Aesop

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Retold by The Legendary Connection

TLC#00090

Once upon a time, a miller and his son were walking to town with their donkey. They were planning to sell the donkey at the market. As they walked, they met a man on the road.

The man looked at them and said, "Why are you both walking? You have a donkey! It’s silly not to ride it!" Hearing this, the miller thought the man had a good point. So, he helped his son climb onto the donkey, and they continued on their way.

After a while, they passed by some men sitting by the side of the road. One of them pointed at the boy on the donkey and said, "Look at that lazy boy! He’s making his poor father walk while he rides." The miller didn’t want people to think badly of his son, so he asked the boy to get off the donkey. Then the miller climbed on the donkey himself and they kept going.

Soon, they passed two women chatting under a tree. One of the women shook her head and said, "What a shame! That man is riding while his little son has to walk!" The miller felt embarrassed again. He stopped the donkey and thought for a moment. "I’ll tell you what," he said to his son. "We’ll both ride the donkey!" So, the miller lifted his son onto the donkey in front of him, and they both rode together.

As they got closer to the market, more people saw them. Some of the people began to laugh and point. "Look at that poor donkey!" they said. "It’s carrying two people—how awful!" The miller felt confused and didn’t know what to do. No matter what he did, people seemed unhappy. He thought and thought. Finally, he came up with a new plan. The miller and his son found a long pole. They tied the donkey’s feet to the pole and lifted the pole onto their shoulders, carrying the donkey between them. People laughed and laughed as they walked by.

When they reached the Market Bridge, the donkey started to wiggle. One of his feet came loose, and he kicked hard. The son lost his grip on the pole, and they all fell into the river below.

An old man who had been following them shook his head and said, "You see, when you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one." And the miller learned that it's best to follow your own good sense, instead of worrying about what everyone else thinks.

The end.

Source:---. “The Fables of Aesop Selected, Told Anew, and Their History Traced.” Https://Www.gutenberg.org/Files/28/28-h/28-H.htm, 1 Mar. 1992, www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/28/pg28-images.html#chap62. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.