A Shepherd Boy tended his master's Sheep near a dark forest not far from the village. A Cock, rising early, discovered what had happened. At nightfall the Cock, looking for a place to roost, as was his custom, spied nearby a hollow tree that he thought would do very nicely for a night's lodging. It was the right password, but when the Kid peeped through a crack in the door and saw the shadowy figure outside, he did not feel at all easy. Judging by its weight it must be full of gold. Such deceit was unpardonable, and Birds and Beasts made common cause to drive out the Bats. But in the midst of his song, his driver guessed what the Ass had got into his head, and began to beat him unmercifully with a stick. By trying to please everybody, he had pleased nobody, and lost his Ass besides.
The flatterer seeks some benefit at your expense.