One day, a miller and his son set off to sell their
donkey at a fair. Their donkey carried their luggage, and
they walked beside him. Soon they met some women.
"You're walking? How silly! You could ride!” one said.
So the miller made his son ride the donkey.
Then they met some old men. One said, "See that
lazy boy ride the donkey? His poor old father has to walk!”
So the son got down and the miller rode the donkey.
Then they met some women and children. "Why, you
mean old man!" one woman shouted. "Your poor little boy
has to run to keep up with you on your donkey!” So the
miller told his son to ride, too.
When they were almost at the fair, they met a judge.
He said, “Your poor old donkey has to carry you and your
luggage? Why, you two could carry him easier than he
can carry you."So the miller and his son got down. They tied the
donkey's feet together. They put a pole between his legs
and turned him upside down. Then they carried their own
donkey on the pole!
As they crossed a bridge, a crowd gathered to laugh
at the silly sight. The laughter made the donkey angry. He
broke free from the pole—and fell into the river. So the old
miller went home. By trying to please everybody, he had
pleased nobody. And he lost his donkey, too.