Parable of the Donkey
This is a great story. I've read it in a number of publications and heard several speakers use it in their programmes. Nobody seems to know where it originated. If you know, let me know and I'll tell the world - or at least the readers of my blog and subscribers to my newsletter.
There was once a farmer who had a donkey. And one day, the farmer's donkey fell into a well. The animal cried pitifully for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, the farmer decided that the donkey was old and that the well needed to be filled in anyway, and that it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the animal. So, he invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel began to shovel dirt into the well.
At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. But then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. After a while, and many shovelfuls of dirt later, the farmer looked down into the well and was astonished at what he saw.
As every shovel of dirt hit his back, the donkey did something amazing. He would shake the dirt off his back and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt upon the animal, it would shake it off and take a step up. After a while, everyone was amazed, as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off.
The moral:
Life is going to shovel dirt on you.... all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping-stone. We can get out of the deepest wells by just not stopping, by never giving up. Shake it off and take a step up.
OK enough of that bull…
The donkey later came back, found the farmer out in the field, and kicked the heck out of him. He then went to each of the neighbours, in turn, and kicked the heck out of them for helping the farmer.
The REAL moral:
When you try to cover your ass, it always comes back to haunt you.
This is a great story. I've read it in a number of publications and heard several speakers use it in their programmes. Nobody seems to know where it originated. If you know, let me know and I'll tell the world - or at least the readers of my blog and subscribers to my newsletter.
There was once a farmer who had a donkey. And one day, the farmer's donkey fell into a well. The animal cried pitifully for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, the farmer decided that the donkey was old and that the well needed to be filled in anyway, and that it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the animal. So, he invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel began to shovel dirt into the well.
At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. But then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. After a while, and many shovelfuls of dirt later, the farmer looked down into the well and was astonished at what he saw.
As every shovel of dirt hit his back, the donkey did something amazing. He would shake the dirt off his back and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt upon the animal, it would shake it off and take a step up. After a while, everyone was amazed, as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off.
The moral:
Life is going to shovel dirt on you.... all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping-stone. We can get out of the deepest wells by just not stopping, by never giving up. Shake it off and take a step up.
OK enough of that bull…
The donkey later came back, found the farmer out in the field, and kicked the heck out of him. He then went to each of the neighbours, in turn, and kicked the heck out of them for helping the farmer.
The REAL moral:
When you try to cover your ass, it always comes back to haunt you.
