Once upon a time, in a small village, there lived a man and his young son. They owned a donkey, which they used for carrying goods to the market. One day, they decided to take the donkey to the nearby town to sell some goods.
As they set off, the man walked beside the donkey while his son rode it. As they passed through the first village, some people saw them and began to whisper, “Look at that selfish boy! He is riding the donkey while his poor old father has to walk.”
Hearing this, the father and son felt embarrassed. The father asked his son to get off the donkey, and he decided to ride it instead.
When they reached the next village, people saw them and exclaimed, “What a heartless father! He is riding the donkey while making his little son walk in the hot sun.”
The man felt ashamed again. This time, he asked his son to join him on the donkey. Both of them rode the donkey together.
As they reached the third village, the townsfolk began to mutter, “How cruel! Both of them are riding the poor donkey. Don’t they have any pity for the animal?”
Now completely flustered, the man and his son got off the donkey and decided to carry it instead. They tied the donkey’s legs to a pole and hoisted it onto their shoulders.
As they entered the town, people burst into laughter. “What fools! They are carrying the donkey instead of letting it carry them!” they jeered.
Feeling humiliated, the father and son finally put the donkey down. The man sighed and said to his son, “No matter what we do, people will always have something to say. We can’t please everyone. Let’s do what we think is right and stop worrying about others.”
Moral of the Story:
No matter what you do, people will always have opinions. Don’t let their judgments dictate your actions—follow your own wisdom and conscience.