Krilof and His Fables/Apelles and the Ass Colt
Apelles and the Ass Colt.
Apelles invited to his house a young Ass whom he happened to meet. The very bones jumped for joy within the Donkey's frame, and it began to bore the forest to death by its bragging, addressing the other animals in such words as these:
"How tired I am of Apelles! I find him a regular nuisance. Why, I never meet him but what he invites me to his house. I suppose, my friends, that he means to paint a 'Pegasus' from me."
"No," said Apelles, who happened to be close by; "but as I intend to paint a 'Judgment of Midas,' I wanted to take your ears as a model for his; and so I shall be glad if you will come to my house. I've come across a good many donkeys' ears in my time, but such splendid ones as yours it has never been my luck to see possessed not merely by an ass colt, but even by any full-grown ass."
[This fable is said to have been intended for the benefit of a young author named Katenin, who, after the fabulist had twice asked him to his house, went about saying that Krilof was boring him with invitations.]