The Donkey Who Loved to Sing
Moral of the Story: There is always a proper place and time for doing anything.
Once upon a time, there was a donkey named Uddhata. He worked for a washerman, carrying heavy bags during the day. But at night, Uddhata was free to roam and eat the green grass in the fields.
Instead of eating the grass, Uddhata liked to sneak into nearby farms and munch on the tasty vegetables. He always made sure to return home before sunrise.
One night, Uddhata met a jackal while exploring a farm. They became good friends and decided to meet every night. Uddhata was strong and could break the fences of the farms. While he enjoyed the vegetables, the jackal would sneak in and eat the chickens. They always returned home before morning.
One night, Uddhata felt very happy and said to the jackal, “Nephew, I want to sing tonight because the moon is so bright and beautiful. What song should I sing?”
The jackal was worried and said, “Uncle, we are here to be quiet and steal food. If you sing, the farmers will hear us and catch us. Your voice is very loud and not very nice.”
But Uddhata didn’t listen. He said, “You don’t understand music because you are a wild animal. I will sing a beautiful song. Just wait and listen!”
The jackal knew he couldn’t stop Uddhata, so he said, “Uncle, if you must sing, let me go outside the fence to keep watch.”
The jackal ran outside and hid. Then, Uddhata started to sing loudly. His voice was so loud that it woke up the farmers. They saw Uddhata in their farm and got very angry. They chased him with sticks and beat him until he fell down. Then, they tied a heavy wooden piece around his neck and let him go.
When Uddhata returned through the broken fence, the jackal laughed and said, “Musical uncle! That was a great song! I see the farmers gave you a special necklace!”
Moral of the Story: There is always a proper place and time for doing anything.