The Playful Donkey
Aesop | Greece
A playful donkey tries imitating a monkey's rooftop antics, but his clumsiness leads to damage and punishment.
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.
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