In a small village near Nashik, there lived a washerman named Dhobi Ram. He had a skinny old donkey named Gadha Singh. During the day, Gadha Singh carried heavy loads of clothes. He was overworked and underfed.

At night, Dhobi Ram let Gadha Singh wander free. The donkey would go to the nearby farms and eat fresh vegetables from the fields. He became friends with a jackal who also visited the farms.

“You look much healthier these days, Gadha Singh!” said the jackal one night.

“Of course! The cucumbers here are delicious! I eat them every night,” said Gadha Singh happily. His belly was full, the moon was bright, and he felt wonderful.

“I feel so happy tonight!” said Gadha Singh. “I want to sing!”

The jackal’s eyes went wide. “Sing? Are you crazy? If the farmers hear you, they will come running and beat us with sticks!”

“But I MUST sing!” said Gadha Singh. “Music is in my soul. When I’m happy, I must express it!”

“But your singing is… well… a donkey’s braying!” said the jackal. “It’s not exactly melodious. The farmers will definitely wake up!”

“You just don’t appreciate good music,” said Gadha Singh, offended.

The jackal sighed. “Fine. But I’m going to hide behind that wall. When the farmers come, don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

The jackal ran and hid. Gadha Singh lifted his head to the moon and began to sing: “HEEEE-HAWWW! HEEEE-HAWWW! HEEEE-HAWWWWW!”

It was the loudest, most terrible sound the village had ever heard!

The farmers woke up furious! They grabbed sticks and ran to the field. They saw Gadha Singh surrounded by half-eaten cucumbers.

“This is the donkey that’s been eating our crops!” they shouted. And they beat poor Gadha Singh with sticks until he ran away, braying in pain.

The jackal shook his head. “I warned you, my friend. There’s a time to sing and a time to be quiet. Know your strengths — and your weaknesses.”

Gadha Singh never sang in a cucumber field again.