Everyone Has an Opinion

One morning Mulla Nasruddin and his young son set off for the market with their donkey. Nasruddin rode on the donkey, and his son walked beside him.

They passed some people sitting outside a tea shop. “Look at that,” said one of them loudly. “The big strong man rides in comfort, and the poor little boy has to walk in the dust. Shameful!”

Nasruddin went red. He climbed down and put his son on the donkey, and he walked beside them instead.

They passed a group of old men under a tree. “Look at that,” said one of them. “The young boy sits up there like a prince, and his old father has to walk. Children today have no respect!”

So Nasruddin climbed up behind his son, and they both rode on the donkey together.

They passed some women at the well. “Look at that,” said one of them. “Two people on one poor little donkey! The animal will collapse. Have they no pity?”

So Nasruddin and his son both climbed down, and they walked along beside the donkey, and nobody rode at all.

They passed some boys playing in the road. The boys pointed and laughed. “Look at those two fools! They have a perfectly good donkey, and they are walking!”

Nasruddin stopped in the middle of the road. He thought for a moment. Then he turned to his son.

“My boy,” he said, “today you have learned something important. If you try to please every single person you meet, you will end up carrying the donkey yourself. So decide what is right, and do it, and let people talk.”

Then he climbed back onto the donkey, put his son up in front of him, and they rode the rest of the way to market, chatting happily, and paying no attention to anybody at all.