Khacharo and the Stubborn Donkey (2)

 

Khacharo, the mischievous boy from the first story, was now living with his uncle and aunt in a quiet village. This time, his uncle sent him on a task:

“Go to the mountains where the sheep graze in the meadows,” his uncle said. “Bring back all the wool on the donkey’s back—and come back quickly.”Khacharo, with his usual energy, set off with the donkey.

 The animal, however, was known for being stubborn and rebellious. When they reached the mountain meadows, Khacharo collected the wool from the shepherd and carefully loaded it onto the donkey’s back. Their journey back down the mountains began.

But soon, trouble came. Partway down the path, the donkey suddenly refused to move. It sat down on the trail and wouldn’t budge.

“Get up!” Khacharo shouted, tugging at its rope. He kicked it, smacked it lightly, and pleaded, “My uncle told me to come back quickly! If you don’t move, we’ll be late!”

Yet the donkey wouldn’t rise. What Khacharo didn’t know was that his uncle had told the donkey not to bring the boy back. The man, tired of Khacharo’s mischief, had planned to get rid of him this way.

Frustrated, Khacharo slumped down by a nearby stream. As he stared into the rushing water, he noticed a strange stick floating in the current. It shivered and trembled as if it were alive.

“I should help it,” Khacharo thought. He took a ball of wool from the donkey’s load and tossed it into the water, hoping the stick would catch it. But the current swept the wool away.

He tried again. And again. One by one, he threw all the wool into the stream, but each bundle was carried away—until finally, the very last ball of wool got stuck against the trembling stick.

Satisfied, Khacharo stood up. “The stick has caught some wool, so I’ve helped it. We’re free now!” he said. He turned to the donkey. “Come on, we’re getting late.”

Still, the donkey refused to move.

Khacharo glanced around and spotted a weeping willow tree nearby. He cut a switch from it, drove it into the damp ground, and muttered a strange warning:

“This stick will grow into a big tree. By the time it does, if you’re still sitting here, your side will rot away!”

The donkey’s eyes went wide with fear. Afraid of his curse, it sprang to its feet and hurried down the mountain path.

When they reached the house, Khacharo’s uncle looked at the donkey’s empty back in shock.

“Where’s the wool?” he asked.

“Oh, Uncle,” Khacharo sighed. “I saw a poor stick trembling in the cold water. I wanted to help it, so I threw the wool to it. Only the last bundle stayed; the rest was swept away.”

His uncle groaned at the loss, but he still had hope. He turned to the donkey and whispered, “Didn’t I tell you not to bring him back here? Why did you fail me?”

The donkey lowered its head and replied, “Master, I tried. I sat still and even endured his beatings. But when he warned that my side would rot if I didn’t get up, I became afraid. I thought I’d never see you again if that happened, so I had to stand and return.”

The uncle’s plan had failed, and he suffered a great loss of wool—all thanks to Khacharo’s cleverness and determination.