• This story is about:
A man, a boy
and a donkey; It was a fine summer morning. Juan jumped out of bed. Today he and his father would go to the big market to buy a donkey. It had taken a long time to get enough money to
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Father was already up . -- 1....-,_ ~li~'\~'1f~\.I'l' \1 and outside finishing the fJ!-...--:' ~~: I (!,' I morning chores and getting ..•., I j?1 I ',./
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rea':::a:~ ~~iIY was very (z);/ ~' " I d poor and simple. They ,. : ~ hardly ever left their small )/' /h,' ",' . farm, so a trip into town '7 /~~ was very special. Father, ~ ~~~. '.. however, did not like to go· to town very much. The ~ townspeople made him feel badly about being so poor and simple. He had never gone to school either and he felt awkward and embarrassed around them.
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Today, however, he would go into town to buy a donkey. The donkey would be a great help on the farm in pulling the plow and carrying the heavy loads. "Come Juan, let us go now!" called Juan's father at last, and so off they went. It was a long walk into town, but Juan didn't mind. The birds were chirping away and the honey bees were buzzing by looking for new flowers. Juan was so happy inside that he wanted to sing, and so he did. Father just laughed and smiled at him.
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At long last they came to the town. It was market day and people , were scurrying everywhere. Juan felt a Iittle afraid. There was so much noise and confusion. Father's face looked harder too, and he had stopped answering Juan's questions.
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Father turned down a
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a pile of garbage and then ran off. At last the street opened up into a big open area full of people and all sorts of things. Father hardly turned his head. He only wanted to buy the donkey and leave. Juan wanted so much just to stop and look at everyth ing but he was afraid that he would get lost in the crowd. Finally they came to a small corner of the market where a very fat man with a large beard was sitting. "Well, well," said the man when he saw Juan's father. "Let me guess, Pablo. You have at last got enough money to buy a donkey! " Behind the big man was a rather small shabby little donkey tied up. It seemed -~ to be half asleep.
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"Yes," said Juan's father --==-=------~-"="=='''''--=---...• *'''""=""~. and took from inside his
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coat a small package and gave it to the man. Juan 00' .£). knew it must be the money .. (~. , ~" that they had all worked so f,~ :.,....:, \ long and hard to save up. W I . .-. The big man smiled in a .' funny way as he opened I
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never seen so much money\. ; {\ together in his whole life. I "I should really charge you more for this fine animal," he said, "but as a special favour for you I am going to let you have it so cheaply." ~Juan's father didn't say much. The men shook hands and soon Juan and his father were leading the donkey back through the streets towards the open country.
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Juan was so excited he could hardly stand still. Even Juan's father seemed
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. Father lifted him up on the donkey's back, and said, "Well, I suppose a good donkey should be able to carry me too," and Father climbed onto the donkey's back with Juan. ~ -=-=-Then the trouble began. Some townspeople were passing by, and a thin man in dark clothes and a dark hat yelled out, "How terribly cruel you are to that Iittle donkey, making it carry both of you! "
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Juan's father was hurt and embarrassed, but he wanted to know if the donkey would be able to do the hard work on the farm. So he said to Juan, "Why don't you jump down and lead the donkey. I want to see if this donkey will be strong enough to carry the heavy loads." Soon, however, they passedby some women washing clothes. A big woman suddenly stopped her work to stare at them.
,. Then she said in a loud harsh voice, "Oh, look how cruel you are to make your little boy walk!" All the women stopped their work to stare at them. Juan's father felt badly again and got off the donkey, and set Juan on the donkey instead. Juan was not so happy any more. They just didn't seem to be able to do anything right that would please the people.
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It was not long before a group of school children passed by, led by a very stern-looking woman who sLiddenly stopped and said for everyone to hear, "Oh, look how cruel that little boy is to let his poor old father walk! " This time Juan was hurt. He quickly slipped off the donkey and walked quietly behind. Neither Juan nor his father even raised their eyes as they trudged homeward. They just wanted to get home.
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It was not long, however, -== _ before some men carrying ..some meat to the market on a pole between them, _. r: stopped to laugh and laugh ~~ J- at Juan and his father.
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"Look how ridiculous they are! " said the first. "They've got a donkey, but they're both walking!" . The second man called out to Juan's father jokingly, "Why don't you do the donkey a favour then and carry him?" The men laughed.
Juan seldom saw his father angry, but now he was. Juan's father walked over to the men. They stopped laughing. One of the men had a big pole. Then he set the donkey Juan's father took it from ~ifii._ him. down and untied it and "What a very good idea," lau~ed at the people of he said to the men. "It the town who were all seemsthat some people will staring at them. He gave Juan a big pat on the back criticize and complain, no and scratched the donkey's matter what you do to ears and set off merrily pleasethem. So I might for home. just as well learn how to carry my donkey, too, if I am going to live my life by the opinions of others." And with that, he tied the donkey's legs to a pole, and to the shock and amazement of the townspeople, he and Juan carried ~~-~!IIiiiii~j the donkey the last way out of the town. 44