God created the donkey and said to him:
"You will be a donkey. You will work un-tiringlyfrom 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 be a dog. 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."
The dog answered:
"I will be a dog, but 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:
"I will be a monkey, but 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:
"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.