The theme of this fable is "You cannot please everyone." The story illustrates how the man and his son try to accommodate the opinions of others at every turn, only to end up in a situation where they please no one and ultimately lose the donkey.
One day a man was going to the market with his son and his donkey. They met a couple on the way.
"Why walk when you have a donkey to ride?" called out the husband. "Let the boy ride the donkey."
"I would like that," said the boy, "help me up father."
And the father did so willingly. Soon they met another couple. "How shameful of you!" cried the woman. "Let your father ride, won't he be tired?"
So, the boy got down and the father rode the donkey. Again they marched on. "Poor boy," said the next person they met, "why should the lazy father ride while his son is walking?" So, the boy got onto the donkey too. As they went on, they met some travelers. "How cruel of them! They are going to kill the poor donkey," cried one of the travelers. Hearing this, the father and the son got down. Now they decided to carry the donkey on their shoulders. As they did so, the travelers broke into laughter. The laughter frightened the donkey. It broke free and galloped away.
What is the theme of this fable?
You cannot please everyone.
When there’s a will, there’s a way.
Dirty tricks seldom work.
Seize the day.
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