The Miller, His Son and the Donkey

关于这个故事

The Miller, His Son and the Donkey is a fable attributed to Aesop that has been retold in many versions over the centuries; it is best known from Jean de La Fontaine's Fables (1668). A miller and his son take their donkey to market and change their plan every time a passer-by finds fault, until they end up carrying the donkey. In some older tellings the donkey tumbles off a bridge and is lost; in this VoiceSmiths retelling he swims to the bank and trots home safe.

讲给孩子听的小贴士

• Each time a new passer-by speaks, pause and ask: is that person right? What will the miller do now?
• Act it out with a toy donkey: walk beside it, ride it, ride two at once, then try carrying it!
• Talk about a time someone told your child they were doing something wrong, and how they decided whether to listen.

常见问题

Which fable teaches that you can't please everyone?

The Miller, His Son and the Donkey. A miller and his son change what they are doing every time a passer-by finds fault, and end up carrying their donkey while the whole town laughs at them.

What is the moral of The Miller, His Son and the Donkey?

If you try to please everyone, you will please no one. The moral is often summed up as "Please all, and you will please none."

Who wrote The Miller, His Son and the Donkey?

The fable is attributed to Aesop and has been told in many versions; the most famous is by the French poet Jean de La Fontaine, in his Fables of 1668. This version is a VoiceSmiths retelling for children in which the donkey comes home safe.