Wisdom for Today’s Moms …from a Man, his Son, and Their Donkey?
We are always on the hunt for folktales that have relevant lessons for our modern lives. One day I was looking for stories to teach my kids about wise approaches to financial management. I came across an article titled, “Timeless Money Lessons from Classic Fables”. (1)
Of the collection, the story that caught my attention was called “The Miller, His Son, and Their Donkey”. I had never heard of it before. A little background research revealed that this is a common tale type. So common, in fact, that it has its own motif in the Aarne-Thompson classification system, #1215.
This story has many variations, coming from both Arabic and European cultural traditions. It is sometimes attributed to Aesop, although this point appears to be in question. (2) Some versions are verbose poems. The most easily understandable source I could find was from folklorist Joseph Jacobs, from The Fables of Aesop.
After reading it, I didn’t really think of it as a Money Lesson. A wry smirk spread across my face and I felt a pang in my heart. This is a Mom Lesson.
<We recommend pausing here to read the full text of the tale in our Story Library>
Isn't this exactly what it is like to be a woman with children at home during these years of the contrived Mommy Wars?
Individuals around us and in the media are all too happy to give their opinion about the decisions you are making, or being forced to make, and how it equates to your value as a mother.
The Mommy Wars was originally written about in the context of a supposed battle between working vs. stay-at-home moms (4). Over the last 25 years, the rhetoric has expanded to include lists of incendiary topics (5), including approaches to feeding, schooling, sleeping, and discipline (just to name a few).
Like every modern mom, both Erin and I have too many anecdotes of being critiqued for our approaches to child-rearing and balancing the other elements of our lives. It’s enough to make you just throw up your hands in frustration and say “I can’t Win”.
But this is where the wisdom of “The Man, His Son, and Their Donkey” comes in. You can’t please everyone. If you try to, you will please none, likely not even yourself.
Sources:
Campbell, Jesse. “Timeless Money Lessons from Classic Fables.” Www.moneymanagement.org, Money Management International, 15 Sept. 2020, www.moneymanagement.org/blog/important-money-lessons-from-classic-fables. Accessed 7 Apr. 2024.
“The Miller, His Son, and the Donkey.” Wikipedia, 9 Jan. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_miller. Accessed 7 Apr. 2024.
Thompson, Tracy. “The Mommy Wars.” Washingtonpost.com, The Washington Post, 15 Feb. 1998, www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/mommywars/mommy.htm. Accessed 7 Apr. 2024.
G., Meg. “11 Topics Guaranteed to Ignite Mommy Wars.” ScaryMommy.com, Scary Mommy Blog, 17 Feb. 2015, www.scarymommy.com/topics-guaranteed-to-ignite-mommy-wars. Accessed 7 Apr. 2024.
