Once upon a time, in a peaceful village surrounded by mountains and meadows, there lived a farmer who had a horse and a donkey. The horse, with its shiny chestnut coat and strong muscles, carried the farmer to the market. The smaller, gray donkey carried heavy sacks of grain and other goods from the farm to the market.
One sunny day, the farmer loaded an unusually large and heavy pile of wheat sacks onto the donkey. The poor donkey’s legs trembled under the weight. Walking beside him was the horse, carrying nothing but the farmer.
As they made their way along the dusty road, the donkey turned to the horse and said, “Friend, these sacks are very heavy today. Could you help me carry them? I’m afraid I might not make it to the market.”
The proud and somewhat selfish horse replied, “Why should I carry your burdens? You’re the one meant to do the heavy lifting.”
So they continued on their way, the donkey struggling under the heavy load while the horse trotted lightly beside him. After a while, the donkey became so tired that he stumbled and fell, spilling the sacks onto the ground. The farmer then turned to the horse and said, “Now that the donkey can no longer carry the load, and I cannot leave these sacks behind, you must carry them to the market.”
The horse felt ashamed for not helping the donkey earlier. Reluctantly, he helped the farmer reload the sacks. He quickly realized how heavy the load was. By the time they finally reached the market, the horse was panting and more exhausted than he had ever been from simply carrying the farmer.
From that day on, the horse learned to share the burdens of the farm with the donkey. Together, they shared the loads equally and helped each other with their tasks.
Moral of the story: Sharing the load makes it easier for everyone. Always be willing to help others, and never think you’re too important to assist a friend in need.
