Prevod

Among the tales told is that of a simpleton who was walking along, leading his donkey by its halter, when two rogues caught sight of him. One said to the other, “I shall take that donkey from this man.” “How will you do it?” his companion asked. “Follow me, and I shall show you.” So he followed him. The rogue went up to the donkey, slipped off its halter, handed the animal over to his companion, and put the halter on his own head. He walked behind the simpleton until he was sure his companion had made off with the donkey, then stopped. The simpleton tugged at the halter, but he would not move. Turning around, the man saw the halter on a human head and said, “What are you?” “I am your donkey,” the rogue replied, “and I have a strange tale to tell. I had an old and pious mother, and one day I came to her drunk. She said to me, ‘My son, repent before Almighty God of these sins.’ But I took a stick and beat her with it. She called down a curse upon me, and Almighty God turned me into a donkey and delivered me into your hands. I remained with you all this time, until today my mother remembered me, and God softened her heart toward me. She prayed for me, and God restored me to human form as I was before.” The man said, “There is no power and no strength save in God, the Most High, the Almighty! I beg you, my brother, for God’s sake, forgive me for riding you and for everything else I have done to you.” Then he let him go. The donkey’s owner returned home, beside himself with grief and distress. His wife said to him, “What has happened to you, and where is the donkey?” He replied, “You know nothing of the donkey’s story, so I shall tell you.” And he told her the tale. “Woe to us before Almighty God!” she cried. “How could we have spent all this time making a human being work for us?” Then she gave alms and begged God’s forgiveness. The man stayed at home for some time without working, until his wife said to him, “How long will you sit at home doing nothing? Go to the market, buy us a donkey, and put it to work.” So he went to the market and stood among the donkeys, and there was his own donkey up for sale. Recognizing it, he went over, put his mouth to its ear, and whispered, “Woe to you, you wretch! You must have gone back to drinking and beaten your mother again. By God, I shall never buy you again!” Then he left it and went away.