On a fine day, a farmer and his son headed for the market with their donkey.
They planned to sell their donkey at the market.
On their way, they met some travelers.
"Hey, look at that!
They have a donkey but don't ride on it.
Ha-ha! What a useless donkey!" one said.
"Yes, and a foolish master too," the other laughed.
The father felt bad because of the mean words of the men.
So, he asked his son to ride on the donkey.
"Son, ride on the donkey."
Soon, they passed an old woman.
She sat on a bench by the road.
"That son is very rude," she said.
"He makes his father walk while he rides on the donkey."
"Son, get off the donkey now.
I'd better ride on the donkey instead," the father said.
So the father rode on the donkey, and his son walked by his side.
Later they met two ladies.
"Look at them.
The father must not be a good father," said one lady.
"Right. Look how tired the boy is.
His son should ride on the donkey," said the other.
"Son, we'd both better ride on the donkey," the father said.
Then he and his son both rode on the donkey.
Soon, they met two men.
"How cruel! Look how they treat that poor donkey."
"Yes, the donkey cannot carry two people at a time.
It looks so pale and tired.
Poor donkey!" the men said to each other.
The father and his son looked at the donkey.
"Our donkey does look a bit tired," said the father.
"What should we do?" asked the son.
"Let's put the donkey on our shoulders," the father decided.
They tied the donkey's front legs together, and the back legs.
Then they carried the donkey on their shoulders.
When they came to a bridge, some other people saw them and laughed.
"Ooh, ha-ha! Look! Ha-ha, hoo-hee! Woo-hoo!
What a funny pair!"
They laughed so loudly that they frightened the donkey.
The donkey kicked his legs and slipped off their shoulders.
The donkey rolled into the river and drowned.
"Oh my, our donkey is dead!" cried the father.
On their way back home, the father whispered something to his son.
"My son, when you try to please everybody, you please nobody in the end."