Once upon a time, there was a donkey named Uddhata who belonged to a washerman. During the day, Uddhata carried the washerman’s bags. At night, he was free to go and eat grass.

But Uddhata was a naughty donkey! Instead of eating grass, he went to nearby farms and ate yummy vegetables. Before sunrise, he’d sneak back home.

One night, Uddhata met a jackal. They became friends and met every night at the farms.

Uddhata was strong and could break through the farm fences. He’d eat vegetables, and the jackal would sneak in and eat chickens!

One night, Uddhata said, “I want to sing! The moon is so beautiful!”

The jackal said, “Uncle, we’re stealing! We need to be quiet! Your singing sounds like a loud horn! The farmers will hear you!”

Uddhata said, “You don’t understand music! My singing is wonderful!”

The jackal was scared. He said, “Okay, but I’ll watch outside the fence.”

The jackal ran away, and Uddhata started to sing – he brayed VERY loudly!

The farmers heard him and saw him in their farm! They chased him and hit him with sticks. Then, they tied a big wooden bowl around his neck as punishment and let him go!

The jackal laughed when he saw Uddhata coming back. “That was a great song, Uncle! The farmers gave you a necklace!”

The story teaches us: There’s a right time and place for everything!