The Ass and the Dog Travelling Together

An ass and a dog were travelling together. They found on the ground a sealed letter. The ass picked it up, broke the seal, opened it, and read it out so as to be heard by the dog. It was about fodder, I mean hay, barley, and straw. The dog was bored during the ass's reading; so he said to him, "Skip a few lines, my dear fellow; perhaps you'll find further on something to do with meat and bones." The ass, having gone through the whole document without finding any of what the dog was after, the dog spoke up again, "Throw this paper on the ground, friend; for it is quite worthless."