THE DONKEY

Credit: Stan Kegel

An old man, a young boy, and a donkey were going into town. The boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked. People who passed them said, "It's a shame that the old man has to walk while the boy rides." Perhaps they were right, thought the old man. So they switched positions. People who passed them said, "It's a shame that the old man makes the boy walk." Perhaps they were right, thought the old man. So they both walked. People who passed them said, "How stupid of them to walk when they have a donkey they could ride." Perhaps they were right, thought the old man. So they both rode on the donkey. People who passed them said, "What a shame to put such a load on a donkey." Perhaps they were right, thought the old man. So the man and the boy carried the donkey. As they were crossing a bridge, they lost their grip and the donkey fell into the river and drowned.

There are two morals to this story:

Moral #1: You can't please everyone, so you might as well please yourself.

Moral #2: If you try to please everyone, you can ............ bid farewell to your donkey.