What is the moral of this Fable ?

I've heard tell that there are only about 10,000 active steemit bloggers; and after a year on and off steemit, i've finally started to befriend a few of them.
I'm going to resist the temptation to post their @ names, as so many people do; if i do that, i may leave someone out who is on the rise, or scare someone off, who was on the fence; Life is a tricky thing, people can be tricky too, but that doesn't mean we are inherently bad; i believe we are inherently good, we just get a little skewed from time to time....

Love and Understanding are basically the same thing.

So it stands up to reason, that the more We Understand each other, the better the World will Be...

Some of you know my Father has been ill for a while now, he died yesterday evening at 5:28 p.m. i felt like i needed to tell it, i'm not searching for sympathy, I'm not distraught, it was a long suffering he had to go through to get wherever Death takes you.. I'm grateful his suffering has ended.

He was a good man and a good Father, he Loved his children as any Father should, and taught us how to be tough, and to get back up again when you're knocked down; he wouldn't ever like to see a grown man cry, but i shed some tears for him anyway.. He will be missed dearly; i will always tell my kids the many stories of him, and the many lessons he taught us, of his childhood (in a family of eight kids) in Italy during WWII ; he and his older brothers were given a single shot 22. rifle, and had to get whatever meat they could find on the mountain; they collected firewood for cooking and to barter with; they helped to guard, the neighbors hazel nut trees by serving as night watchmen, and they were allowed to glean the orchard after the harvest; and many many others stories; he lived a full Life, rich in experience.
When he was 26 he traveled to America and met my Grandfather, and through him my Mother, on his return trip they were married; it was an arranged marriage (back then that was common), where both parties happily agreed to the union, my mother was 16..

I know he is looking after us from that other place, beyond the veil...
Pappa this one's for you..

Alright, now for the Fable, this is an Ancient Indian Folk tale, a retelling of...

The Donkey, the Dog, and the Thief

Once not so very long ago there was a Donkey and a Dog who shared the same small barn; late one night after their master had gone to sleep, and all the lights went out, a thief came silently up to the house. The Barn door having been left open, the donkey could easily see the silhouette of the thief approaching in the moonlight..

"Quick", he said to the dog, "sound off with your worst bark to scare the thief away!"

The dog growled low, and slunk quietly towards the barn door, to see if what the donkey said was true. He took one look outside and quickly slunk back into the shadows

"My friend," said the donkey, "did you not see the thief approaching, he is almost to the front porch!"

The dog glared back angrily, but made no sound.

"Why do you not bark?" said the donkey excitedly..

"I have protected my master's property for many years, and now he neglects to feed me for my trouble, i am forced to beg for scraps from his table, and i am more and more often met with a swift kick, as of late, it is dangerous for me to even be in the house with him."

"Fool! cried the donkey, this is not time for listing your complaints, this is time for action! Do your duty and sound off!"

"No." Growled the dog, "As the master has neglected me, so shall i now neglect him. What do you know of it donkey; you plow his fields for him when he is sober, you have never spent as much time with him as i, nor known any of his dealings outside of the plow; you whom he has never failed to reward, have no right to tell me of my duty!"

"Wicked creature!" cried the donkey, "You betray the master when you are needed most! The master could even be killed as a result of your treachery!"

With that the donkey began to bray loud and harsh as only a donkey can do, so that even as the thief began to pick the lock to the front door, he heard the terrible racket, and quickly fled the scene, while at the same time the dog slipped out the back door of the barn;

The Master of the house was abruptly awoken from his slumber and came outside only to find that nothing was amiss; he set out for the barn to find the subject of his wrath, and seizing the first farm implement he could find, which happened to be a shovel, he tragically beat the donkey to within an inch of his life...

Now, since you've taken the time to read the Fable all the way through, can you tell me, what moral do you find in the story?

If i gave you my version, it would have to be an essay, because i would have to figure it out as i write...

Which i may do, but that would be the afterthought post, if i get some comments.

What's your take on the moral of the Ancient Fable "the Donkey the Dog and the Thief".

The last Fable "The Tiger raised by Goats" can be found here
https://steemit.com/fiction/@primal-buddhist/the-tiger-raised-by-goats-a-retelling-in-three-parts-part-1
and the follow up / afterthoughts
https://steemit.com/fiction/@primal-buddhist/the-tiger-raised-by-goats-after-thoughts-aftermath-and-happily-ever-after

Thanks for stopping by:

Your 2¢ is always appreciated... Which ever way you want to read that.. ; )