Story about fear: A donkey, a boy, an old man, and peer pressure

An old man and a young boy, accompanied by their loyal donkey, were preparing for their journey to town. They lived in a small village where everyone knew each other, and news traveled fast. The boy was eager about the trip, while the old man, wise from years of experience, observed everything with a calm smile. As they set off, the boy rode the donkey while the old man walked beside him. Soon, they passed some villagers who commented amongst themselves, “Look at that! The young boy rides while the old man walks. What a shame! He should respect his elders.” Hearing this, the boy’s excitement faded. He frowned, his mind filling with worry. He turned to the old man and shared his thoughts. “If they think I don’t respect you, does that make me a bad person?” The old man, patient and understanding, responded, “What you are feeling is called peer pressure. It is when others’ opinions make you doubt your own decisions. But should you always change what you do just because someone disapproves?” The boy wasn’t sure, but the villagers’ words continued to weigh on him. He insisted on switching places, so the old man rode the donkey while the boy walked. The old man, seeing an opportunity to teach an important lesson, agreed with a nod. They continued their journey until they passed another group near the town. This time, they heard a different remark. “What a shame! That poor little boy walks while the old man rides so comfortably.” Once again, the boy felt uncertain. He turned to the old man. “What should we do now?” he asked. Instead of answering, the old man posed a question. “What do you want to do?”

The boy thought for a moment. He didn’t want to be judged again, so he suggested, “Maybe we should both walk beside the donkey. That way, no one will say anything.” The old man smiled and agreed. So they walked alongside the donkey, believing this to be the best solution. But before long, they passed another group of people who laughed loudly, exclaiming, “How foolish! You have a donkey, yet you both walk! What a waste!” The boy’s face fell. No matter what they did, someone always had something to say. Frustrated, he suggested, “Let’s both ride the donkey this time. That should stop the comments.” The old man climbed back onto the donkey, and the two continued their journey together. For a short while, everything seemed fine, until they came across a few townspeople who gasped in shock. “That poor donkey! You’re overloading it! How cruel of you!” The boy’s heart pounded with anxiety. He had only wanted to do the right thing, but every choice seemed wrong in someone’s eyes. He looked to the old man for guidance, but once again, the old man asked, “What do you want to do?” The boy thought deeply. He wanted to make sure they weren’t hurting the donkey. He noticed they were approaching a narrow bridge, and remembering the comments about the donkey’s burden, he came up with a new idea. “Let’s carry the donkey across the bridge so it won’t slip and fall.”

Without hesitation, the old man agreed, allowing the boy to see his idea through. They carefully lifted the donkey and began walking across the bridge. But the donkey, uncomfortable being carried, wriggled and kicked. The boy lost his grip, and to his horror, the donkey tumbled into the river below. Gasps erupted from the onlookers. The boy was overwhelmed with shame, his thoughts consumed not by the lost donkey but by the eyes of the people watching. Meanwhile, the old man calmly went to rescue the donkey. When he returned, drenched and weary, he placed a gentle hand on the boy’s shoulder and said, “Today, you received a valuable lesson about peer pressure.” As they resumed their journey, the old man asked, “Think back on everything that happened. If you had trusted yourself instead of changing your actions for others, how would this day have gone?” The boy thought long and hard. He realized that no matter what they did, someone always had an opinion. And because he had worried so much about pleasing others, they had ended up making choices that didn’t make sense. He looked up at the old man and smiled. “I think I understand now. If we had just done what we believed was right, we wouldn’t have ended up nearly losing the donkey.” The old man nodded approvingly. “Exactly. When you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one, not even yourself. Always listen, but choose wisely what advice to follow.”