This is one of the best Aesop fables for kids. One day, a miller and his son headed out. They were going to the fair to sell their donkey. As they walked down the road, their donkey walked beside them. For the first few minutes, the walk was very quiet. Then they heard laughter at the side of the road.
“Look at those silly men and their donkey,” said a girl to her friend. “Why are they walking beside the donkey when they could be riding the donkey?” her friend laughed in response. The miller heard the girls and decided they were right. One of them could save energy and ride the donkey. “Get up on the donkey,” the miller told his son. The son got up on the donkey and the three of them continued heading down the road. You may also like, The Ass And His Masters.
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Once again, it was quiet for a few minutes. Then they came upon some men arguing by the side of the road. “What are you arguing about?” the miller asked the men. “Why is your son riding the donkey?” one of the men asked. “You are older and deserve respect. You should be riding the donkey!” The miller decided the men were right. He was older and deserved to ride the donkey. “Get down from the donkey,” the miller told his son. He climbed on the donkey and the three continued heading to the fair.
However, they didn’t get very far before they saw a group of women and children pointing at them. “What are you pointing at?” asked the miller. “How can you make your poor, young son walk while you ride the donkey? He should be riding with you!” they said. The miller decided the women and children were right. “Get on the donkey and sit behind me!” the miller told his son. The miller’s son climbed on the monkey and the three continued heading to the fair. Also read, The Sly Fox.
They had almost made it to the fair when they heard shouting at them. “What are you shouting about?” asked the miller. “How can you and your son make that poor old donkey carry you?” asked the man. “You should be carrying him.” The miller decided the man was right. He and his son got off his monkey. They tied the donkey’s legs together and kept heading to the fair.
As the miller, his son, and his donkey crossed the bridge near the entrance of the fair, they saw lots of people laughing and pointing at them. “Look at that old, silly man and his son carrying their donkey!” The miller tried to ignore all of the people, but the noise startled the donkey. The donkey started wriggling and kicking.
Soon, he had broken free of the ropes, the miller, and his son tied him with. Unable to gain his footing, the donkey fell off the bridge and into the river. The miller watched the donkey fall and shook his head. “When the girls laughed at us, I had my son ride the donkey!” the miller said. “When the men were arguing and said I should ride the donkey I listened to them, too.”
“When the girls laughed at us, I had my son ride the donkey!” the miller said. “When the men were arguing and said I should ride the donkey I listened to them, too. The women and the children said my son should ride the donkey, I had him up behind me. When the shouting man told us to carry the donkey, I listened to him, too.” “I tried to please all of you! And now you are all laughing at me and I have no donkey,” said the miller.
The miller had tried to please everyone and, in the end, he pleased no one and lost his donkey, too.
Here is a visual depiction of the best aesop fables for kids, “The Miller, His Son And The Donkey”. See the video story below,