The Donkey and The Lapdog
A jealous Donkey imitates a beloved lapdog, causing chaos and earning a beating, regretting his actions in the end.
Once upon a time, there was a Donkey who lived on a farm. The farmer also had a small Lapdog that he loved very much. The Lapdog always got attention and special treats from the farmer.
Every day, the Lapdog would run to the farmer, wagging its tail and licking the farmer’s hands and face.
The Donkey saw all this from afar. Even though he wasn’t hungry and his needs were met, he had to do a lot of hard work. The farmer barely noticed him.
The Donkey felt jealous of the Lapdog and thought that if he acted like the Lapdog, the farmer would love him too. So, one day, he left his stable and, with a lot of noise, entered the farmer’s house.
He found the farmer sitting at the table. The Donkey started to play around just like the Lapdog. But, because he was so big, he knocked over the table.
Then, he put his hooves on the farmer’s knees and tried to lick his face.
But he was too heavy for the chair, and both the farmer and the Donkey fell down with the dishes breaking around them.
The farmer was frightened and called for help. The workers came running, and when they saw the mess the Donkey had made, they chased him back to the stable with kicks and shouts.
The Donkey was left alone in his stable, feeling sorry for what he had done, realizing that his actions only got him into trouble.
Audio available for B1 version
Once upon a time, there was a Donkey who lived on a farm.
The farmer also had a small Lapdog that he loved very much.
The Lapdog always got attention and special treats from the farmer.
Every day, the Lapdog would run to the farmer, wagging its tail and licking the farmer’s hands and face.
The Donkey saw all this from afar.
Even though he wasn’t hungry and his needs were met, he had to do a lot of hard work.
The farmer barely noticed him.
The Donkey felt jealous of the Lapdog and thought that if he acted like the Lapdog, the farmer would love him too.
So, one day, he left his stable and, with a lot of noise, entered the farmer’s house.
He found the farmer sitting at the table.
The Donkey started to play around just like the Lapdog.
But, because he was so big, he knocked over the table.
Then, he put his hooves on the farmer’s knees and tried to lick his face.
But he was too heavy for the chair, and both the farmer and the Donkey fell down with the dishes breaking around them.
The farmer was frightened and called for help.
The workers came running, and when they saw the mess the Donkey had made, they chased him back to the stable with kicks and shouts.
The Donkey was left alone in his stable, feeling sorry for what he had done, realizing that his actions only got him into trouble.
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Word Finder
Lapdog
Small dog loved and treated specially.Attention
Noticing and caring about someone or something.Afraid
Feeling fear or scared about something.Jealous
Feeling upset wanting what others have.Stable
A building where animals, like donkeys, stay.Hooves
The hard feet of animals like donkeys.Frustrated
Feeling upset because things aren’t working.Frightened
Feeling very scared or afraid.Workers
People who do jobs, like helping on farms.Realizing
Understanding something you didn’t know before.
Understanding Questions
- Where did the Donkey live?
- What special treatment did the Lapdog receive from the farmer?
- Why did the Donkey feel jealous of the Lapdog?
- What happened when the Donkey tried to act like the Lapdog inside the farmer’s house?
- What was the result of the Donkey's actions in the farmer’s house?
Reflection Questions
- Why do you think the Donkey wanted to act like the Lapdog?
- What happened when the Donkey tried to behave like the Lapdog?
- Can you think of a time when you tried to be someone else and it didn't work out the way you expected?
- What does this story teach us about appreciating who we are and our own unique qualities?
- How can we apply the lesson from this story to better appreciate ourselves and others for their individual strengths and differences?
Fable Quotes
True joy is found not in imitation but in embracing our own uniqueness.
Every imitation has its consequences, not all of which are laughter.
In accepting who we are, we find our own place in the world.
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