The Ass and His Bosses*

A farmer had an ass on his farm
That wasn't having a very good time.

The ass hated the meager food,

Hard work, and overall grime.

It begged Zeus to deliver it

To another boss. Zeus then sent

Hermes down to talk to the farmer

To bid him to sell the malcontent.

Sold to a potter, the ass soon learned

That working for him was a bigger chore.

It found the work to be dirty and even

Harder than it had been before.

It asked Zeus to find it another

Boss, so Zeus in a sarcastic manner

Arranged for the ass to be sold again--

THIS time to the local tanner.

When the ass realized

Its new boss's trade, it cried,

"Woe is me! Why wasn't I

More content--more satisfied,

"With my first bosses, who would have buried

Me decently. And frankly that

Would have consoled me somewhat, but now

I'll end up in a TANNING VAT!"

Moral?

Learning how to appreciate

What we have is hard to master

Until we're stuck with a boss or leader

Who happens to be a total disaster.

-by Bob B (3-4-18)

*An Aesop tale retold here in verse