422- The Lazy Donkey

 

St-Takla.org Image: Young donkey or young ass - You never see people riding donkeys! - Bahir Dar and Blue Nile Falls - From St-Takla.org's Ethiopia visit - Photograph by Michael Ghaly for St-Takla.org, April-June 2008. صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: حمار صغير، جحش - !لن ترى أي شخص يمتطي حمارا، أبداً - صور مدينة بحردار وشلالات النهر الأزرق، الحبشة - من صور رحلة موقع الأنبا تكلا لإثيوبيا - تصوير مايكل غالي لـ: موقع الأنبا تكلا هيمانوت، إبريل-يونيو 2008

The donkey was always sad and grumbling. His owner was a farmer who woke up before cockcrow, took the donkey to the field, loaded him with a lot of vegetables and fruits and went to the wholesale market to sell his crops to merchants.

The donkey came back from the market while it was still dark. On his way he passed by many other donkeys still asleep. He was constantly grumbling. He thought that his fate was very sad that the farmer bought him to humiliate him with hard labor and deprive him of sleeping at dawn while his fellow donkeys enjoyed that sleep.

The donkey turned to a trick: he pretended to be ill and unable to work. The farmer had to sell him and a tanner bought him. The donkey was happy to get rid of the farmer who woke him up before cockcrow. It was true that the tanner started work after sunrise, but he loaded the donkey with animal skins that smelled terrible. The donkey lost his zest for life because of the terrible smell. He realized then that the reason for his sadness was not lack of sleep or the kinds of loads put on him but it was his heart that did not know thankfulness and acceptance.

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: الحمار المتمارض!

 “A good gift that does not increase is one without thankfulness”

(Saint Isaac the Syrian).

Fog in the Airport

Short Stories (Stories for the Youth) Books by Father Tadros Yacoub Malaty

Nonna Shepherding Her Husband