The Golden Ass is a Roman tale that has survived in its entirety. It tells of a man, Lucius, who wishes to use magic to turn himself into a bird, but instead turns himself into an ass. He passes through many adventures, including sleeping with human women (I guess it is a theme for the ages), until he is rescued by the goddess Isis. She tells him to eat the wreath of roses that one of her priestesses carries in a parade. He does, and is changed back into a man, who then serves the goddess for the rest of his days. Toward the end of the work on the piece I put a wreath of roses in the lower left corner, beneath the donkey’s nose. A little note of hope in the dark stable.