The Washer, the Dog, and the Rooster
In a village, there was a washerman who owned a donkey, a dog, and a rooster. Whenever the washerman went to the river to wash clothes, the dog accompanied him. Upon reaching the river, the washerman would tie the donkey with a long rope, and the dog would lie down in the grass nearby.
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One day, the rooster said to the dog, “You both are friends with each other, but you don’t consider me your friend.” The dog replied, “We are all friends; we live in the same place, and we have the same owner.” The rooster insisted, “You and the donkey go out, while I spend all day wandering around the small courtyard. I wish to explore the world like you both.”
The dog explained to the rooster, “Every creature and every human has different roles. The donkey carries loads, and I stay awake all night guarding the house. But you, you roam around peacefully all day. Be grateful that you don’t have any work to do.”
Unconvinced by the dog’s words, the rooster proposed, “Tomorrow, I will go with you both to the riverbank, and then we will return home together in the evening.” The next day, as the washerman loaded clothes onto the donkey, the dog and the rooster joined him. The washerman, unaware that the rooster had followed them, tied the donkey with a long rope as usual.
While the washerman worked, the dog found shade under a tree and lay down silently. Meanwhile, the rooster wandered a bit farther away. Suddenly, a stray dog noticed the rooster and attacked. The rooster, quick to react, jumped onto a wall to escape the threat. Witnessing this, the washerman’s dog began barking loudly to warn of the danger.
Hearing the commotion, the washerman rushed back, surprised to find the rooster with them. The dog, in an attempt to protect the rooster, barked vigorously. The washerman, angered by the unexpected turn of events, scolded the rooster. He decided to confine the rooster in a cage, instructing his wife not to let it out.
The washerman’s wife, upset by the incident, advised her husband to be cautious and not let the rooster roam freely. From that day forward, the rooster’s freedom was restricted, and it spent all its days confined to a cage. Eventually, the rooster realized the consequences of its desire for freedom.
One day, the rooster approached the dog and said, “I did not heed your advice, and now my freedom is gone. From now on, I will focus on my responsibilities.” The dog, wise from experience, explained, “Those who find ease in others’ work and consider their own tasks burdensome are never content. Every task has its own significance, and one should approach their work with dedication and diligence.”
The rooster thanked the dog for the valuable lesson and vowed to uphold its duties in the future. The story teaches us the importance of understanding and appreciating our roles and responsibilities, recognizing the value of hard work, and being content with our own tasks rather than longing for what others have.