There were two donkeys in a circus party. The responsibility on them was to

show acrobatic tactics on a rope. The owner of the circus, naturally, did not

feed them well lest they should become too much bulky to perform

properly.

 

The donkeys were passing days quite well, but their happiness could not last

long. Once the circus party set their tents in a distant village where they

found another donkey, a stout one, grazing in a field with a rapturous mood.

The circus donkeys came to know that the owner of the village donkey was

a washer man whose washed clothes the donkey would carry in and out, and

for that duty the owner would feed him well. The work was not a difficult

one either. The two circus donkeys felt jealous of the washer man’s donkey.

They asked him if the washer man needed any more donkeys. In due course,

the donkey of the washer man wished the other two donkeys to the family

of his owner.

 

 

One of the donkeys of the circus, following the theory that he who runs

away can survive, left the circus party and joined the family of the washer

man. The washer man now got two donkeys, and the green natural location

of the village had a vast collection of grass. The two donkeys were

becoming stouter and carrying the loads of the owner. In the afternoon they

would sing beside the river in a gentle breeze.

 

 

 

In that way many years passed, and once again that circus party came to that

same village. One afternoon, the circus donkey, coming out to loiter, found

his old friend. For the splendor and physical beauty of the donkey of the

washer man the circus donkey had difficulty to recognize him, and the

wretched appearance of the circus donkey also had the same impression for

the washer man’s donkey. The circus donkey had become so lean and thin

that it seemed that he might fall down and die in any moment finishing his

donkey life.

 

 

 

They both could recognize each other with their voice, and then they

exchanged  greetings .  The two donkeys of the washer man

felt affectionate to the circus donkey seeing his lean and thin appearance.

They asked him, “Why do you want any more? You have shown the tactic

trapeze much; now you should stop it and take some rest. Although seeing

your physical condition, our owner will not at first agree to keep you, if we

request them the washer man and his wife would consent.”

 

 

 

The circus donkey called his old friend aside and said to him that showing

his tricks for days and night, he was very tired, but he was going on taking

the pains for one expectation. The beautiful daughter of the owner was then

showing the same tactics now. Once she had fallen from the rope, and the

owner had warned her that if she fell another time, she would be married to

the donkey. From that time on the donkey was going on watching the feet of

the girl while she was on her performance expecting that if she fell he

would be able to get married with her: the princess and the empire, the

ownership of the whole circus party, would come under his possession.

 

 

 

In 1981 when I started my service in the world of the bureaucrats, I have

been tolerating the slaps of the bureaucrats having only one expectation:

once the beautiful daughter of the owner will slip down from the rope.

 

 

 

16 January 2003

 

 

 

‘দুই গাধার গল্প’ কবিতার অনুবাদ

[Translated by Dulal Al Mansur]