The Man, The Boy, and The Donkey

Once upon a time, a man and his son were taking their donkey to the market. The sun was warm, and the road was dusty.

A traveler walking by saw them and laughed. "Why are you walking when you have a donkey?" he said. "One of you should ride it!"

Hearing this, the man put his son on the donkey’s back.

As they walked on, they passed some men. One of them frowned. "Look at that boy riding while his father has to walk!"

Feeling embarrassed, the man helped his son down and got on the donkey himself.

A little while later, they met two women. One shook her head. "What a shame! The man rides while his little boy has to walk."

The man sighed. He lifted his son onto the donkey so they could both ride.

When they reached town, people pointed and whispered, "How mean! They are making that poor donkey carry such a heavy load!"

The man and his son felt upset, so they both got off the donkey. Not knowing what else to do, they tied the donkey’s feet to a pole and carried it.

As they crossed a bridge, a crowd gathered, laughing and pointing. The donkey, frightened by the noise, kicked and wriggled. The boy lost his grip, and the donkey fell into the river. Since its feet were tied, it couldn’t swim.

The man and his son watched in shock as their donkey disappeared beneath the water.

An old man nearby saw what happened. He shook his head and said, "If you try to please everyone, you will end up pleasing no one."