He that hath no might ought not to glorify or praise himself of nothing. As rehearseth to us this present fable of the camel which bears a great charge or burden. It happened that a flea because of the camels here lept on the back of the camel and made him to be borne of her all the day. And when they had made a great way the flea lept from him to the ground by the foot of the camel and said, I have quit of thee and have come down from thy back so that I will no more grieve or travaille you by the bearing of me. And the camel said to the flea, I thank thee that it be I am not laden of thee and therefore of that which may neither help nor let me make great estimation of.
-Aesop’s Fables, first translated and printed by William Caxton, 1484
Aesop’s flea gave itself too much importance to think that the camel would thank it for dismounting and thus lightening its load. I never expected thanks from my camel when I couched it for the night. It often didn’t even seem to notice that I had gotten off. So no, I wouldn’t say that I glorified myself for doing nothing of my own might. In fact at the end of each day I was in worse shape for having ridden than the camel was for having been ridden. I would have liked to see that flea bearing a camel on its back all day.