磨坊主和他的兒子一起趕著他們家的驢子，到附近的市場上去賣。沒走多遠，他們就看到了一群婦女聚集在井邊聊天。其中有一個說： “你們快看啊，竟然還有人放著驢子不騎自己非要走路的。 ”磨坊主聽到之後，馬上把驢子讓兒子騎著，自己愉快地走在旁邊。就這樣他們繼續趕路，過了沒多久，又遇到了幾個在激烈爭吵的老頭，隻聽其中一個說道： “啊哈，這就是我的觀點的證明啊！現在的社會哪裏還有什麼尊老愛老的風氣啊？你們看看，身強力壯的兒子騎在上麵，卻讓年老力衰的父親在下麵行走。快滾下來，你這個無可救藥的家夥！讓你的父親歇歇腳吧！ ”於是，兒子就把驢子讓給了老人，自己走著。他們沒走多遠，看見一群婦女和孩子迎麵走來。有幾個人立刻大喊： “怎麼可以這樣做啊，你這懶惰的老頭！可憐的孩子已經一點力氣也沒有了。 ”老實的磨坊主隻好讓兒子也騎到驢子背上。
快要到達目的地了，一個市民看到他們問道： “朋友，我可以問一下這驢子是你們自己的嗎？ ”老人說： “是啊！ ”這時另外的一個人說： “天哪，這頭可憐的驢子！你們怎麼可以這樣做？照我看，你們兩個人一起抬驢子走，也許要比騎驢子好得多。 ”老人說： “那就按照你的意見試一下。 ”於是，他和兒子從驢子背上下來，將驢子的腿捆起來，用一根木棍抬上驢子往前走。在經過市場出口的橋時，很多人圍過來看熱鬧，人群中不斷有人取笑他們。吵鬧聲和這種別扭的擺弄讓驢子很不舒服，它使勁掙脫了繩索和棍子，摔到河裏去了。這時，老人羞愧難當，急忙從小路逃回家去了。本來是要所有人滿意，結果所有的人都不滿意，還白白損失了一頭驢子。
任何事物都不可能讓所有人都滿意。
A Miller and his s their Ass to a neighb fair to sell him. They had not gohey met of womeed roualking and laughing. “Look there，” e of them，“did you ever see such fellows，t along the road ohey might ride?” The old mahis，quickly made his son mount the Ass，and ued to walk along merrily by his side. Presently they came up to a group of old mee. “There，” said o proves what I was a-saying. ect is shown to old age in these days? Do you see that idle lad riding while his old father has to walk? Get down，you young scapegrad let the old ma his weary limbs.” Upon this the old man made his son dismount，and got up himself. In this ma proceeded far whe a en and ，“Why，you lazy old fellow，” cried several to once，“how you ride upo，oor little lad there hardly keep pace by the side of you?” The good-natured Miller immediately took up his son behind him. They had now almost reached the town. “Pray，ho friend，” said a ，“is that Ass your own?”“Yes，” replied the old man. “O，one would so，” said the other，“by the way you load him. s are better able to carry the poor beast than he you.”“Anything to please you，” said the old ma try.” So， alighting with his sohe legs of the Ass together and with the help of a pole eo carry him on their shoulders e o the towaining sight brought the people in crowds to laugh at it，till the Ass，not liking the he strange handling that he was subject to，broke the cords that bound him and，tumbling off the pole， fell into the river. Upon this，the old man，vexed ahe best of his way home agai by eo please everybody he had pleased nobody，and lost his Ass in the bargain.