Foreword:
This fable represents social opinions, and the impossibility of satisfying all of them. A widely dispersed fable, it is numbered 721 in the Perry Index (as 721. The Father, the Son, and the Donkey). Although there is no ancient source of this fable, it is also popular in the Arab world and occurs in the Mulla Nasreddin corpus.
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One day, a man and his son were walking alongside their donkey.
The man was a miller, and therefore, had many donkeys. Since, he needed some money, he decided to sell one of his donkeys.
Asking his young son to accompany him, they were walking all the way to the market along with their donkey. They hoped to fetch good money, by selling it.
As they walked, a passerby said to them, "You fools! What is a donkey, but to ride upon?", and the passerby laughed at them, "You treat a beast like a prince! And you fools walk, while you can ride".
The miller did not like to be laughed at, and asked his son to get up the donkey, and ride on it.
And so, the miller walked alongside the donkey, while his son rode on it.
After they had walked a distance, they passed some merchants. One of them said to the others, "See that lazy youngster! He lets his father walk, while he rides!"
Another called out to the miller's son, "Respect old age! Get down, and let the old man ride", while yet another shouted, "Shame on you, lazy boy. Why don't you get down and let your father ride?".
The miller did not like his son being mocked and being talked about lowly. And although, he was not tired, he asked his son to get down, so that he can ride.
And so, the son walked alongside the donkey, while the miller rode on it.
After they had walked a little further, they came across some women. "Look at the self-centered man!", one of them said, "He makes the young boy walk, while he comfortably rides on the donkey."
One of them asked the miller, "Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Why do you make your son walk, while you lazily ride on the donkey?", and another suggested, "If you can ride that donkey, I am sure there is plenty of space that your son can ride on it, too."
The miller did not like the ladies shouting at him, and he asked his son to climb on the donkey, and join him in riding together.
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And so, both the miller and his son rode on the donkey, together.
As they rode further, they heard people screaming angrily at them.
"Look at those cruel idiots!", one of them shouted, "Breaking the back of the poor animal."
While another shouted, "Those lazy good-for-nothings have overloaded the poor creature with both of them riding on it. The donkey can hardly walk!"
And yet another screamed, "They look more able to carry the donkey themselves, than the donkey carrying them. That is what they should be doing!"
The miller did not like people screaming at them, and immediately got down. He asked his son to get down as well, and help him carry the donkey.
And so, they tied the donkey on a wooden pole, that they cut from a nearby tree. And, starting carrying the donkey.
As the miller and his son were getting up on a bridge to cross over to the marketplace, news of such a sight reached the market - that a father and a son were carrying donkey. And what's more? They intend to sell the donkey, that cannot even walk on its own!
People crowded the way to the market for a such a strange sight, and laughed and jeered at them.
Already in pain, that the donkey was in, all the shouting and jeering confused the donkey - and it struggled to save itself. It broke off from the wooden plank, and in the excitement, jumped off the bridge, and fell down into the river.
Moral:
Try to please all, and you will please none.
Or,
When in the company of fools, it is you who stand to lose the most.
Summary:
A father and son were taking their donkey to the market. As the three of them were walking, people ridiculed about how they were walking, when they had a donkey to ride. So, the son started riding on the donkey, while the father walked along. To this, people again ridiculed about how the son could ride, while his elderly father walks. So, the father started riding on the donkey, while the son walked along. To this, people again ridiculed about how the father could ride, while his young child walks. So, they both started riding - only to be ridiculed that both of them are riding on the poor donkey. Now, they decided that they should carry the donkey, instead of riding it. Even as people laughed at the sight of them, the donkey got frightened and angry, and somehow managed to loosen himself. In a bid to escape, the donkey fell off the bridge they were upon, into the river below.
