A miller, a kind man with flour often dusting his nose, and his young son decided one bright morning it was time to sell their donkey. The market was a bit of a walk away, in the next town.

So, off they went. The miller walked, his son walked, and the donkey trotted happily beside them, probably thinking about a tasty carrot.

Soon, they passed some giggling girls. "Look at them!" one whispered loudly. "What silly people! They have a perfectly good donkey, and they're both walking!"

The miller scratched his head. "Hmm, perhaps they're right," he said to his son. "You hop on, son. You're younger." So, the boy climbed onto the donkey's back.

A little further on, they met a group of old men sitting by the road. "Well, I never!" one grumbled. "Look at that lazy young fellow, riding while his poor old father walks! No respect these days!"

"Oh dear," sighed the miller. "Maybe they have a point too. Let's swap places, son." So, the son hopped off, and the miller climbed on.

Not long after, a woman with a basket of laundry shook her head at them. "For shame!" she called out. "That big strong man riding, while that poor little boy has to trudge through the dust!"

The miller felt a bit flustered. "Goodness me," he muttered. "What are we to do? Perhaps... perhaps we should both ride?" So, the son scrambled up behind his father. The donkey, who was usually quite strong, wobbled a tiny bit under the double load.

As they neared the town, a merchant pointed. "Look at that! Those two are overloading that poor animal! It's cruel! They'll break its back!"

The miller was now very confused and a little upset. "We just can't seem to please anyone!" he said. "What if... what if we carry the donkey? Then no one can say we're being mean to it!"

It seemed like a very strange idea, but they were desperate. They found a long pole, tied the donkey's feet to it, and hoisted the pole onto their shoulders. The donkey was NOT happy. It wriggled and kicked its tied legs.

As they carefully crossed a narrow bridge over a river, the donkey wriggled extra hard. It kicked and squirmed so much that it slipped right off the pole!

SPLASH! Into the river it went. And because its legs were tied, it couldn't swim very well. The current quickly carried it away.

The miller and his son stood on the bridge, soaking wet from the splash, with no donkey and no money. They had tried so hard to please everyone they met, and in the end, they had pleased no one at all, and lost their donkey too.

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