The Old Man, the Donkey, and the Pack Saddles
owned a donkey. The old man was not very rich. He worked hard every day, carrying goods
from one place to another with the help of his donkey. The donkey was strong, but he was also
stubborn and had a mind of his own.
One morning, the old man led his donkey out to a grassy field so that the animal could eat fresh
grass and rest. The sun was shining brightly, and the air was warm and pleasant. The old man
sat on a rock nearby, watching his donkey graze peacefully. He sighed as he thought about how
hard life had always been for him. No matter who ruled the land, the poor people like him always had to work just as hard. Suddenly, the peaceful morning was disturbed by the sound of shouting and the clatter of
horses’ hooves. The old man stood up in fear, his heart pounding in his chest. He could see a
group of soldiers riding toward the village, their flags waving in the wind. The village was
about to be attacked! The old man knew that if he and his donkey were caught, they would be
forced to work for the new rulers, or worse, they could be taken as prisoners. Terrified, the old man turned to his donkey and said, “Hurry! We must run away before the
soldiers arrive! If they catch us, they will take everything we have and make our lives even
harder!”
But the donkey did not move. He kept chewing his grass, as if nothing was happening. He flicked his tail lazily and looked at the old man with his big, calm eyes. The donkey then spoke, “Tell me something, master. If these soldiers win and take over the
village, will they make me carry two pack saddles instead of one?”
The old man was puzzled by this strange question, but he answered honestly, “No, I don’t think
so. A donkey is always given only one pack saddle to carry.”
The donkey nodded wisely. “Then why should I care who my master is? If I always have to
carry the same load, it does not matter to me who is in charge.”
The old man was surprised by the donkey’s words. He thought about them carefully. It was
true—no matter who ruled the land, the poor and the hardworking people like him always had
to do the same work. Their struggles did not change, only the name of the person in power did.
The old man sighed and shook his head. “You are wiser than I thought, my dear donkey,” he
said. “You have shown me a great truth today.”
And so, instead of running away, the old man and his donkey continued with their day,
accepting whatever fate would bring. The enemy soldiers arrived, and a new ruler took over the village, but for the poor folk, life remained the same. The old man still worked hard, and
the donkey still carried his pack, just as they always had.
Days turned into weeks, and the village slowly adjusted to its new rulers. The taxes increased
slightly, and some laws changed, but the daily life of the villagers remained the same. The old
man continued to wake up early, gather his goods, and set out on his journey to sell them in the
marketplace. The donkey carried the load just as he had before, never complaining, never
questioning the authority of those who ruled.
One day, as they made their way along a dusty road, they met another traveler. This traveler was a young merchant, well-dressed and riding a fine horse. He looked down at the old man and his donkey and asked, “Good sir, how do you fare under the new rule? Are things better or
worse than before?”
The old man thought for a moment and then replied, “I cannot say that much has changed. I
still wake up before dawn, I still walk these same roads, and I still sell the same goods. The
only difference is the name of the one who collects the taxes.”
The merchant smiled. “Ah, you are wise, old man. People often worry about who rules over
them, but for those who must work to survive, life does not change much.”
As the merchant rode away, the old man turned to his donkey and patted him gently on the
head. “You were right, my friend. No matter who sits on the throne, we must still do our work.” The donkey flicked his ears and kept walking, steady and strong, carrying the same load he
always had. The old man smiled, feeling a little wiser than before. And so, life went on in the
village, just as it always had, with the people working, the rulers changing, and the donkey
carrying his load, one step at a time.
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