AESOP'S FABLES AND POLITICS

Spode (1770-1833) "Aesop's Fables The Horse And The Loaded Ass" 21 inch well and tree platter, ca. 1832-33.  The series was continued throughout the 19th century by Copeland & Garrett and Copeland.

Spode "Aesop's Fables" mark

I watched the second Republican debate recently.  This is not actually a post about politics.  It is more about reality because politics and reality do not often make good dance partners. Some of the questions and potential candidates' answers made me think of Aesop's Fable "The Horse And The Loaded Ass."  Here is a version of the fable:

I think I would exchange the word "kind" for the word "help" and the word "weak" for less fortunate.   If we (I am including myself) don't share the burden, we will be condemned to shoulder it all!

Here is a history of the fable, found on Wikipedia, titled The Horse and the Donkey.  The entry is illustrated with the same Spode pattern as above.  It ends with the moral from La Fontaine's Fables;