Story The old man and the child: adaptation of an ancient Indian fable.
An old man and a child were traveling together with their little donkey along the dusty roads of India.
It happened that, after several hours of walking non-stop, they arrived at a small town. As they passed through the market square, two young people who were sitting in the fresh air began to laugh and shout so that everyone could hear them.
– Ha ha ha! How is it possible that that old man and that kid are such idiots? They come from very far away walking and pulling the donkey instead of riding it.
– Child! Don’t you feel sorry for Grandpa? Let him ride the donkey, he is already very old and not up to much effort!
The boy looked at the old man and, making a gesture with his little hand, invited him to get on the donkey. They continued advancing and shortly after they crossed a village where everyone was very busy with their work. It seemed that no one had noticed her presence, but no… A woman who was carrying a baby on her lap began to scold them loudly.
– What are my eyes seeing! Aren’t you ashamed to sit comfortably on the donkey, while the poor child has to walk?
The old man blushed and immediately got off the donkey. He held his grandson by the waist and, before the gaze of a dozen people who had gathered around him, he helped her onto the donkey.
They continued their journey slowly, because the old man had a certain limp and some bones creaked. They passed over a stone bridge that spanned a river of choppy waters. A group of people were coming in the opposite direction, carrying heavy bags of grain. As they passed by, everyone began to whisper. A middle-aged man couldn’t help himself and turned to reprimand them.
– I have never seen anything like it! The boy so richly riding the donkey and the old man pulling the rope. How ungrateful young people are to their elders! You should have a little more respect, kid!
The old man and the boy lowered their heads, red as tomatoes. They decided that the best solution was to both get on the donkey and thus the malicious comments from people would end. It didn’t take long when, as they crossed a potato field where farmers were busy gathering the harvest, they heard the hoarse voice of a guy looking at them indignantly.
– I can not believe it! Hey, look at those two! With what they weigh, they are going to kill the donkey! Don’t you think it’s unfair to treat an animal like this?
The poor people no longer knew what to do! Fed up with so much ridicule, they stopped for a few minutes to deliberate and finally decided to carry the donkey on their backs. Imagine the scene: an old man and a child, holding as best they could a colt that was three times their size and weighed more than a hundred kilos. With a lot of effort and covered in sweat, they managed to reach the next town they found on their way. They only thought about eating and drinking something, they were so exhausted.
But once again, as they passed the tavern, they heard laughter and a voice that echoed above the others.
– Ha ha ha! Of course, you have to be stupid! Those two have a donkey and instead of getting on it, they are the ones carrying it as if they were pack animals! That donkey was certainly born lucky!
There was such a commotion around them that the poor donkey got scared and ran until he disappeared forever. The grandfather and the boy sat on the floor disconsolate. They understood that it had been a big mistake to try to please everyone: they were judged unfairly and on top of that, their faithful little donkey had escaped.
Moral: This beautiful fable teaches us that in life, it is impossible to please everyone. Whatever you do, you will always be exposed to being criticized by others. Always think and reflect on things and then do what your heart and mind dictate. Always, always, always be yourself.