Hercules and the Wagoner (Aesop’s Fable)

Once a man went on a journey with his wagon heavy with sacks of grain. The man was not used to taking weight around. He only knew how to sit in the wagon and travel, looking around as he went and feeling the breeze on his face. But his mule was young and could pull weight without much difficulty, so he didn’t have a problem for much of his journey. He sat comfortably and happily while the mule pulled the wagon along the gravel road.

But just then the sunny road got darker because a rain cloud had passed over the sun. The man looked up worriedly. Yes, it was going to rain. And there was no shelter anywhere near. So when the downpour started, all that the man could do was continue to travel while hugging his coat tighter around him and pulling his cap lower on his forehead. The mule continued to walk in the rain. The road was turning muddy and it was harder to pull the wagon.

It rained on and on as they went forward and soon the road was so muddy that the mule slowed down to a crawl. The man was cold and was beginning to close his eyes in drowsiness. Suddenly he was jolted awake because the wagon had fallen into a muddy hole and was stuck. The mule strained and strained but he could not pull it out.

The man got down and cried out in frustration. He didn’t do anything to pull the wagon out. But he shouted loudly and cursed his bad luck. He called upon the God Hercules to come to his aid. He called so loudly and long that Hercules actually heard him and came down to earth to see what the problem was. He saw that this man was standing there doing nothing but cursing his bad luck.

“Really? You stand there and do nothing and complain and whine and expect a God to help you? Put your shoulder to the wheel first – you try your best before anything else – and then the gods will aid you. If you do not put your effort in first, no help will come,” said Hercules.

The man looked at Hercules in surprise. He saw the god angry and frowning at him. The man got down to the mud, where the wagon was sunk. He began to push the wagon. He got his feet and hands muddy. But he kept on pushing. The wheels moved up the hole a bit. He didn’t give up. He pushed and pushed. And then he found that the wheels moved readily and the mule could pull the whole wagon up. The problem was over. The wagon was on smooth ground now. He looked at Hercules who was now smiling.

The man let the rain wash away his mud and sat on the wagon again. He and the mule continued the journey. And soon the sun came out and the path became beautiful again. A cool breeze blew and the flowers waved at the wagon that passed carrying a much wiser man than before.