The Ten Donkeys

When Sheikh Chilli was a little older, a farmer hired him to take ten donkeys to the market in the next village. “Ten donkeys,” said the farmer, counting them out. “Bring back ten coins for each one. And don't lose any!”

“I never lose anything,” said Sheikh Chilli, who lost things every day.

The road was long and dusty, so Sheikh Chilli climbed up onto the biggest donkey and rode, with the other nine trotting along behind. After a while he thought he had better check that they were all there. He turned round on the donkey's back and counted.

“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.”

Nine! He counted again. Nine. His heart jumped into his mouth. “One donkey has run away!” he cried. He slid down to the ground and ran back along the road, looking behind every bush. No donkey. He ran back to the others and counted them again, standing on his own two feet.

“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.”

Ten! “Oh, thank goodness,” he said. “It must have come back by itself.” He climbed up onto the biggest donkey again and rode on, very relieved.

A little later he began to worry again. He turned round and counted. Nine! Down he jumped, and counted. Ten! Up he climbed. Nine! Down he jumped. Ten!

By the time he reached the market he was hot, tired and completely confused, and he was walking beside the donkeys instead of riding, because that was the only way to keep all ten of them.

An old woman selling melons had been watching him. “Young man,” she said, “why are you walking when you have ten donkeys to ride?”

“Because, Auntie,” said Sheikh Chilli seriously, “whenever I ride, one of them runs away, and whenever I walk, it comes back. I would rather have sore feet than lose a donkey.”

The old woman laughed so hard she sat down on her melons. “You silly boy,” she said, when she could speak. “Count the one you are sitting on!”

Sheikh Chilli thought about it for a long moment. Then his whole face lit up. “Auntie,” he said, “you are the cleverest person in the whole world.”