A Donkey to Market

Once upon a time in Cambodia, there was this farmer dude and his kid. They took real good care of all the critters on their farm. There was this one baby donkey, grew up to be the most awesome and chubby donkey you ever saw. This donkey was tall and had some sleek brown fur.

So, the farmer, looking at the mighty donkey, says to his son, “Check out this beefy donkey, buddy! If only someone in our hood needed a donkey, we’d make some serious cash off of him. But all the farmers I know already got their donkeys. We gotta hit the road, way far, where folks ain’t got donkeys, to get the big bucks for him.”

The kid asks, “How far are we talkin’, pops? Can I come?”

The farmer thinks for a sec and goes, “It’d be cool to have you tag along on this long haul, kiddo. So, yeah, let’s do it!”

Kid’s like, “Where we headin’ then?”

“Kompang’s the spot,” says the farmer. Then he stops and says, “Hold up, there’s something we gotta think about. If we make that donkey trot all the way to Kompang, he might end up lookin’ scrawny by the time we get there. We’ll get a lousy deal for him.”

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Finally, the farmer gets an idea. He and his son wrangle that donkey and tie up his feet all nice and tight. They slide a pole between the pairs of feet. The farmer hoists the front of the pole on his shoulders, and the son gets the back. That way, they can carry the donkey. So, off they go to Kompang, with the donkey slung between them.

As they’re moseying along, they catch the eye of some folks from a nearby village. These folks can’t believe what they’re seein’. They start hootin’ and hollerin’, “Y’all ever seen somethin’ like this? Two dudes toting a donkey!” They shout, “Hey, grandpa! People don’t tote horses or cows, and they sure don’t tote donkeys. It’s them critters that should be givin’ us a ride!”

“Oh, snap!” the farmer says. So, they untie the donkey and let him stretch his legs. The farmer says, “We can’t both ride this donkey, he ain’t cut out for that. You ride solo, son, and I’ll walk behind ya.” And that’s what they do.

While they’re cruisin’ through another village, someone asks the kid, “Where you headin’, young blood?”

“To Kompang,” he says.

Pointing at the farmer, they ask, “Who’s this old dude followin’ ya?”

“My dad,” says the kid.

Hearing that, the villagers flip out. They say, “You’re a selfish little rascal! Why you hoggin’ the donkey when you can walk? Let your old man catch a ride.”

Well, the kid hops off the donkey faster than you can say “yeehaw,” and the farmer takes the reins. That’s how they roll. The kid’s walkin’ behind, sweatin’ and tired.

After a bit, they roll up to a village with a well, and a bunch of young ladies are there fetchin’ water.

Seein’ the strapping young lad, these ladies take a shine to him. They ain’t too pleased that an old man is ridin’ the donkey, while this handsome young buck is hoofin’ it in the heat.

They yell at the old man, “You ain’t the one who should be ridin’ that fine donkey, old-timer. It’s this young stud’s turn!”

So, the farmer and his son share a look and think, “We’re doin’ somethin’ wrong again!” They decide to both hop on the donkey, with the youngin’ up front and the old man ridin’ shotgun. That way, no one can get all riled up.

After a while, they come across a customs checkpoint. The officer there says, “Where you headin’, fellas?”

“To Kompang,” they reply.

The officer gets all snappy and says, “Your donkey can’t carry both of you for that long. If you keep ridin’ it all the way to Kompang, it’s gonna get all bony, and its value will tank. How dense can you be? Let the donkey walk!”

So, the farmer and his son shoot each other another look. They’re messin’ things up again! They get off the donkey and lead it by a rope.

When they get to a field, the road runs out, and they gotta cut through the field to find the other side. The owner of the field is there workin’, and he yells at them, “Watch your step! My field’s got thorns everywhere, ain’t been cleared yet.” The son steps on a thorn and hollers, “Ouch!” The field owner spots their donkey and hollers, “What in tarnation are y’all doin’? You got a donkey, why ain’t you ridin’ it? Y’all treatin’ that donkey like he’s the king! How foolish can you be?”

Man, oh man, the farmer and his son are at their wits’ end. They talk it over and finally say, “We’re gonna do things our way, and just let folks yap.”

And that’s how the farmer and his son made it to Kompang. They sold the donkey for a sweet price to a good family. Then they headed back home, no more fussin’ or mussin’. Follow us