The Donkey and the Washerman

There once lived a poor washerman who owned a donkey. The donkey was quite weak, as it didn’t get much to eat. One day, the washerman stumbled upon a dead tiger.

"I will put this tiger’s skin over my donkey and let it graze on the neighboring farms," thought the washerman. "The farmers will think it’s a real tiger and get frightened, while my donkey will leisurely graze."

The washerman put his plan into action, and it worked for a while. One night, the donkey—still in its tiger disguise—was grazing on one of the farms when it heard a female donkey braying. It became excited and began braying as well. The farmers then realized that the “tiger” was actually a donkey and gave it a thorough beating.

True nature can't stay hidden for long.