The farmer and the donkey.
There once lived a young, very kind and honest donkey. He wanted nothing more than to work hard and see good for all of his days. One day, he had an offer from a local farmer to come and work for him. He would be allowed to do donkey-ish work of the utmost importance, the work the donkey would be doing would not be glamorous, mostly, but it would be emotionally fulfilling and it would help others on the farm to improve their lot in life. When asked about pay, the farmer could only promise the donkey that in return for his hard work he would receive a great treasure in the future. The farmer would not tell the donkey how long he would have to work until the treasure would be paid, he only promised that he would treat the donkey with dignity, respect and love. Treating him like his very favorite draft animal and teaching him to do great things and how to be the very best donkey he could be. He learned that he would still have to find a stable to live in, provide his own foodstuffs and other necessities. the Farmer assured the donkey that the workload would not be too heavy though and that the Donkey would have the time he needed to accomplish those things, in fact the work that the Donkey would be doing on the farmers land would often lead to opportunities to care for his own personal needs. And the other livestock on the farm did whatever they could to help one another out.
The donkey was intrigued. He wanted to think about the offer and left the farmer, assuring him that he would seriously consider the offer.
As the Donkey walked through the woods to where he stabled, another farmer approached him from the glen. This farmer too had an offer of employment for the donkey. The Second Farmer told the Donkey that his farm was the gre\atest farm in the land and that all of the draft animals in the county wanted to work for him. The work was of the very most interesting in nature. Exciting efforts that would truly allow the donkey to expand his horizons and achieve great things in the animal kingdom, in fact animals everywhere would know the Donkey's name and respect him for this efforts and abilities. Others would aspire to be like him. The Donkey inquired about compensation and lodging. The Second Farmer assured him that he would have the very best in lodging and that he would be feed the sweetest and purest oats that any farmer could feed his livestock.
The Donkey's eye twinkled and a grin grew on his face. He knew in his heart that it is better to be a simple, hardworking draft animal than it is to be a grandstanding lion, but the offer of the second farmer was just too great. A life of ease and respect. Having all that animals wanted... things he'd seen other animals enjoy, things he wanted for himself. Regardless of what he had been taught, what the Second Farmer offered was just too great to be passed up. 'Besides,' the Donkey reasoned, 'if the Second Farmer fails to meet my idea of the ideal, I can always leave and find a place with the first Farmer. He had promised that there would ALWAYS be a position for the kind draft animal on his land.
The Donkey did not return to the first Farmer. Instead he went to work for the Second Farmer, who had found him in the woods and made this fantastic offer.
The very next day, the Donkey went to work for the Second Farmer. His land was vast, his houses many and beautiful. Everywhere he looked there were animals just as busy as they could be working hard for the Second Farmer. Many seemed very happy and content with their assignments.
And so, the Second Farmer wasted no time finding the Donkey work and a place to stay. And what a place it was. Fresh straw every day, someone cleaned your stall for you and there was a blanket that would be draped over him as the Donkey Slept. At first there was not a lot to do, many things to learn and understand about the workings of a farm, eventually there was much work to be done and the Donkey was very happy learning these tasks and making relationships with the other farm animals. Before long however, the Second Farmer approached the Donkey and explained that there was a new animal that would be joining them on the farm and that the new animal would need a place to stay. The Donkey was relocated. It was no longer in the main barn with all of the beautiful animals. Instead the Donkey was moved into an old shed with several other draft animals. The Second Farmer also decided that he could save money if he could reduce the quality of the oats he was feeding to the Donkey.
And so, the Second Farmer bought bags of the cheapest oat he could find. This was not cheap enough though, so in time the farmer replaced a tenth of the feed with sawdust.... the Donkey, who was busier than ever working on the Farm did not notice.
Then one day, the Second Farmer came again and told the Donkey that he would be needed to turn the mill and that the work he was doing would be done by another animal that the Second Farmer had brought onto the farm. Further, the Mill was in such a place that the Donkey would no longer be allowed to stay in shed, but rather, would have to live outside the mill under a plank roof that the Second Farmer had constructed.
And the Second Farmer further reduced the Donkey's diet to 70% oats and mixed in sawdust to bulk it up. Again, the Donkey did not notice. And this went on for some time.
The Second Farmer continued like this for a long time. The Donkey's quarters got progressively worse and his food became of less and less quality. Then one day the Donkey found himself standing in the rain in a muddy field, the Second Farmer no longer gave him a place to stay. And his diet was now mostly sawdust, with only a few bits of Oat in order to add some flavor to the meal. However, the Second Farmers demands of work had not lessened on the poor Donkey, rather he was expected to work harder than ever at things that were very hard and menial. The Donkey was miserable, and weak and tired.
And the though occurred to him regarding the offer of the first farmer, but now the poor Donkey was too tired and weak to leave. And so he continued in his employment and misery for many years growing weaker and more unhappy.
One day the Donkey, nearly forgotten by the Second Farmer, lay down in a field and closed his eyes. That was his final task on the Second Farmers land; cold, miserable and alone.