Once a Lark and her little ones lived together in a nest in a field of ripened wheat. The mother bird was afraid the reapers might come before the young larks could fly. So every morning when she went for food she told them to listen carefully to all they heard and tell her when she returned. On the first evening they said, “We heard the farmer tell his son to ask the neighbors to help reap the wheat.” “Oh, no danger yet,” said Mother Lark. The next evening they said, “We heard the farmer tell his son to ask his uncle and cousins to help reap the wheat.” “Oh, no danger yet!” said the mother. On the third evening they said, “To-day we heard the farmer say to his son, ‘To-morrow we will reap the wheat ourselves!’” “Then,” cried the mother, “we must fly away at once, for the wheat is sure to be cut now. When a man makes up his mind to do a thing himself, it is more likely to be done.” She took her young ones away at once, and the next day the wheat was reaped by the farmer and his son.
Once an old Miller and his son were walking along a country road behind their Donkey, which they were driving to town to sell. On the way they met some girls who said, “Look! What stupid people to walk instead of riding.” Wishing to please them the old Miller put his son on the Donkey and walked along by their side. Soon they came to some men who shouted: “Look; what a lazy lout! Are you not ashamed to ride, while your poor old father walks?” Wishing to please them the Miller told his son to get down while he mounted and rode. Not long after they met some women who cried, “Look, what a shame for that selfish old father to ride while his son walks!” So the father, wishing again to please, took up his son behind him. They had not gone far when they met a man who said, “Look at that shameful sight! Why, those two strong fellows are better able to carry that poor beast than he is to carry them.” Wishing to please him the Miller and his son got down, tied the Donkey’s legs together between a long pole, shouldered the load, and began carrying the Donkey in this way along the road. When they came to the town bridge they met a crowd of people who shouted with such laughter and jeers at this funny sight of seeing them carrying a Donkey, that the frightened animal kicked himself loose, and fell over the bridge into the river and was drowned. The Miller said to his son, “By trying to please everybody we have pleased nobody and lost our Donkey.”