The King of Creation

In the beginning God created the donkey and told him: "You will work from morning to night; get hay for food; you will be stupid and you will live 50 years." The donkey accepted with a head shake. "However, he objected: “Live 50 years, that’s too long. 20 are enough for me.”

God said: “Okay!”

God created the dog and said: “You will guard the man’s house and you will be his best friend. You will gnaw at bones and you will live 25 years.” The dog agreed with a head shake. However, he objected: “Live 25 years, that’s too long; 10 are enough for me.

God said: “Okay!”

God created the monkey and said: “You will jump from one branch to another; you will make funny faces and you will live 20 years.” The monkey agreed by shaking its head. However, he objected: “Living 20 years is too long; 10 are enough for me.

God said: “Okay!”

Finally, God created man and said: You will be the only rational on earth and you will give names to all animals, you shall rule the earth and you will live 20 years. The man agreed with a head shake. “Yes, Lord. However, 20 years that`s too short. Give me, Lord, the 30 years that the donkey refused, the 15 years the dog refused, and 10 that the monkey refused.

God also agreed with a head shake.

Since then, man lives his 20 man’s years ... He gets married and for 30 years works like a donkey. Then when his children are gone, he lives 15 years like a dog, keeping the house ... When he gets to the age of retirement, he lives another 10 years like a monkey, going from one house to the other, from one son to the other and making funny faces for the joy of his grandchildren.