Once upon a time, in a village, there lived a washerman. He had a donkey named Moti. The washerman was very stingy by nature and didn’t provide enough food and water for the donkey. He would often send the donkey outside to graze without much consideration, making the donkey weaker day by day. One day, when the washerman left the donkey to graze, it wandered into the nearby forest.
In the forest, it encountered a fox who asked, “Why are you so weak?” The donkey replied, “I am made to work all day without being given anything to eat. That’s why I roam around here and there to fill my stomach. That’s why I’ve become very weak.” Hearing this, the fox said, “I can tell you a solution that will make you healthy and strong.”
The fox explained, “There’s a huge garden nearby with lush green vegetables and fruits. I’ve created a secret path to enter that garden, where I go every night to feast on those nutritious vegetables and fruits. That’s why I’m so healthy.” Hearing this, the donkey decided to join the fox. Together, they headed towards the garden.
As they reached the garden, the donkey’s eyes sparkled seeing the variety of fruits and vegetables. Without any delay, it started relishing the juicy fruits and vegetables to satisfy its hunger. After filling their bellies, both the fox and the donkey slept in the garden.
The next morning, before sunrise, the fox got up and immediately left the garden. The donkey, without questioning, followed the fox, and both of them departed from there.
They met daily and continued to feast on the garden’s offerings. As time passed, the donkey regained its strength. Having eaten to its satisfaction every day, its fur started gleaming, and its gait improved. One day, after a hearty meal, the donkey lay down on the ground and felt content. The fox inquired, “Are you feeling better now?” The donkey replied happily, “Today, I am very happy, and I feel like singing.”
Hearing this, the fox got anxious and cautioned, “No, don’t sing! We are stealing. If the garden’s owner hears your tune and comes here, it will create a big problem. Don’t get caught up in singing.”
The donkey replied confidently, “You know nothing about singing. We donkeys are hereditary singers. People love to listen to our unique melodies. Today, I feel like singing, and I will.”
The fox realized it was challenging to stop the donkey from singing. It regretted and said, “Alright, then. I will sing my song 15 minutes after you start. This way, I’ll be back here before your song finishes.”
Listening to the fox, the donkey swelled with pride and said, “Go, brother fox, and get a garland to honor me. I’ll start singing only after 15 minutes of your departure.” As soon as the fox heard this, it hurriedly left the place.
After the fox left, the donkey started singing. However, upon hearing the donkey’s tune, the garden’s owner grabbed a stick and rushed there. Seeing the donkey, he recognized it as the one that came to graze in his garden daily. Furious, the owner started beating the donkey severely with the stick until it fell unconscious on the ground.
Lesson from the story:
The musical donkey story teaches us that if someone advises us for our own good, we should consider it. Sometimes, refusing to heed others’ advice can land us in trouble.
