When Man first saw the Camel, he was so frightened at his vast size that he ran away. After a time, perceiving the meekness and gentleness of the beast’s temper, he summoned courage enough to approach him. Soon afterwards, observing that he was an animal altogether deficient in spirit, he assumed such boldness as to put a bridle in his mouth, and to let a child drive him.
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Aesop was an ancient Greek storyteller, traditionally believed to have lived around 620–564 BCE, whose fables have been retold across cultures for over two millennia. His stories typically use animals to expose human nature and social dynamics with sharp economy. "The Camel" is one of his briefest fables, making its moral point about meekness and perceived weakness in under a hundred words.
