The old man, the boy and the donkey

Once upon a time, there was an old farmer who had a ten-year-old son and, for a single ride for both of them, a donkey. On one occasion, when the farmer needed money, he had to sell the donkey at a fair. So that the animal wouldn't arrive tired and the buyers wouldn't be displeased, the father and son set off on foot, one behind the other. They passed a place where there was a crowd of people, and they heard a rumour:

- Look at the fools! With a donkey like that, and they're walking!

The old man told the boy to get on the donkey to avoid being noticed by the people. Further on, there was another gathering, and a man said:

- The scoundrel of a boy who could very well be barefoot is riding the donkey, and the poor old man, all flustered, is walking! The old man immediately pulled the boy over and mounted the donkey.

Further along the road, people began to murmur:

- Just look at them! Poor boy! He can hardly walk, and the horrible old man is on his donkey!

The old man put the boy on the back of the donkey, but further on, a few people wouldn't let them go, accusing them of wanting to kill the poor donkey with their weight. The old man and his son immediately got on, and the father said:

- Son, you see that it's impossible to shut the world’s mouth. Every head, every sentence.

They walked the rest of the way ahead and behind the animal, as they had decided to do when they left home.



In: COELHO, Adolfo – Contos nacionais para crianças. Porto: Livraria Universal de Magalhães e Moniz, 1882.