Click here to go back to main page

Read the following traditional story and then answer the questions

Goha gives his son a lesson  

Goha had a son who was always worried about what people thought of him. The boy could never do anything because he thought other people would think he was foolish.

Goha wanted to teach his son that it was a waste of time to worry about the opinions of other people. He saddled his donkey and told his son he was going to a neighbouring village. Goha got on the donkey and asked his son to walk behind him. On the way they passed some people who pointed at Goha and said, “Look at that cruel man who rides his donkey and lets his son walk. He has no feelings.”

When he heard this, Goha got off the donkey and asked his son to get on, while he himself walked. Again as they passed by, some people pointed at the boy and said

“Just look at that boy who has no manners and rides that donkey while his old father has to walk.”

Goha thought about this and decided they should both ride the donkey. So they both climbed onto the donkey’s back and set off again. Again they passed by some people who pointed to them both riding on the donkey and said

“What a cruel man he is. He has no pity for his donkey and allows both him and his son to ride at the same time.”

Again Goha thought about what the people had said and so he and his son got off the donkey. They both walked behind it. This time as they passed some people he heard them saying

To themselves

“What a couple of fools they are! Imagine walking when you have a donkey you could ride.”

This time Goha was at a loss. Finally after a lot of thought he said to his son

“Come on. Let’s carry the donkey between us. So they lifted up the donkey and staggered along the road. Some people saw them and started laughing.

“Look at those two mad people, carrying their donkey instead of riding it!”

So they finally put the donkey down and Goha said to his son

“You must know, my son that whatever you do in life, you will never please everyone.”

 Click here to find the questions