Translation:One Can't Please the World

For other English-language translations of this work, see The Miller, his Son, and their Ass.
One Can't Please the World
Unknown, translated from Serbian by Wikisource
145980One Can't Please the WorldUnknown

One Can't Please the World

A man, going from the city to home, was riding a donkey, while his son, a lad of ten to fifteen years, was going aside him by foot. A man met them, and said: "It is not right, brother, that you are riding, while the child is going by foot; your legs are stronger than his." Then the father rides off the donkey, and puts the son onto it. Somewhat further, another man met them, and said: "It is not nice, lad, that you are riding, while your father is going by foot, your legs are younger." Then they both ride on and were going for a bit, but the third man met them and said: "What kind of nonsense is this? Two old donkeys on one weak animal! It would be right for a man to take a staff, and forces both of you off." Then both ride off and start walking, the father from one side, the son from the other, and the donkey in the middle. The fourth man met them, and said: "My, are you strange three companions! Is it not enough it two would walk? Wouldn't it be easier for one of you to ride?" Then the father told the son: "Both of us were variously riding the donkey, now the donkey shall ride on us." And they pull the donkey onto the ground, and one ties its front legs, and another the hind, and then they took him on a staff among themselves, and so carry him. And when people who were meeting them and reaching them started now even more to laugh and wonder, then the father, suddenly throwing the donkey to the ground and starting to untying him, yelled: "Each is man stupider than this donkey who wants to please the entire world. I will do with my donkey as I was first doing by my own will"; and so they go home.

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Original:

This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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Translation:

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