The Horse and the Donkey of the Salt Caravan

A proud war Horse and a humble Donkey were both part of a great salt caravan traveling across the Sahara to Timbuktu. The Horse carried only the caravan leader, while the Donkey was laden with heavy blocks of salt. "Look at me," the Horse boasted. "I am swift and beautiful. You are slow and ugly, fit only for carrying burdens." The Donkey said nothing. Halfway through the desert, the caravan was attacked by Tuareg raiders. The Horse, in its panic, threw its rider and galloped away into the desert, where it was soon lost and died of thirst. The raiders, however, had no use for the slow Donkey with its heavy load, so they ignored it. The Donkey plodded on, and eventually, a rescue party found it and the precious salt it was carrying. The Donkey had survived because it was humble and useful, while the proud Horse's speed and beauty had led only to its own destruction in the vast emptiness of the desert.