The Donkey and the Jackal's Nighttime Adventures

The Donkey and the Jackal's Nighttime Adventures

Once upon a time, in a small village, there lived a washerman and his donkey. The donkey carried heavy bags for the washerman during the day, and at night he was set free in the field to eat fresh grass. However, the donkey had a bad habit of sneaking into nearby farms and eating the vegetables there.

One day, while wandering around, the donkey met a jackal. They quickly became friends, and the donkey invited the jackal to join him on his nightly adventures. They started meeting every night, and the donkey would return home by daybreak.

This went on for many days until one night, the jackal said to the donkey, “Uncle, I have discovered a new field with ripe and juicy cucumbers. Let’s go there tonight, and we can feast on them together. I am sure I will find some small animals for myself in that field.”

The donkey was excited about the idea of feasting on fresh cucumbers and readily agreed to go. They both went to the field and had a great time feasting on the cucumbers. The donkey was so happy that he wanted to sing.

“Nephew, look at the full moon. It is so beautiful that it makes me want to sing,” said the donkey.

The jackal was concerned about their safety and replied, “Uncle, we are stealing from this field. We cannot make any noise, or else the farmers will wake up and catch us. It is better to eat and forget about singing.”

The donkey was annoyed and said, “A wild animal like you cannot appreciate music. I will show you what real music sounds like.”

The jackal realized that the donkey was determined to sing, so he said, “Uncle, if you want to sing, please wait until I go out of the field so that I can keep an eye on the farmers.” The jackal then ran out of the field and hid himself in a nearby bush.

The donkey lifted his head to the moon and started braying at the top of his voice. The farmers woke up and saw the donkey standing in their field, eating their cucumbers. They chased him with sticks and stones and beat him black and blue.

The donkey limped out of the field, bruised and battered. The jackal came out of his hiding place and laughed, “Uncle, that was very nice singing. I see that the farmers have rewarded you well.”

The donkey was hurt and angry at the jackal for not warning him about the danger of singing in the field. He realized that he should have listened to the jackal’s advice and that there is a time and place for everything.

From that day onwards, the donkey became more cautious and learned to listen to the advice of others. He no longer snuck into nearby farms to eat vegetables and only ate the grass in the field where he was allowed to graze. The jackal remained his friend, but the donkey never sang again.

The moral of the story is that there is a time and place for everything. The donkey should have listened to the jackal’s advice and refrained from singing in the field. It is important to be cautious and listen to the advice of others to avoid getting into trouble.