Stories from Hithopadhesha

THE DONKEY AND THE DOG

There was once a washerman in a village. He had a donkey and a dog. The donkey used to carry the clothes to and from the river. The dog would keep watch at night. Both of them slept in the yard.

One night a thief got into the house. The dog did not bark. The donkey called the dog and said: "Friend, why don't you bark and awaken our master?" The dog replied: "Mind your own business. I know how to take care of my master; besides there have been no thieves before this, and he does not feed me properly, and he does not know of what use I am to him."

The donkey got angry and said: "Oh! evil minded one, this is the gratitude you show your master. I will awaken my master and save him." So he brayed aloud and the thief ran away. But, the master awoke angrily and thrashed the donkey with a stick. Do you know why? It was not the donkey's business to awaken the master, and it brayed too loud and disturbed the master's sleep.

Moral: Mind your own business.