What Other People Think

Once upon a time a farmer and his son went to market to sell a donkey. These were goodhearted people who worked hard, growing crops and tending their livestock. It's true that sometimes they weren't as clever as most folk, but their hard work and winning ways made up for any other deficiencies.

It had been a trying year for their farm. Spring had come late and winter early, so the growing season was short and not very substantial. They hadn't made much money when they sold their few crops, and they worried about how they'd find money to buy next year's seeds and supplies.

The father and son sat down at the kitchen table together to discuss their options.

“I know,” said the son. “We could sell all of the vegetables in our cellar. Then, we could spend the money on seed and other supplies for next year, so we'll have more seeds than usual and produce a bigger crop.”

At first, the father thought this sounded like a wonderful idea, helping to ensure a better time of it next year. But after an awful lot of head scratching and brow mopping (remember, being clever is not the strength of these two!), he said, “Say there, Son. I've just realized that we can't sell the vegetables in our root cellar. If we did that, we would have nothing to eat and we might starve during the winter. No, I like the idea of buying seed and supplies for next year, but somehow we'll have to do it without selling all of our stored food.”

So, they put their heads together and thought some more. It actually took several days of thought, but finally they had an idea they both felt was a winning one.

“Son, why don't we sell Edgar, the donkey?” asked the father enthusiastically. “After all, we have two other donkeys, and they eat an awful lot. Perhaps we could sell Edgar and use the money from his sale to buy seeds for next year and food for this winter, if we need more than we have stored.”

“What a great idea, Father,” agreed the son. And although they were a bit sad because they were fond of old Edgar, they decided that the animal would be sold at market the very next day.

In the morning, they loaded the donkey — with quite a lot of effort — into their big red wheelbarrow, so that he would not be worn out when they reached the market. After all, they were fond of Edgar and wanted him to have a comfortable time of it. They pushed the wheelbarrow along the road in this fashion, pausing frequently to catch their breath. Edgar was a heavy donkey.

When people along the roadside saw such an odd sight, they said: “Those two men are crazy! Whoever saw a donkey being taken to market in a wheelbarrow! I've never seen such a thing!”

Although the farmer and his boy felt they were doing the best possible thing for Edgar, they overheard the roadside chatter and became more and more confused. The farther they went, the louder the comments became, and the more people gossiped about the donkey in the wheelbarrow.

Finally, the farmer stopped, frustrated by all that he had heard. He and his son heaved the animal out of the wheelbarrow. Then, the farmer climbed onto Edgar's back, while his son walked behind them. This didn't help, though. In fact, this arrangement seemed to make matters even worse. All along the roadside, people continued to point fingers and complain.

A group of women going home from market with their baskets ridiculed him, saying, “You are a cruel and thoughtless man! And besides that, you're a big oaf, riding the donkey while your poor little boy runs along behind you! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!”

What was the poor farmer to do? He really was very confused. Finally, after listening to more gossips along the side of the road, he slid off the donkey. Now, though, he had no idea what to do next. He took off his cap and mopped his sweaty brow. Then he sat down on a stone, put his head in his hands, and tried to make some sense of the situation.

“Oh my,” he exclaimed to his son, “I never imagined it could be so difficult to take a donkey to market. First, we tried taking Edgar in the wheelbarrow and people complained about that. Then, I tried riding him, hoping that would please people, but clearly it didn't. What shall we do?” Finally, after a lot more thought, he hoisted his little boy onto the donkey and walked along behind them. Maybe this scenario would be more pleasing, he hoped.

This time, a cluster of men on their way back from fishing began to protest. “Look at that! I can't believe my eyes. There is a lazy boy sitting on top of a donkey, while his weary old father has to go on foot! What a selfish, thoughtless child! There you go, that's how children behave these days!”

This really was most frustrating to the father and son. Once again, the two of them came to a halt. How could they stop people from criticizing everything they did? It certainly was a troubling trip to the marketplace.

This time, they both sat on a rock, placing their heads in their hands, determined to come up with a solution that would be pleasing to all of those they passed on their way to the market. They sat there for some time. In fact, hours passed as they tried to come up with an idea that might work. Finally, they agreed on a plan: They both climbed on the back of the poor donkey.

And, what do you supposed happened then? Did the groups along the roadside stop complaining? Not at all!

“What heartless folk!” exclaimed everyone watching the father and son ride by. “Two riders on one little donkey! These really are cruel people, burdening a poor animal like that.”

This really was more than the poor farmer could stand. Now, the bewildered man had completely lost his patience. He gave poor Edgar a terrible kick, saying, “Giddy up! From now on, I'll do things my way, and pay no attention to what other people think!”