The Miller, His Son, and Their Ass

Early one morning, a miller and his young son prepared to take their donkey to the market in the neighboring town. They planned to sell the hardworking animal, as they needed money to buy grain for the coming season. The donkey was healthy and strong, and they hoped to get a good price for him.

“Come along, son,” said the miller, loading a few supplies for their journey. “We’ll walk alongside our donkey to keep him fresh and strong-looking for potential buyers. A tired donkey won’t fetch as good a price.”

So the miller, his son, and their donkey set off down the dusty road toward town, with both humans walking beside the animal. The morning was pleasant, and they made good progress as they chatted about their plans for the day.

They hadn’t gone very far when they encountered a group of travelers coming from the opposite direction. These travelers stopped and stared at the miller and his son with amusement.

“Look at those two fools!” laughed one of the travelers loudly. “They have a perfectly good donkey, yet they’re walking beside it like servants! What’s the point of owning a donkey if you don’t ride it?”

“Ridiculous!” agreed another traveler. “I’ve never seen anything so silly in my life. That donkey could easily carry one of them, but there they are, wearing out their own feet for no reason!”

The miller felt embarrassed by their comments and began to doubt his original plan. “Perhaps they’re right, son,” he said quietly. “It does seem foolish to walk when we have a donkey. Why don’t you climb up and ride? Your legs are younger than mine, but they’re also shorter. It makes sense for you to ride.”

The boy climbed onto the donkey’s back, and they continued on their way. The miller felt better about their decision and thought they must look much more sensible now.

A few miles further down the road, they passed a group of elderly men sitting in the shade of a large tree, resting during their own journey. These men looked up as the miller, his son, and the donkey approached.

“Well, I never!” exclaimed one of the old men indignantly. “Look at that lazy young boy riding while his poor old father walks beside him! What is the world coming to when children have no respect for their elders?”

“Shameful!” agreed another old man, shaking his head disapprovingly. “When I was young, we would never have dreamed of riding while our fathers walked. That boy should be ashamed of himself!”

“The father should make the boy walk and ride the donkey himself,” declared a third. “Age and experience deserve respect!”

The miller was deeply troubled by these criticisms. He had thought they were doing the right thing, but now it seemed they were being just as foolish as before, only in a different way.

“Son,” he said uncertainly, “perhaps you should walk and let me ride instead. These gentlemen are right—it’s not proper for a young person to ride while an older person walks.”

The boy obediently climbed down, and the miller climbed up onto the donkey’s back. Now the son walked alongside while his father rode, and they continued toward the market.

But their troubles were far from over. As they approached the outskirts of the town, they passed a group of women returning from the market with their shopping baskets.

“How terrible!” exclaimed one of the women when she saw them. “Look at that heartless man riding in comfort while his poor little son has to walk! That child looks tired and hot, and his father just sits there like a king!”

“What a selfish father!” agreed another woman. “He should be setting a good example for his son, not treating the boy like a servant! If anyone should be walking, it should be the strong, healthy man, not the child!”

“I feel sorry for that poor boy,” said a third woman. “When they get home, I bet the father will eat the best food while the son gets scraps!”

Once again, the miller found himself the target of harsh criticism. He was beginning to feel very confused and frustrated. No matter what they did, someone found fault with their choices.

“Perhaps,” he suggested to his son, “we should both ride the donkey together. That way, neither of us has to walk, and no one can say we’re treating each other unfairly.”

The boy climbed up behind his father, and they both rode the donkey as they entered the town. The miller felt relieved, thinking that surely this solution would satisfy everyone.

But as they rode through the town square, they heard even louder complaints from the townspeople.

“Look at those cruel men!” shouted a man from the crowd that had gathered to watch them. “That poor donkey is struggling under the weight of both of them! It’s animal cruelty!”

“Horrible!” agreed a woman. “That donkey can barely carry one person, let alone two! They’re going to break the poor creature’s back!”

“Someone should report them to the authorities!” called out another voice. “It’s shameful how they’re treating that innocent animal!”

The miller was now completely exasperated. They had tried walking, they had tried having the son ride, they had tried having the father ride, and now they had tried riding together. No matter what they did, people found something to criticize.

In desperation, and with the crowd of townspeople still shouting at them, the miller and his son climbed down from the donkey. Looking around frantically for a solution that might satisfy the critical crowd, the miller spotted some rope in his supply bag.

“I know what we’ll do,” he announced. “We’ll carry the donkey! Then no one can say we’re being cruel to the animal or unfair to each other!”

Working together, they tied the donkey’s legs together and slipped a strong pole between them. Then, with great difficulty, they hoisted the pole onto their shoulders and began carrying the surprised and uncomfortable donkey toward the market.

The townspeople watched this spectacle with amazement, but instead of being satisfied, they began laughing and pointing.

“Now I’ve seen everything!” laughed one man. “Two people carrying a donkey instead of the donkey carrying them!”

“They’ve completely lost their minds!” giggled a woman. “Who ever heard of such a ridiculous thing?”

As the miller and his son struggled through the town carrying their donkey, more and more people came out to watch the absurd spectacle. The crowd grew larger and noisier, with everyone laughing and making jokes about the foolish pair.

The donkey, frightened by all the noise and uncomfortable in his awkward position, began to struggle and bray loudly. As they crossed a bridge over the town’s river, the donkey’s struggles became so violent that he broke free from the ropes.

With a loud splash, the donkey fell into the river below. By the time the miller and his son managed to fish him out, he was wet, angry, and completely unsuitable for sale. Worse yet, in all the commotion, the donkey ran away and disappeared into the countryside.

The miller and his son were left standing on the bridge, dripping wet, with no donkey and no money, while the townspeople continued to laugh at their misfortune.

“Father,” said the son sadly, “we’ve lost our donkey, and we still don’t have any money for grain.”

The miller looked at his son with a rueful expression. “I’ve learned an important lesson today, my boy,” he said. “We spent so much time trying to please everyone who offered an opinion that we forgot to use our own good judgment. If we had stuck with our original plan, we would still have our donkey.”

“So what should we do next time?” asked the son.

“Next time,” replied the miller, “we’ll think carefully about what makes sense for us, and then we’ll stick with our decision regardless of what others say. You simply cannot please everyone, and if you try, you’ll end up pleasing no one—including yourself.”

Moral: If you try to please everyone, you will please no one. It’s impossible to satisfy all opinions, so it’s better to use your own good judgment and stick with sensible decisions rather than constantly changing course based on every criticism you hear.