A man and his son were leading their ass to market. A girl, seeing
them, cried, "Why walk when you can ride?" On hearing this, the man
set his son upon the ass.
Going further, they heard an old man say, "Shame for the young to ride
while old people walk!" Thereupon the man made his son get down and
rode himself.
Presently they met some women who cried, "Look at the poor tired son
and lazy father!" Hearing this, the man took his son up beside him and
so they rode into the town.
There a young man called to them, "Two men on one beast! It seems to
me you are more fit to carry the ass than he is to carry you."
Then they got down, tied the beast's legs to a pole, and carried him
thus till they came to a bridge. As they went, the children shouted so
loudly that the ass took fright--kicked his legs free, and jumped over
the bridge into the river.
Thus having lost his ass, the man went home, crying, "Try to please
everybody and you will please nobody, not even yourself!"
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