Finally, he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway; so it just wasn't worth it to him to try to retrieve the donkey.
He invited all his nieghbors to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel and began to shovel into the well.
Realizing what was happening, the donkey at first cried wailed horribly. Then, a few shovelful's later, he quieted down completly. The farmer peered down into the well, and was astounded by what he saw.
With shovelful of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing.
He would shake it off and take a step up on the new layer of dirt. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.
Pretty soon, the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off, to the shock and astonishment of all the neighbors!
Moral
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to not let it bury you, but to shake it off and take a step up.
Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never give up.
Shake it off and take a step up!
Free your heart from hatered.
Live simply.
Give more.
Expect less.
Free your mind from worries.
Also, the donkey kicked the hell out of the farmer who tried to bury him. Which brings me to another moral for this story; When you try to cover your ass, it always comes back to get you.
