The Donkey’s Language

Subhas and Gautam, two friends, met in the market and bought two donkeys. They returned to their homes in two different villages.

Subhas instructed his donkey to perform various tasks. “Eat!” he would say, “Now take a rest!” or “Come for work!” However, his donkey did not obey him, leaving Subhas feeling frustrated.

After two weeks, the friends met again. “How is your donkey behaving?” Subhas asked Gautam. “Fine. He has learned to obey my directions very well,” replied Gautam. “That is surprising. My donkey does not understand my language at all!” lamented Subhas.

“My friend, my donkey would never have understood me if I had spoken in my own language. I did not do that. Instead, I observed the donkey and learned his language—specifically, the gestures he made and the signals he gave to indicate his mood. Only then did he begin to obey me,” explained Gautam.