The Donkey and the Horse Story in English

Helping those in need is one of the most fundamental moral lessons that we are taught right from our childhood. Here’s a wonderful short story that portrays the importance of sharing and helping each other. Have you ever seen a donkey and a horse together at a washerman’s place? Well, there was once a donkey and a horse who were not very fond of each other. Let us now read the story of how one fine day, they became inseparable best friends.

The Washerman’s Donkey and Horse

Once upon a time, in a village far far away, a washerman lived by the river. He owned a donkey and a horse. The washerman washed clothes so clean that no matter how bad a stain is, the villagers believed that he could vanish away every stain and dirt from their clothes. The washerman went door to door to every house in the village to collect the dirty clothes, and his donkey used to carry them back to his home. The donkey also carried a load of clothes when the washerman went to return the clothes to the villagers’ houses. The donkey used to get very tired after carrying such heavy loads to and fro. 

The Donkey Carrying all the Clothes

The horse that belonged to the washerman was very pretty. It was very proud of its beautiful mane and never had to carry any load. The washerman used to visit the market and the other faraway places riding on the back of his horse. One sunny morning, the washerman was to go to the village to return the washed clothes to the villagers. He had put all the bundles of clothes on the back of his donkey, while he did not put any load on the back of his horse. The heavy load of clothes seemed to be unbearable for the donkey, but it did not say a word. It kept walking with the load.

The Washerman with his Donkey and Horse

The washerman, his donkey, and horse were halfway through when the donkey decided to ask the horse for help. 

“Oh dear friend, can you carry some of the load on my back? The pain is unbearable for me” said the donkey. 

The Donkey requesting the Horse to share his Load

The horse replied, “Huh! No brother, horses do not carry loads like donkeys. I carry our master to the market. Why should I carry your load?”

The donkey was disappointed. However, he did not stop walking. “Umph! Umph!” came the noise from the stumbling horse. No later than a few minutes, the donkey collapsed on the ground. The clean clothes fell down on the clay and became dirty.

The washerman thought to himself that he should have split a load of clothes equally on the donkey and the horse. After realising his mistake, the washerman took all the bundles of clothes and put them on the horse’s back.

The Horse Carrying all the Load and The Donkey Relaxed

The donkey was then relaxed and could walk without any load on its back. The horse thought to himself, “I wouldn’t have to carry all the clothes if I would have agreed to share some of it when the donkey had asked.” The horse had to carry all the clothes to the market. The horse then decided to always help people in need. So, the donkey and the horse shared every burden and became best friends for the rest of their days.

The Donkey and The Horse became the Best Friends Forever

Moral of the Donkey and the Horse Short Story for Kids

This short story of a donkey and a horse has an important moral embedded in it. We should always be friendly to others and help them in need. The proud horse realised its mistake and learnt a lesson to help others in need. The donkey got his reward as its master never overburdened it thereon. 

The most significant moral lessons of life are conveyed with the help of fables and short stories so that kids can retain the morals for a long time and incorporate them into their lives. Several other bedtime stories like the Cinderella story, the Lion and the Mouse,  Hansel and the Gretel, etc. are also available in English on our website with amazing colourful illustrations for kids. So let your kids enjoy their reading time and learn the moral values of life with these fun short stories.