Aesop
|
Greece

The Playful Donkey

A playful donkey tries imitating a monkey's rooftop antics, but his clumsiness leads to damage and punishment.
Imitation
Consequences
Self-Improvement
Featured in Fable Book
Aesop's Fables - The Playful Donkey
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time, there was a playful donkey. One bright morning, he saw a monkey playing on the rooftop of a nearby building. The monkey was jumping and flipping, making everyone around him laugh and clap with delight. The donkey watched all this fun and thought to himself, "Why shouldn't I try this too?"

The very next day, the donkey climbed up to the same rooftop. Excitedly, he started to prance around, imitating the monkey. But unlike the nimble monkey, the donkey was heavy and clumsy. As he frolicked, the tiles of the roof began to crack and break under his weight.

Hearing the loud noise, the owner of the building rushed out to see what was happening. To his dismay, he found the donkey on his roof, clumsily romping and causing damage. Without wasting a moment, he dashed up to the rooftop.

Seeing the donkey, the owner quickly grabbed a thick wooden cudgel. He drove the donkey down from the roof, all the while giving him a good beating. The donkey was shocked and pained, but he was even more confused.

"But I saw the monkey doing the exact same thing," the donkey said, "and everyone, including you, laughed and seemed to enjoy it. Why is it different when I do it?"

And so, the donkey came to realize that not all actions are suitable for everyone, and what works well for one may not work well for another.

Once upon a time, there was a playful donkey. One sunny morning, he saw a monkey playing on the roof of a building nearby. The monkey was jumping and doing flips, making everyone around laugh and clap. The donkey watched and thought, "Why can't I try this too?"

The next day, the donkey climbed up to the same roof. He was excited and started copying the monkey. But the donkey was heavy and not as quick as the monkey. As he moved, the roof tiles began to crack under his weight.

Hearing the noise, the owner of the building came outside to see what was happening. He was surprised to find the donkey on his roof, breaking the tiles. Without waiting, he grabbed a stick and went up to the roof.

The owner chased the donkey off the roof, hitting him with the stick. The donkey was hurt and confused.

"I saw the monkey do the same thing," said the donkey, "and everyone, including you, laughed. Why is it different when I do it?"

The donkey then learned that not everything is the same for everyone, and what works for one might not work for another.

Once upon a time, there was a playful donkey. One sunny morning, he saw a monkey playing on the roof of a building nearby. The monkey was jumping and doing flips, making everyone around laugh and clap. The donkey watched and thought, "Why can't I try this too?"

The next day, the donkey climbed up to the same roof. He was excited and started copying the monkey. But the donkey was heavy and not as quick as the monkey. As he moved, the roof tiles began to crack under his weight.

Hearing the noise, the owner of the building came outside to see what was happening. He was surprised to find the donkey on his roof, breaking the tiles. Without waiting, he grabbed a stick and went up to the roof.

The owner chased the donkey off the roof, hitting him with the stick. The donkey was hurt and confused.

"I saw the monkey do the same thing," said the donkey, "and everyone, including you, laughed. Why is it different when I do it?"

The donkey then learned that not everything is the same for everyone, and what works for one might not work for another.

In a town filled with jumping jellybeans and wiggly worms, there was a curious donkey who loved to play. He spotted a monkey one day, dancing on a roof, flipping, and wiggling his furry tail. The people laughed and clapped, "Yay, monkey!"

The donkey thought, "Hey, I've got four hooves, two ears, and a big smile. I can do that too!" So, with a grin and a wiggle, he planned his big debut.

The next day, the donkey climbed the rooftop, all excited and ready to dance. He started to hop and prance, but oh no! His dance was more of a stumble and a fumble. The roof began to crack, like a big bowl of cereal without the milk.

The owner of the building heard the noise, like elephants playing drums. He ran out, his hair standing on end, and saw the donkey on the roof, dancing like a wobbly jelly.

"Hey, Mr. Donkey, roofs are for chimneys, not cha-chas!" he cried, grabbing a stick and shooing the donkey down. "Roofs don't like dancing donkeys!"

The donkey was puzzled and sad, his ears all floppy. "But the monkey did it, and everyone laughed. Why can't I?"

The owner scratched his head, and then he smiled, "Well, Mr. Donkey, monkeys can dance on roofs, but donkeys dance in fields. You see, dancing on the roof is a monkey's banana pie, but it's a donkey's carrot cake to dance on the ground."

The donkey blinked, then he laughed. "Oh, I get it! Monkeys have monkey business, and donkeys have donkey doodles!"

And so, the donkey learned a big lesson that day. He learned that being yourself is the best dance of all. And from that day on, he danced in the fields, the donkey dance, all hooves and big, happy smiles. And everyone clapped and cheered, "Yay, donkey!"

