Don't argue with fools. Donkey, jackal and Lion's justice.

The Donkey, the Jackal, and the Lion’s Judgment

Once upon a time, in a jungle where many animals lived, there was a donkey and a jackal.

The donkey was famous for his stubbornness. Once he believed something, no matter how wrong it was, he would stick to it firmly. The jackal, on the other hand, was known for his wisdom and intelligence. He was calm by nature but also proud of his reasoning, and when it came to truth, he was never willing to step back.

One day, both the donkey and the jackal were grazing in a meadow. Above them, the sky stretched wide, bright, and blue. Suddenly, the donkey looked up and shouted,

“Today the sky is black!”

The jackal was surprised. “Black? Have you lost your senses? Look carefully—the sky is clearly blue, just as it always is on a clear day.”

But the donkey grew stubborn. “No! It is black, as dark as midnight. You are wrong, and I am right.”

The jackal tried patiently to explain. “Donkey, the sky turns black only at night when the sun is gone. Right now the sun is shining, so the sky is blue.”

Still, the donkey refused to listen. “My eyes show me the truth. The sky is black, and that is final!”

The argument grew louder and fiercer. Nearby animals—zebras, elephants, rabbits—stopped what they were doing and gathered to watch. Soon the whole jungle buzzed with news of their quarrel.

At last, the jackal said, “There is no point in arguing further. Let us take this matter to the king of the jungle. The lion will decide.”

The donkey eagerly agreed, convinced the lion would side with him. Together they marched to the lion’s den, with a crowd of animals following behind to witness the judgment.

The lion sat proudly on a rock, his golden mane shining in the sunlight. He listened carefully to both sides.

The donkey spoke first. “Your Majesty, the sky is black, but this foolish jackal insists that it is blue. I ask for your justice—declare that I am right.”

Then the jackal stepped forward respectfully. “Great King, you can see for yourself that the sky is blue. I only ask for fairness.”

The lion paused for a moment, then suddenly announced, “The jackal will be punished. Take him away and put him in the prison.”

All the animals gasped in shock. Murmurs spread quickly through the crowd. How could the jackal, who was right, be punished while the donkey walked free? The donkey, overjoyed, trotted away proudly saying to himself, “I won the case, I have been proven right.”

The bewildered jackal cried out, “Your Majesty, what kind of justice is this? I spoke the truth. Why am I being punished?”

The lion raised his voice and said:

“The height of wisdom is not in always proving the truth, but in knowing whether the one you are arguing with has the sense to understand it. One should argue with the wise and intelligent, not with ignorant donkeys. I know very well that the sky is blue and that the donkey is wrong. But I punished you, Jackal, because you wasted your wisdom by arguing with a fool. Truth remains truth, but arguing with the stubborn and the ignorant only wastes time and destroys peace.”

Moral: One should never argue with fools and stubborn people, even if you are right.

In this world, there are also many people who lack wisdom and understanding. We should not argue with them to prove them wrong, because arguing with such people is only a waste of our time. We should learn from the story above. In life, when you prove a wise person wrong, he accepts that he was wrong. But when you prove a foolish person wrong, he only looks for excuses to prove himself right.