The Horse and the Groom

In the stables of a wealthy merchant, there lived a beautiful chestnut horse who was known throughout the region for his speed, intelligence, and gentle nature. The horse was the merchant’s pride and joy, often carrying him to important business meetings in distant towns and participating in local festivals and parades.

The horse was cared for by a groom who had been assigned specifically to tend to his needs. This groom was a smooth-talking man who always had kind words and gentle phrases for the horse whenever anyone else was around to hear them.

“My beautiful friend,” the groom would say loudly whenever the merchant or visitors were near, “you are the finest horse in all the land! Let me brush your magnificent coat until it shines like silk. I’ll make sure you have the sweetest hay and the clearest water, because you deserve only the best!”

The horse appreciated these kind words and began to trust the groom, believing that he truly cared about his welfare. When the groom spoke so lovingly about providing good care, the horse felt grateful to have someone who seemed to understand his needs.

“I shall polish your hooves until they gleam,” the groom would announce dramatically, especially when the merchant was within earshot. “And I’ll braid your mane with ribbons for the festival tomorrow. Everyone will see what excellent care you receive!”

The merchant, hearing these declarations, was pleased with his groom’s apparent dedication. “It’s wonderful to see how much you care for my horse,” he would tell the groom approvingly. “I can see that he’s in excellent hands.”

But the horse began to notice something troubling. While the groom’s words were always beautiful and caring when others were around, his actions when they were alone together told a very different story.

When no one was watching, the groom would provide the horse with stale hay that had been sitting in the stable for weeks, instead of the fresh, sweet hay he promised. The water in the horse’s trough was often dirty and had not been changed for days, despite the groom’s public declarations about providing “the clearest water.”

The grooming that the groom spoke about so eloquently rarely happened when they were alone. Instead of the thorough brushing he promised, the groom would give the horse’s coat a few quick, careless swipes with the brush, barely removing the dirt and sweat from the day’s work.

Worst of all, the groom had been secretly selling portions of the horse’s grain allocation and pocketing the money for himself. While he spoke publicly about ensuring the horse had plenty to eat, he was actually reducing the horse’s food and keeping the profits from the grain he was supposed to be feeding to his charge.

The horse began to lose weight and energy. His once-glossy coat became dull and rough. His spirit, which had always been bright and eager, started to fade as he became weaker from the poor care he was receiving.

Other animals in the stable began to notice the change in the horse’s condition. A wise old donkey who had been in the stable for many years approached the horse with concern.

“My friend,” said the donkey quietly, “you don’t look well. Are you feeling sick?”

The horse sighed deeply. “I don’t understand what’s happening to me. My groom says such kind things about caring for me, and he promises me the best of everything. But I feel weak and tired all the time, and I’m always hungry.”

The donkey looked around to make sure the groom wasn’t listening, then spoke in a low voice. “I’ve been watching, and I think you should pay more attention to what your groom does rather than what he says. Words are easy to speak, but actions reveal the truth about a person’s character.”

“What do you mean?” asked the horse, though he was beginning to suspect he already knew.

“I’ve seen him give you old, moldy hay while he tells visitors about the fresh hay he provides,” the donkey explained. “I’ve watched him skip your grooming while he talks about making your coat shine. And I’ve noticed that your grain portions have gotten smaller even as he speaks about ensuring you’re well-fed.”

The horse felt a deep sadness as he realized the truth of what the donkey was saying. All those beautiful words from the groom had been nothing but lies designed to impress the merchant and other people, while the actual care the horse received was neglectful and harmful.

Over the following days, the horse paid closer attention to the difference between his groom’s public words and private actions. The pattern became undeniably clear: the groom was all talk and no substance when it came to actually caring for the horse.

Meanwhile, the horse’s condition continued to deteriorate. His performance when carrying the merchant began to suffer, and his once-proud appearance became obviously poor despite the groom’s continued public declarations about excellent care.

Finally, during an important business trip, the horse’s weakness became so apparent that the merchant could no longer ignore it. The horse stumbled several times and had to stop frequently to rest, something that had never happened before.

“What’s wrong with my horse?” the merchant demanded when they returned to the stable. “He’s always been strong and reliable, but today he seemed weak and tired.”

The groom immediately launched into his usual routine of caring words. “Oh, master, I’ve been so worried about him! I’ve been giving him extra grain and the finest hay, brushing him twice daily, and making sure he has the best of everything. Perhaps he’s just having an off day.”

But the merchant was no fool, and he had learned to pay attention to results rather than just words. He decided to investigate the situation more thoroughly.

The next day, without telling the groom he was coming, the merchant arrived at the stable unexpectedly. What he found shocked and angered him. The horse’s stall was dirty, the water was stagnant, and the horse was trying to eat hay that was clearly old and moldy.

The merchant immediately confronted the groom, who tried to make excuses and promise to do better. But the evidence of his neglect was obvious, and the merchant realized that all those caring words had been nothing but empty promises designed to deceive.

The groom was dismissed immediately, and the merchant brought in a new caretaker who actually followed through on providing good care. Within weeks, the horse began to regain his strength, his coat became shiny again, and his cheerful spirit returned.

The wise old donkey approached the horse one day after he had recovered. “You look much better, my friend. Have you learned anything from this experience?”

The horse nodded thoughtfully. “I learned that I should judge people by what they do, not by what they say. Beautiful words mean nothing if they’re not backed up by caring actions. Actions truly do speak louder than words.”

“That’s a valuable lesson,” agreed the donkey. “Remember it well, because you’ll encounter many people throughout your life who are much better at talking than they are at doing.”

From that day forward, the horse was much more careful about trusting people. He learned to observe actions carefully and to value consistency between words and deeds. He never again allowed himself to be deceived by someone who spoke beautifully but acted poorly.

Moral: Judge people by their actions, not their words. Anyone can speak sweetly and make beautiful promises, but true character is revealed through consistent, caring behavior. Actions speak louder than words, and trust should be earned through deeds, not just declarations.