Whom to Please?

Once upon a time, an old man and his son were driving a donkey to the market.

As they walked along in the dust behind it, they met a group of men, laughed at the old man, "Oh, you simpleton," they said, "why don't one of you ride the donkey, instead of letting it go without a burden. Could it not save your legs from getting tried?'

"Oh, yes!" said the old man, "I think you are right. We never thought of that."

So he asked his son to ride on the donkey. then they went forward on their way.

After travelling a while, they came across another man, who stopped in his stride to look at them.

"Hey," he called the young boy on the donkey. "Why do you want your poor old father to come plodding behind you in the in the dust. Get down and let your old father ride."

On hearing this the lad thought over and asked his faterh to sit in his place. As they passed a village, some women folk at a well cried out, "Oh what a lazy old man! He is riding horse and making the little boy run behind him. The old fellow should be ashamed of himself."

The old man, on hearing this remark, thought a new plan. He asked his son to sit behind him. Now they were happy as they went on their way.

Soon they met a man at the highway. He stopped and looked at them.

"Excuse me, sir," he said to the old man. "Is that donkey?"

"He certainly is!' was the reply.

"Well," said the stranger with a laugh, "Nobody would think it would be yours; the way you load the poor beast." And he went off laughing.

"Goodness!" said the old man, "What am I to do? Some folks stare, some just laugh, I don't know what I a am doing wrong."

He came up with a new plan now. He tied the legs of the donkey together, and slung the poor beast on a pole - upside down. The old man and his son carried the pole between them on their shoulders.

They soon came to the bridge that led over a wide river into the market town.

Just as they stepped over the bridge, the townsfolk on this side of the river came out to crowd the streets on seeing the strange sight. They laughed and clapped and began shouting at the father and son.

"What a funny sight! A strong lively donkey being carried on a pole by two persons who could have been riding on him!"

The father and son ignored the remarks and continued slowly across the bridge. Now the laughing, clapping, jeering grew louder by the minute. This made the donkey nervous. He began to bray and struggle. Suddenly the cords that bound his legs were broken and he fell straight into the river.

The old man looked at the struggling donkey in the river.

He turned around and ordered his son to turn around, and set off on his return journey to his home - as fast as he could!

He was feeling very sad, but not foolish - for he had tried his best to please everybody. In the end, nobody was pleased.

Moral - Try to please all and you please none!

Activity For the Young Mind