THREE DONKEYS

In my last Post, I had narrated the story of a little bird who tried desperately to advise a monkey. The monkey was an idiot. But, he thought the bird was an idiot. In the end, it was clear to us: We should give advice to others… only when it is asked for. Else, we end up inviting trouble for us – the grave one, some times – as the little bird did.

Today, I have another popular story to tell. The story of ‘three donkeys’.

One day, a father and son loaded goods on the back of their donkey and went to the market to sell. By the afternoon, they had sold all the goods and they were returning home. The loving father had made his young son sit on the donkey on their way home. 

They had barely traveled some distance, when a passerby saw them and exclaimed: “What a pity! The young son is enjoying on donkey’s back and the poor-old father is made to walk in the hot Sun!”

When the father and son heard this, immediately, the son came down and the father went up!

They had barely moved some distance, when another passerby saw them and cried: “What a heartless sight! The strong man is relaxing on donkey’s back and the poor child is made to walk in the hot Sun!”

Immediately, the father pulled his son up and both were now on the donkey’s back!

They had barely covered some distance, when one more passerby saw them and yelled, “How cruel humans can be! Poor donkey is made to carry two strong humans!”

The father and the son did not waste a single second… They instantly got off the donkey, lifted him up… and, carried him all the way home!

Before I would ask our young ones or little ones: “What is the moral of this story?” I would always ask them this: 

“How many donkeys are there in this story?”

Yes, by now, the moral would be out:

“We should take others’ opinions. 

But, if we take the opinion of every ‘passerby – 

every Tom, Dick and Harry – 

we will end up carrying our donkeys!

 And yes, end up being one, as well!”

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pics.: Shaila D'Souza