A washerman in a certain village kept two animals in his courtyard: a donkey who carried the bundles of clothes, and a dog who guarded the house. The washerman worked the donkey hard and fed him well enough, but of late he had grown careless about the dog, often forgetting to put anything in his bowl at all. The dog nursed his grievance silently, while the donkey, well-fed and untroubled, thought his master could do no wrong.
One night, when the washerman lay deep asleep after a tiring day, a thief slipped over the courtyard wall. He crept from room to room, quietly gathering clothes, brass pots and the little box of savings. The dog watched him do it — and did not bark. The donkey nudged his companion urgently. “Brother, a thief is in the house! Why are you silent? Bark! It is your duty to wake the master!”
The dog turned away coolly. “Do not lecture me about duty, friend. Day and night I have guarded this house, and what has our master given me lately? An empty bowl. When he loses his goods tonight, perhaps he will remember why a watchdog is worth feeding. Let him learn.” The donkey was horrified. “What a wretched servant you are, bargaining in the hour of need! If you will not do your duty, I shall do it for you.” And lifting his head, the donkey brayed with all his might — a mighty, ear-splitting song that rolled across the village.
The thief dropped his bundle and fled over the wall. The washerman woke with a start — but he saw no thief; all he saw and heard was his donkey braying madly at the moon for no reason he could imagine. Furious at being robbed of his sleep, he seized his stick and beat the poor donkey soundly before stumbling back to bed. Bruised and bewildered, the donkey sank down in his corner, having learned a bitter lesson: each servant has his own appointed work, and even good intentions bring grief to those who leave their own duty to perform another's.