Compassion for the Donkey

The villagers put all their money together to buy a communal donkey.

Then they sent Seha to the market. "Buy a good donkey," they said.

Seha bought a good donkey.

As he walked beside it going home, passersby scoffed, "Look at that fool walking, not riding!"

So Seha rode the donkey.

"He'll drive that donkey to an early grave!" other passersby remarked.

So Seha picked up the donkey and carried it.

The villagers ran to greet thim. "Look at Seha's compassion for the donkey!" they shouted. "We did well to send Seha to the market; he knew what to do."

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Inspired by: "Seha's Compassion for Donkeys" in Jewish Folktales from Morocco: Tales of Seha the Sage and Seha the Clown by Marc Eliany, published in 2021. 
Notes: The book is not available online. Compare the famous fable of the father and the son bringing their donkey home from the market: Father and Son and Donkey.

photo by marcy0414 at Flickr