[이솝우화] 방앗간 주인, 그의 아들, 그리고 당나귀 🧔🫏 THE MILLER, HIS SON, AND THEIR ASS 🧔🫏 粉屋と息子とロバ

방앗간 주인은 어린 아들과 함께 당나귀를 시장으로 몰고 가며 팔 사람을 찾고 있었습니다. 
길에서 소녀들이 깔깔거리며 말했습니다.
“이 바보들 좀 봐! 당나귀가 있는데 왜 먼지를 뒤집어쓰고 걸어가고 있어?”
방앗간 주인은 그 말이 일리가 있다고 생각해 아들을 당나귀에 태우고 자신은 옆에서 걸었습니다.

조금 후, 그의 친구들이 다가와 말했습니다.
“네 아들 버릇 나빠지겠다! 네가 걷고 아들이 타다니. 게으른 녀석은 걸리게 해라.”
그래서 이번에는 방앗간 주인이 당나귀에 올라타고 아들은 뒤에서 걸었습니다.

잠시 후 여인들과 아이들이 지나가며 말했습니다.
“저 이기적인 늙은이 좀 봐! 자기는 편히 타고 가면서, 불쌍한 아이는 걷게 두다니!”
그러자 방앗간 주인은 아들을 뒤에 태웠습니다.

다시 여행객들을 만났을 때, 그들이 말했습니다.
“이 당나귀를 팔러 간다고? 
이렇게 무겁게 태우고 가면 시장에 도착할 때쯤 기진맥진해서 아무도 사려 하지 않을 거야. 
차라리 네가 당나귀를 메고 가는 게 낫겠다!”
방앗간 주인은 그 말도 따르기로 하고, 당나귀의 다리를 묶어 장대에 매달아 아들과 함께 들고 갔습니다.

도시에 들어서자 우스꽝스러운 모습에 사람들이 몰려들어 크게 비웃었습니다. 
당나귀는 놀라 발버둥치다 밧줄이 끊어져 다리 위에서 강물에 떨어져 익사해 버렸습니다.

결국 방앗간 주인은 수치심에 고개를 떨구고 집으로 돌아가며 이렇게 깨달았습니다.
“모두를 만족시키려다 결국 아무도 만족시키지 못했고, 당나귀까지 잃었구나.”

📌 교훈: 
모두를 만족시키려 하면 결국 아무도 만족시키지 못한다.

 

THE MILLER, HIS SON, AND THEIR ASS

A Miller, accompanied by his young Son, was driving his Ass to market in hopes of finding a purchaser for him. 

On the road they met a troop of girls, laughing and talking, who exclaimed, 

"Did you ever see such a pair of fools? 

To be trudging along the dusty road when they might be riding!" 

The Miller thought there was sense in what they said; so he made his Son mount the Ass, and himself walked at the side.
Presently they met some of his old cronies, who greeted them and said,
"You'll spoil that Son of yours, letting him ride while you toil along on foot! Make him walk, young lazybones! It'll do him all the good in the world." 

The Miller followed their advice, and took his Son's place on the back of the Ass while the boy trudged along behind. 

They had not gone far when they overtook a party of women and children, and the Miller heard them say, 

"What a selfish old man! He himself rides in comfort, but lets his poor little boy follow as best he can on his own legs!" 

So he made his Son get up behind him. 

Further along the road they met some travellers, who asked the Miller whether the Ass he was riding was his own property, or a beast hired for the occasion. 

He replied that it was his own, and that he was taking it to market to sell. 

"Good heavens!" 

said they, 

"with a load like that the poor beast will be so exhausted by the time he gets there that no one will look at him. Why, you'd do better to carry him!" 

"Anything to please you,"
said the old man, 

"we can but try." 

So they got off, tied the Ass's legs together with a rope and slung him on a pole, and at last reached the town, carrying him between them. 

This was so absurd a sight that the people ran out in crowds to laugh at it, and chaffed the Father and Son unmercifully, some even calling them lunatics. 

They had then got to a bridge over the river, where the Ass, frightened by the noise and his unusual situation, kicked and struggled till he broke the ropes that bound him, and fell into the water and was drowned.
Whereupon the unfortunate Miller, vexed and ashamed, made the best of his way home again, convinced that in trying to please all he had pleased none, and had lost his Ass into the bargain.

 

---

🧔🫏粉屋と息子とロバ

粉屋は息子と一緒にロバを市場へ連れて行き、買い手を探していました。
道で娘たちが笑って言いました。
「見てよ、この馬鹿な親子！ ロバがいるのに自分たちは歩いてるなんて！」
粉屋はもっともだと思い、息子をロバに乗せ、自分は歩きました。

やがて古い友人たちに会うと、彼らが言いました。
「そんなことをすれば息子が甘やかされるぞ！ 怠け者は歩かせろ。」
粉屋는息子를 내려 걷게 하고、自分がロバに乗りました。

少し行くと女たちと子供たちが言いました。
「なんて身勝手なおじさん！ 自分は楽に乗って、かわいそうに子供は歩かせてる！」
そこで粉屋は息子を後ろに乗せました。

さらに旅人たちに出会うと、彼らは言いました。
「そのロバを売るのか？ 
そんな重荷を背負わせたら、市場に着く頃には疲れ果てて誰も買わないだろう。
いっそロバを担いだほうがマシだ！」
粉屋はその言葉も聞き入れ、ロバの脚を縛って棒に吊るし、息子と一緒に担いで町へ入りました。

人々はその滑稽な姿を見て大笑いしました。
驚いたロバは暴れて縄を切り、橋の上から川に落ちて溺れてしまいました。

粉屋は恥ずかしさと悔しさにうなだれて家に帰りながら悟りました。
「みんなを喜ばせようとして、誰も喜ばせられず、ロバまで失った…。」

📌 教訓: 
みんなを満足させようとすれば、結局誰も満足させられない。