GOING TO TOWN

Music: Raga Gorakh Kalyan by Shivkumar Sharma

There is an old Sufi story about how to do things the right way . . .

One day . . .

Dovrogheen and his young son went to town with their donkey

Dovrogheen rode while the son walked

Soon, two men approached, and one of them said

"Old man, it is shameful that you ride while your young son walks."

So, after they passed Dovrogheen got off the donkey and lifted his son onto it

and they proceeded, Dovrogheen walking.

Then, two women approached

and when they were within hearing distance, one of them said,

"It is disrespectful, my boy, to ride on that donkey while your aged father walks "

So,

After they passed, Dovrogheen got back on the donkey, and they were both now riding.

In a while, a man and his wife came up to them and said

"What a cruel thing you do, my friends, both riding that poor donkey

Do you want to break his back?"

and so,

Dovrogheen got off the donkey, lifted his son down

and they proceeded along the road to town, all three walking.

Just as they came to the outskirts of the town

a group of young students on some steps looking across the road began to laugh

"Look at this, my friends, here's a lesson for you

two dunces have a donkey to ride, but instead, they are going walking

How foolish can you get?"