The Miller His Son and Their Ass

Quick Answer

Why This Story Works for Bedtime

A light, reassuring lesson about trusting your own judgment. Great for bedtime values: confidence, calm choices, and letting go of outside noise.

Story Synopsis

A miller and his son set out with their donkey, hoping for a simple trip. But at every turn, strangers offer loud advice. If they walk, people mock them for not riding. If the boy rides, they scold him for letting his father walk. If the father rides, they call him unkind. If both ride, someone says it’s too much for the donkey. Trying to satisfy every comment, the pair keep changing what they do, and the journey becomes sillier and sillier. By the end, they learn the only lasting rule: do what’s sensible, not what every passerby demands.

Story Excerpt

A miller set out early one morning with his young son. The air was cool, and the road to town was long and dusty. Between them walked their donkey, plodding along with patient steps. The miller hoped to sell the donkey at the market and bring home a little money for the household. The boy kept close to his father, and the miller held the donkey’s rope. “ Steady now, ” he said, as if the donkey needed reminding. The donkey flicked an ear and walked on. Before they had gone very far, they met a troop of girls coming the other way. They were laughing and chatting as they walked, and when they saw the miller, his son, and the donkey, they called out with giggles, “ Did you ever see such a pair of fools? To be trudging along the dusty road when they might be riding! ” The miller blinked. He looked at the donkey’s broad back, then at his son’s small legs. “ They have a point, ” he murmured. So he helped his son climb up onto the donkey. The boy sat carefully, holding the rope lightly, and the miller walked beside them. The donkey’s hooves made soft, steady sounds on the road. For a little while it felt better — at least, it seemed so. But soon…

In One Glance