Do your own thing.

Other People’s Work Seems Easier and More Rewarding, but Nature Has Assigned Different Roles to Everyone

Friday, 12 March 2021

Professor Dr. F. H. Farooqi

In a village, there lived a washerman who owned a donkey, a dog, and a rooster. Whenever the washerman went to the riverbank to wash clothes, the donkey went with him, and the dog followed as well. Upon reaching the riverbank, the washerman tied the donkey with a long rope, while the dog lay down on the grass near the donkey and rested.

One day, the rooster said to the dog, “You and the donkey are friends, but you do not consider me your friend.”

The dog replied, “You are our friend too. We all live in the same house, and we have the same owner.”

The rooster said, “You go outside with the donkey every day, while I spend the entire day walking around the small courtyard of the house. I also wish to go out like you, to take a walk and see the beauty of the world.”

The dog tried to explain, “Every animal and every human being has a different role to perform. The donkey carries heavy loads. I stay awake all night guarding the house. You, on the other hand, spend your entire day moving around peacefully. You should be grateful to Allah that you do not have to do any hard work.”

The rooster was not satisfied with the dog’s explanation and said, “Tomorrow, I will go with you to the riverbank, and then we will all return home together in the evening.”

The next day, when the washerman set out as usual with the donkey loaded with dirty clothes, the rooster also followed along with the dog. The washerman did not realize that the rooster was coming with them.

At the riverbank, the washerman became busy with his work and tied the donkey with a long rope, as usual. The dog quietly lay down in the shade of a tree, while the rooster wandered a little farther away.

Suddenly, a stray dog roaming nearby spotted the rooster, and its mouth began to water. The stray dog attacked the rooster. The rooster was alert, so it immediately jumped and climbed onto a wall. When the washerman’s dog saw another dog trying to catch his friend, the rooster, it began barking loudly.

Hearing the barking, the washerman rushed over and was shocked to see that the rooster had come along with them. He became very angry and locked the rooster inside a basket.

When they returned home, he warned his wife not to let the rooster out of the coop. From that day onward, the rooster lost its freedom to roam around the house and remained confined in the coop all day.

One day, the rooster said to the dog, “I did not follow your advice, and as a result, I lost my freedom. Now I remain locked inside the coop all day.”

The dog explained gently, “Anyone who considers others’ work easy and his own work a burden is never truly happy. One should perform one’s own duties with interest and hard work. Other people’s tasks may seem easier and more rewarding, but nature has assigned different roles to everyone.”

The rooster thanked the dog and promised that from then on, it would focus only on its own responsibilities.

Moral:

True contentment lies in accepting and performing one’s own duties sincerely, rather than envying the roles of others.

This story teaches an important lesson about contentment and responsibility. We often look at the lives and duties of others and assume that their work is easier or more enjoyable than our own. This comparison creates dissatisfaction and unnecessary desire. Every person, like every creature, is assigned a specific role in life according to their abilities. When we ignore our responsibilities and try to adopt someone else’s role, we may face loss instead of gain. True peace comes from accepting our duties and performing them with sincerity, patience, and dedication. Respecting advice from those with experience helps us avoid regret. Rather than envying others, we should focus on improving ourselves within our own roles. When we value our work and do it honestly, we achieve inner satisfaction, stability, and long-term success in life.