A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market.
As they were walking along by its side a
countryman passed them and said: "You fools,
what is a Donkey for, it is the one to ride
upon?"
So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they
went on their way.
But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom
said: "See that lazy young boy, he lets his
father walk while he rides."
So the Man ordered his Boy to get down, and got
on himself.
But they hadn't gone far when they passed two
women, one of whom said to the other: "Shame on
that lazy man to let his poor little son walk
while he rides."
Well, the Man didn't know what to do, but at
last he took his Boy up before him on the
Donkey.
By this time they had come to the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point at them.
The Man stopped and asked what they were laughing at.
The men said: "Aren't you ashamed of yourself
for overloading that poor donkey of yours and
your hulking son?"
The Man and Boy get down and tried to think what
to do.
They thought and thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied the donkey's feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to their shoulders.
They went along and the laughter of all who met them till they came to Market Bridge, when the Donkey, getting one of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop his end of the pole.
In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge,
and his fore-feet being tied together he was
drowned.
"That will teach you," said an old man who had
followed them:
Moral: "Please all, and you will
please none."