God created the donkey and said to him: "You will be a donkey. You
will work untiringly from sunrise to sunset
carrying burdens on your back. You will eat grass, you
will have no intelligence and you will live 50 years. " The
donkey answered: "I will be a donkey, but to live 50 years is much.
Give me only 20 years." God granted his wish.
God created the dog and said to him: "You will guard the house of
man. You will be his best friend. You will eat the scraps that he gives
you and you will live 30 years. You will be a dog." The dog
answered: "Sir, to live 30 years is too much, give me only 15 years." God granted his wish.
God
created the monkey and said to him: "You will be a monkey. You will
swing from branch to branch doing tricks. You will be amusing and you will
live 20 years." The monkey answered: "To live 20 years is
too much, give me only 10 years." God granted his wish.
Finally God created man and said to him: "You will be man, the only
rational creature on the face of the earth. You will use your intelligence
to become master over all the animals. You will dominate the world and you
will live 20 years." Man responded: "Sir, I will be a man
but to live only 20 years is very little, give me the 30 years that the
donkey refused, the 15 years that the dog did not want and the 10
years the monkey refused. " God granted man's wish ...
And since then, man lives 20 years as a man, marries
and spends 30 years like a donkey, working and carrying
all the burdens on his back. Then
when his children are grown, he lives 15 years like a dog
taking care of the house and eating whatever is given to him, so that when
he is old, he can retire and live 10 years like a monkey,
going from house to house and from one son or daughter to another
doing tricks to amuse his grandchildren.
That's Life. Is it not?
By Tim Pedrosa