A horse and a small donkey were returning from the market with the owner and his son. The purchase that morning had been abundant and the animals were heavily laden. They both started walking knowing they had a long way to go.
After two hours in the sun, the donkey approached the horse and whispered in his ear:
"Could you help me with the weight, I'm small and they've put practically the same load on me as you?"
The horse looked away and walked a few meters as if he had heard nothing.
Both animals continued walking.
An hour later the donkey could barely stand up and its pace was slowing down. He made one last effort to catch up with the horse again and ask for help.
"Friend, if you value my life for something, please help me with the burden."
The horse looked away as if those words were not directed at him.
In just a few minutes a bone creaked and the donkey collapsed to the ground.
Father and son, seeing the wounded donkey, rushed to collect the entire load and put it on the horse. Once fixed correctly so that it did not fall, they took the donkey and also put it on the horse's back.
There were still several hours of travel.