The Man, The Boy, And The Donkey |
|
The Man, The Boy, And The Donkey
The Man, The Boy, And The Donkey
A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market. As they
were walking along by its side a countryman passed them and said: "You fools,
what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?"
So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way. But soon
they passed a group of men, one of whom said: "See that lazy youngster, he
lets his father walk while he rides."
So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. But they
hadn`t gone far when they passed two women, one of whom said to the other:
"Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along."
Well, the Man didn`t know what to do, but at last he took his Boy up
before him on the Donkey. By this time they had come to the town, and the
passers-by began to jeer and point at them. The Man stopped and asked what
they were scoffing at. The men said: "Aren`t you ashamed of yourself for
overloading that poor Donkey of yours - you and your hulking son?"
[See The Donkey: The donkey was overloaded.]
The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do. They thought and
they thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied the Donkey`s feet to it,
and raised the pole and the Donkey to their shoulders. They went along amid
the laughter of all who met them till they came to Market Bridge, when the
Donkey, getting one of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop
his end of the pole. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and his
fore-feet being tied together he was drowned.
"That will teach you," said an old man who had followed them:
"Please All, And You Will Please None."
|
