The Washerman's Donkey – Panchatantra Story for Kids

In a dusty village lived a Washerman named Ramu. He had two animals: a grey Donkey and a little spotted Dog. The Donkey worked very hard. Every morning, he carried heavy bundles of dirty clothes to the river. In the evening, he carried the clean, wet clothes back home. He lived in a small shed outside and ate grass and hay. The Dog, on the other hand, did no work at all. He stayed inside the house all day. He slept on a rug. When Ramu came home for lunch, the Dog would run to him, wagging his tail. Woof! Woof! He would jump into Ramu’s lap and lick his face. Ramu would laugh. “Good boy!” he would say, patting the Dog’s head. He would feed the Dog nice treats—bits of bread, milk, and sometimes even a sweet biscuit.

The Donkey watched all this through the window. He felt very jealous. “It is not fair,” thought the Donkey. “I work hard from sunrise to sunset. I carry heavy loads until my back aches. But the Master only pats me to make me move faster. He never gives me biscuits. He never lets me in the house.” He thought and thought. “Why does the Master like the Dog so much? It is because the Dog jumps on him and makes silly noises. If I do the same, surely the Master will love me too! I will become a lap-donkey!”

One hot afternoon, Ramu was taking a nap on his cot in the front room. The door was open to let in the breeze. The Donkey saw his chance. He chewed through his rope. Snap! He trotted quietly (or as quietly as a donkey can) into the house. He saw Ramu sleeping. “Now is the time!” thought the Donkey. He ran to the cot. He let out a loud, joyful bray. “HEEE-HAAAW! HEEE-HAAAW!” It sounded like a trumpet blast in the small room. Then, the Donkey tried to jump into Ramu’s lap, just like the Dog. He lifted his heavy front hooves and placed them squarely on Ramu’s chest. CRUNCH!

Ramu woke up screaming. “Help! Help! A monster!” He couldn’t breathe. A giant, heavy beast was crushing him and yelling in his face. “Get off! Get off!” shouted Ramu. He pushed the Donkey away. The Donkey, thinking Ramu wanted to play, tried to lick his face with his rough, sandpaper tongue. Ramu scrambled out of bed, terrified. He grabbed his walking stick. “Out! Get out, you crazy animal!” yelled Ramu. He chased the confused Donkey out of the house and back to the shed. “Stay there!” he scolded. “And don’t you ever come inside again!”

The poor Donkey stood in his shed, hanging his head. Tears rolled down his long nose. “I don’t understand,” he sobbed. “The Dog does it, and he gets a treat. I do it, and I get chased with a stick.” An old Cow in the next stall chewed her cud and spoke wisely. “My dear friend,” she said. “You aren’t a dog. You are a donkey. You are big and strong, not small and cuddly. You cannot win love by pretending to be someone you are not. The Master values you for your hard work, not for your lap-sitting skills.” The Donkey realized his mistake. He decided to just be the best donkey he could be, and from then on, he was happy in his own way.

Moral of the Story: Be yourself. Trying to copy others only leads to trouble. Everyone has their own unique strengths.