One day a farmer heard the distressed cry of a donkey and discovered it fallen down an abandoned well.

The farmer struggled unsuccessfully to pull the donkey out.

Finally, the farmer decided there was nothing he could do to save the donkey and he decided to fill in the well, at the same time ending the donkey’s misery. He found a pile of rubble and began shoveling it into the well.

Realising his end was neigh the donkey wailed horribly. Then, a few shovelfuls later, he quietened down completely.

Peering into the well, the farmer was astonished to see the donkey shaking the rubble off as it fell on his back. As the donkey was shaking off each layer of dirt he stepped up onto the rising mound.

As the pile increased the donkey stepped closer to the edge of the well, finally reaching the top and eventually trotting away.

There’s a moral to this story:

Don’t allow yourself to be buried under the weight of dirt and rubble that life throws at you. Shake it off and step up.

Contributed by

Liz Paine
Learning Insight
www.learninginsight.com.au