Donkey Chronicles

 

I am not exactly sure how donkeys drink water. However, since childhood, I have heard that they drink muddy water. Even if they are provided with clean water, they apparently stir it with their feet until it becomes sufficiently muddy and then drink it.

I have seen a few donkeys in nature, but whenever I saw them, they were busy carrying loads. I never had the opportunity to observe how their masters provide them with water.

If the muddy water story is true, it seems their owners deliberately supply them with muddy water. Often, citizens complain that the water supplied by WASA (Water and Sewerage Authority) is muddy. If the city authorities are supplying muddy water, then what does that make the citizens? Is this a creative question, or should it be treated as an objective one with multiple-choice answers?

Possible answers could be:

a) Donkey

b) Mule

c) Jackass

d) Intellectual

How would that be?

The connection between creative and objective questions arising from discussing donkeys is purely coincidental. There surely cannot be any relationship between those who manage our country's examination system and donkeys.

Humayun Azad had said several times, "People praise lions but prefer donkeys." People, being intelligent creatures, prefer donkeys. In today's international market, there is no demand for lion meat. Even though tiger skins have some demand, lion skins are not sought after. Lions are called the "king of beasts," or perhaps the "president of animals." Apart from roaring occasionally, lions don't have much of a role. Since childhood, I've noticed that even in children's stories, lions only show their bravery against mice.

But do you know the current demand for donkey hides? One kilogram of donkey hides costs nearly 500 dollars or sixty thousand takas. The Chinese are buying almost all the donkey hides in the world to make medicine. If donkeys, like snakes, could regrow their skin once shed, their owners would skin them alive and sell the hides.

In every class of primary school, I received the respect of a donkey from every teacher. The same situation continued in high school. In college, I did not even receive as much attention from any teacher as would be necessary to be addressed as a donkey. In the English class at school, I learned loudly that a donkey is called ass in English. With this knowledge, when I came abroad, I tried to show off by writing, "Your ass will solve your problems" to explain to someone.

However, I did not know that the ass I had considered a donkey had changed. I assumed that by simply interpreting the word in its straightforward meaning, everyone would accept it, but that was not the case. The person I was addressing thought I was referring to a specific part of their body. They could not understand that I was only trying to help them unselfishly.

If you have been reading this article from the beginning until now, you can understand that this writing has no specific aim. It is nothing but a reflection of our education system.