The Fly
On a hot summer day a big heavy cart went down the road. Two strong horses pulled the cart very fast. The horses ran, and a high cloud of dust rose from the road. Just then a little fly flew happily toward the cart. The fly landed softly on the wood above the wheel. The cart went faster, and behind it the dust cloud grew bigger.
The little fly saw the huge dust behind it and got very excited. The fly felt very important and very strong. "Look, what a wonderful and strong fly I am!" it shouted. "I make all this dust behind the cart alone!" it said. A wise ant at the side of the road heard these words. The ant laughed, looked up and called to the fly.
"The horses pull the cart, and you only sit there," it said. The little fly did not want to believe the ant's wise words. But soon the strong horses stopped suddenly for a rest. The horses stopped, and all the dust on the road disappeared at once. The fly beat its wings hard, but no dust came. Now the fly knew the truth, and it felt ashamed. Taking pride in the work of others only makes a person look silly. He who rides another man's horse soon gets off again.