he had hired the donkey and therefore had a right to its shadow, the guide argued that he had hired the donkey and not its shadow. Soon, the argument led to a violent dispute. In the commotion, the donkey took flight and ran away from them.