Priests overburdened a Donkey and it died. To continue its use the skin became a drum.
Babrius Translation (The Vagrant Priests of Cybele)
For common use to Rhea’s vagrant priests
Was sold an ass, most luckless among beasts,
That it might carry for these begging knaves
Rites, food, whate’er from thirst or hunger saves.
These roam’d, as is their wont, the country through,
And craved provisions, asking, “Who but knew,
“Among the swains, how Attis fair was maim’d?
“To Rhea’s drum who would not be ashamed
“To fail in gifts of first-rate pulse and bread?”
At length the ass, o’erburden’d, fell down dead,
Poor wretch, and said good-bye to all his toil.
Him the rogues hasten’d of his hide to spoil,
And stretch’d it, closely-fitted, o’er a drum:
On other roguish priests they chanced to come,
As they were roaming through the villages,
Furnished with drums. And they were asked by these,
How fared their ass. “It died long time ago,”
They answered, “ yet it now receives a blow
“So often, that, had it been still alive,
“’Neath these it could by no means long survive.”
How do you think an AI might simplify this fable? Here is one answer, and the illustration above was made from this simplification:
The Ass and the Priests of Rhea
A group of wandering priests bought a poor, unlucky donkey. They loaded it with food, offerings, and everything they needed as they begged from village to village. The donkey worked hard under heavy loads, until one day it collapsed and died. The priests, not wasting anything, took its hide and stretched it over a drum. Later, when asked by other priests how their donkey was, they said, “It died long ago, but now it gets beaten more than ever. If it were still alive, it wouldn’t have lasted a day.”
Moral
Even after death, the burden of the unvalued may continue. Those who are used without care may suffer beyond their end.
Perry. #164