The Load on the Donkey

Avatar and Amit were on a road trip. They had stopped near a roadside shop to refresh and have a drink of tender coconut. That’s when Avatar noticed it. He pointed it to Amit and stood there watching.

A Village Boy was loading sacks on a donkey. He had two sacks, and they looked heavy. He loaded it on one side, with the help of two other people, and the donkey almost fell off on that side. To balance it, he loaded two bags, filled it with sand, on the other side of the Donkey.

Now the load on the Donkey appeared balanced!

The Young Shopkeeper was watching all this. He walked up to the Village Boy and said: “You know, if you place one sack on one side and the other sack on the other side of the Donkey, it will balance the load on the Donkey. You need not burden the Donkey with these two bags of sand.”

The Village Boy was amazed. He stood there scratching his head for a few moments. Then he went to work. He pulled down the sand bags, and did as the young shopkeeper told him. Satisfied, he stood there admiring his handy work. The load on the Donkey looked perfectly balanced.

Then he went to the Young Shopkeeper and said: “You seem to be wiser than you appear. What have you studied and why are you running just a shop?”

The Young Shopkeeper replied: “I am no wise person. I am just an ordinary person like you. It’s just that I have some experience in these matters, and hence am able to pass on what I learnt to you.”

Disappointed, the Village Boy went back towards the donkey, and started to pick up the sand bags. He was about to load it on to the Donkey’s back, when the Young Shopkeeper said:

“If you do not believe me, you can ask them”. He pointed towards Avatar and Amit. “See, they are travelling in a car, they are wearing City Clothes. They appear to be smarter and wiser than I am. Surely, you will believe them?”

Avatar and Amit were amused.

The Village Boy turned to them both, and asked: “Is he correct? Will it help if I remove the sand bags and just load these bags on either side of the Donkey?”

Avatar and Amit merely nodded. Then after a pause, Avatar said: “Yes, the Young Shopkeeper is correct.”

Hesitating, with a suspicious look at the Young Shopkeeper, the Village Boy led his Donkey away, a sack on either side on the Donkey.

Avatar, Amit and the Young Shopkeeper exchanged looks. They smiled at each other. Avatar and Amit got into the car and drove off. The question that neither of them asked: "Who is carrying the load? The Donkey, the Village Boy, or someone else?" hung in the air.

The sand bags were left lying there on that village road.

As always, it’s your comments that bring these stories to life. From the story, what emerges for you?