In a small village, a hardworking farmer named Ravi faced a difficult time. His crops had failed, and he needed money urgently to support his family. His only hope was to sell his large, healthy goat at the town market.
Ravi and his young son, Arjun, set off on the long journey toward the market. As they walked, a traveler passing by remarked, "Why are you both walking in this heat? The goat is strong. Let the boy ride it, and you can walk beside him."
Ravi thought this was a kind idea. He helped Arjun climb onto the goat's back and walked alongside him. However, a little further down the road, a group of villagers saw them and shook their heads. "Look at that boy! He is sitting comfortably while his old father struggles on foot. How selfish!" they whispered.
Feeling ashamed, Ravi helped Arjun down and climbed onto the goat himself, letting the boy walk. But soon, an elderly woman stopped them. "You grown men should set an example! Why are you riding while that poor child walks in the dust?" she scolded.
Confused and trying to please everyone, Ravi and Arjun decided to both ride the goat together. Just then, a wise old man passed by and sighed deeply. "The world has lost its way. Two people riding a single animal while a child walks... have you no compassion?"
Now completely bewildered, Ravi and Arjun tried to find a solution that would satisfy everyone. They thought, "If we don't ride it, we must carry it!" They found a sturdy wooden pole, placed it under the goat, and attempted to carry the animal in a balanced position.
As they carefully crossed a narrow, rushing stream, the goat became frightened by the sound of the water and gave a sudden, violent jump. The pole slipped from Arjun's small hands, and the goat tumbled into the stream. Before they could react, the current swept the goat away. By trying to follow every passing opinion instead of using his own common sense, Ravi had lost the very thing he went to sell.
