The Miller and His Donkey 磨房主和他的驴子

The Miller and His Donkey
磨房主和他的驴子
One morning, a miller said to his son, “We’ll take the donkey to town and sell it. Such a fine-looking animal should fetch a good price.”
So off they went, the miller and his son, leading their donkey along by a rope.
But at the town gate, they passed a crowd of giggling girls
“Why ever don’t you ride the donkey?” called one of the girls. “That’s what it’s for, isn’t it?”
“Why didn’t I think of that?” thought the miller
He lifted his son on to the donkey, and trudged on alongside them.
On they walked, past a wayside inn where two old men sat outside supping beer.
One said loudly to the other, “I never thought I’d live to see the day when some young whippersnapper would ride while his poor old father walked. I don’t know what children are coming to these days
The miller felt so embarrassed that he lifted his son off the donkey and climbed up himself.
The boy was quite content to trot along behind on foot.
But when they passed some mothers at the roadside, the women set up a fearful clucking.
“Just look at that mean old man! He rides along like an emperor, and his poor little boy has to walk. Shame on you!”
The miller, who could not bear anyone to think badly of him, at once lifted his son up behind him, and the two of them rode along, singing cheerfully.
But not for long.
A farmer leaning on his fence, smoking a leisurely pipe, called out to them, “Where are you heading on that poor wee donkey?”
“To market, to sell the donkey.”
“Pah! By the time you get to town, the poor wee beastie will be half dead from carrying the two of you. Nobody will pay you a penny for it.”
The miller was so horrified to hear this that he jumped down
“Why didn’t I think of that? Get off this instant, son, and find a long pole. If we can give the donkey a rest before it gets to town, perhaps it will be fit to sell.”
To the farmer’s great amusement, the miller and his son set about lashing the donkey to a pole by its feet.
They staggered off with the beast slung between them.
It was very slow-going.
At the edge of town, the road crossed over a river by way of a narrow stone Bridge.
Crowds of people were flocking to market, but they all stopped to stare when they saw the miller and his son crossing the bridge with a donkey slung between them.
“They’re carrying their donkey! Come and see! Did you ever see anyone as silly as these two？
Louder and louder, their laughter shook the bridge and echoed under its arches.
“Look at the donkey! Look at the miller and his donkey!”
The poor donkey, already confused by being hung upside down from a pole, took fright at the noise, and began to struggle and bray.
Suddenly, the knots tying his feet gave way.
The donkey plunged over the bridge, into the river, and was last seen swimming strongly out to sea.
Bewildered, the miller leaned over the parapet and watched the donkey go.
He scratched his head. （请见留言区）