Reading the man, the boy and the donkey summary and understanding the events that take place in the story will let you know the man, the boy and the donkey moral and see how relatable it is in real life.
The Man, the Boy and the Donkey Story: A Short Moral Story
This story is an intriguing read, showcasing the events on what will happen if you continue to obey, conform and please the desires of those around you, also known as society. The story is about a man, his son and their donkey and how they ended up in an unfortunate position after doing certain things that were commented on by random passersby and strangers.
Letting children read this story will definitely contribute to their knowledge of the working of the world as it is expressive and this article tries to convey that expressiveness in a simple language that can be understood by kids.
The Man, the Boy and the Donkey Summary in English
The story begins with a man and his son taking their donkey for their trip to the market. As they were walking, a country man made fun of them, saying that they were supposed to use their donkey to carry stuff instead of carrying it themselves. The man then asked his son to sit on the donkey. After a while, they came across a group of men who snickered and shamed the boy for selfishly sitting on the donkey instead of giving his aged father the privilege to do so. Aware of this, the father ordered his son to get down and he sat himself on top of the donkey.
Soon, they were met with two women who passed comments ridiculing the father for being selfish and making his poor, tired son walk all by himself. On hearing this, the father then picked up his son to be seated on top of the donkey, along with him. At this point, they were deep inside the town and could very well hear the rude comments being passed at them - on how the selfish man was overworking his donkey by placing both his son and himself on top of it. By now, the man and his son were confused on what to do so they came to the decision to carry their donkey. Hence, they cut short a long pole, tied the donkey’s hind and front legs together along with the pole, and set each end of the pole on their shoulders.
They continued their journey and continued to walk, amidst the laughter, comments and mockery of the townspeople. They reached the market bridge and suddenly, one of the donkey’s feet accidentally came loose and he started to flail and kick around, resulting in the boy to let go of his end of the pole. The donkey then fell over the bridge down to the river flowing below and since his legs were tied together, he could not swim and drowned. Standing distressed, an old man looked at their sorry state and scoffed, saying that if you try to please all, you will end up pleasing none.
The Man and the Boy Sitting on the Donkey
The Man, the Boy and the Donkey Moral
The man, the boy and the donkey moral teaches us to never follow what others say blindly without thinking and judging our situation. In this story, the man’s attempt to please the countryman, the group of men, the two women and the townspeople cost him his donkey. If only he would have gone along minding his own business, he would still be having his donkey.
Note to Parents
Story-telling is one of the most efficient ways to let children be aware of any and all morals and also encourage them to see it in a positive light. Once interested, the children themselves can read the man the boy and the donkey summary, quenching their hunger for books while also simultaneously developing a love for books and a healthy habit of reading. By reading this story, kids will be aware to not please all.
Story-telling will also strengthen your bond with them and they will look forward to more story-telling sessions as their interests and curiosity grows over the years. This story also teaches them to not meddle in the affairs of others and will not allow the criticism of strangers to affect the course of their life.
FAQs on The Man, the Boy and the Donkey Story for Kids
1. What did the old man say at the end of the story?
The old man witnessing these tragic events unfond told the man and the boy that if they try to please all, they will not be able to please anyone.
2. When did the donkey fall down?
When the man and his son were crossing the market bridge, the donkey fell down by accident as he was tied to a pole. It slipped out a leg and kicked the boy, causing him to lose balance and let go of the pole.
3. Who wrote this story?
This story is one of the many stories that are present in “Aesop’s Fables”, written by the Greek story-teller Aesop himself.
Reading the man, the boy and the donkey summary and understanding the events that take place in the story will let you know the man, the boy and the donkey moral and see how relatable it is in real life.
