They begin to quarrel as the human, the donkey, and the birds realize the money each of them owe does not exist and therefore will not be paid back.

The youngest daughter of the mathematician Augustus De Morgan, she was born on 7 Camden Street, London, on February 24, 1850.

Hans Christian Andersen was one of her main influences, which made her fairytales slightly different from the norm at the time.

In her fairy tales, the protagonist often does not gain any type of power, physically or financially, and they are often without a classic happy ending.

Another theme that tends to emerge in De Morgan's stories is the tendency for wealth and power to be described as negative attributes.

She was once quoted in Roger Lancelyn Green’s introduction to her work: "I am so thankful I have only a small income – it is so delightful planning things and deciding what one can afford.