The Old Man, His Son and a Donkey

A man and his son were once going with their donkey to market. As
they were walking along by its side, a countryman passed them and said, “You
fools, what is a donkey for but to ride upon?”

So the man put the boy on the donkey and went on their way. But soon
they passed a group of men, one of whom said, “See that lazy boy, he lets his
father walk while he rides.”

So the man ordered his boy to get off, and got on himself. But they hadn’t gone
far when they passed two women, one of whom said to the other: “Shame on that lazy
old man to let his poor little son walk along. “Well, the Man didn’t know what to do,
but at last he took his Boy up before him on the donkey. By this time they had come to
the town, and the passersby began to tease and point at them. The man stopped and
asked why. The men said, “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor
donkey with you and your son?
The man and the boy got off and tried to
think what to do. They thought and they thought,
till at last they cut down a pole, tied the donkey’s feet to it, and raised the pole and
the donkey to their shoulders. They went along in the middle of the laughter of all
who met them till they came to Market Bridge, when the donkey, getting one of his
feet loose, kicked out, and caused the boy to drop his end of the pole. In the struggle,
the donkey fell over the bridge, and with his feet tied together, he drowned. “That
will teach you,” said an old man who had followed them: “Please all, and you will
please none.”

Questions:

1. What do you think man and his son did?

2. What do you think the man did?
3. What do you think did the man and his son do?
4. What do you think did the man and his son do?
5. To whom did the old man and his son listen?

Lion and the Mouse

(Aesop-Adapted)

One day a lion was sleeping in the forest. A little mouse

was looking for something to eat. She ran over his paw.
The lion opened his eyes. He roared at the mouse. He put
his paw over her. “I will eat you,” he cried.
“I did not know it was you,” said the mouse. “Please let
me go. Someday I will help you.”
“Foolish mouse!” said the lion. “What can a little thing like
you do? I am strong. How could you ever help me?
The lion laughed, but let the mouse go. He did not think
the little mouse could ever help him.
Soon after this the lion was running in the forest. He ran
into a trap.
The trap was a net made of rope.
The lion tried to break the net, but the rope was strong.
The mouse saw the lion in the net, she said, “I will help you.”
It was hard to chew the strong rope. The mouse bit and
chewed for a long time. At last she chewed the rope enough
so that the lion could break the net.
“You have saved my life. Thank you,” roared the lion, as
he walked away into the forest.
“A little mouse can help after all,” said the mouse.