And whenever someone tried to be something they're not, people in the town would say, "Remember the donkey's dance," and they would all laugh and be happy, just being themselves. Because being yourself is the best pie, cake, and dance all rolled into one!

Under a sky, big and blue,
A curious donkey came into view.
He saw a monkey, quick and spry,
Dancing on a rooftop high.

The monkey danced, all did cheer,
His moves so graceful, full of cheer.
Watching closely, the donkey did muse,
"Maybe I can dance like that too!"

But when he tried to jump and play,
His heavy steps led him astray.
Tiles broke, the roof did moan,
His dance turned into a clumsy zone.

Out came the owner, face so stern,
Seeing the damage, concern did churn.
He shooed the donkey away from the height,
The donkey felt confused, filled with fright.

“I saw the monkey dance so free,
Why can't that dancer also be me?“
Hopes of fame, they did ensue,
Yet the crowd's cheer he never knew.

On that day, the truth did shine,
Not all dances can be so fine.
The donkey felt a lesson quite new,
What works for one might fail for you.

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Word Finder

  1. Playful

    Enjoying fun activities, always wanting to play.

  2. Nearby

    Very close in distance, not far away.

  3. Clap

    To make a noise by hitting your hands together.

  4. Copying

    Doing the same thing as someone else.

  5. Heavy

    Having a lot of weight, hard to lift.

  6. Crack

    To break slightly without completely falling apart.

  7. Surprised

    Feeling something unexpected or shocking happened.

  8. Owner

    A person who legally has something, like property.

  9. Confused

    Not understanding what is happening or why.

  10. Different

    Not the same as something else.

Understanding Questions

  1. Why did the donkey want to climb onto the roof?
  2. How did the donkey’s actions differ from the monkey’s actions on the roof?
  3. What happened to the roof when the donkey started moving around on it?
  4. How did the owner of the building react when he saw the donkey on the roof?
  5. What lesson did the donkey realize after the owner chased him off the roof?
Word Finder
  1. Playful

    Enjoying fun activities, always wanting to play.

  2. Nearby

    Very close in distance, not far away.

  3. Clap

    To make a noise by hitting your hands together.

  4. Copying

    Doing the same thing as someone else.

  5. Heavy

    Having a lot of weight, hard to lift.

  6. Crack

    To break slightly without completely falling apart.

  7. Surprised

    Feeling something unexpected or shocking happened.

  8. Owner

    A person who legally has something, like property.

  9. Confused

    Not understanding what is happening or why.

  10. Different

    Not the same as something else.

Understanding Questions
  1. Why did the donkey want to climb onto the roof?

    1. To see the view.
    2. To find food.
    3. To escape the owner.
    4. To play with the monkey.
  2. How did the donkey’s actions differ from the monkey’s actions on the roof?

    1. The donkey was clumsy, while the monkey was agile.
    2. The donkey was quiet, while the monkey was loud.
    3. The donkey was playful, while the monkey was serious.
    4. The donkey was lazy, while the monkey was active.
  3. What happened to the roof when the donkey started moving around on it?

    1. It became stronger.
    2. It started to break.
    3. It got wet.
    4. It attracted other animals.
  4. How did the owner of the building react when he saw the donkey on the roof?

    1. He laughed.
    2. He ignored it.
    3. He chased the donkey away.
    4. He called for help.
  5. What lesson did the donkey realize after the owner chased him off the roof?

    1. To be careful about climbing.
    2. To listen to others.
    3. To have more fun.
    4. To never go on roofs again.
  1. Why did the donkey want to climb onto the roof?
  2. How did the donkey’s actions differ from the monkey’s actions on the roof?
  3. What happened to the roof when the donkey started moving around on it?
  4. How did the owner of the building react when he saw the donkey on the roof?
  5. What lesson did the donkey realize after the owner chased him off the roof?
  1. Why did the donkey want to climb onto the roof?
  2. How did the donkey’s actions differ from the monkey’s actions on the roof?
  3. What happened to the roof when the donkey started moving around on it?
  4. How did the owner of the building react when he saw the donkey on the roof?
  5. What lesson did the donkey realize after the owner chased him off the roof?
Reflection Questions
  1. Why do you think the Donkey wanted to mimic the Monkey's actions?
  2. How did the people's reactions differ when the Monkey was playing on the rooftop compared to when the Donkey was?
  3. Can you think of a time when you tried to do something that someone else could do easily, but it was difficult or problematic for you?
  4. What does this story tell us about understanding our own abilities and limitations?
  5. How can we use the lesson from this story in our lives to make better decisions?
Fable Quotes
Imitation is the echo that never makes its own sound.
A playful moment can lead to a lifetime of lessons.
Not all actions are suitable for everyone; self-improvement lies in recognizing and embracing our own unique path.
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