The Donkey and the Snake
Once upon a time, at the edge of an old forest where cool waters flowed, lived a cute donkey. On hot days when the sun shone brightly, he patiently carried the heavy loads of the villagers and never complained. One day, the wise king entrusted a magical gift offering endless youth and freshness for humans to this patient donkey. The donkey set off happily on a long journey with this priceless treasure loaded on his back.
As the journey progressed, the scorching sun began to bake everything and dry the donkey's throat. The helpless animal, whose knees buckled from exhaustion, started looking for a drop of water around. Finally, between the rocks, he saw an ice-cold fountain flowing abundantly. However, at the head of the fountain, a coiling snake known for the poison of thirst was waiting. The donkey approached timidly and begged, "Please step aside a bit so I can drink from this cool water."
The snake replied in a whispering voice, "Drinking from this sweet water comes at a price, my friend." Left helpless, the donkey offered the magical load on his back to the snake without fully understanding its value. "Let me give you this magical box on my back, as long as you let me quench my thirst," he said. The cunning snake accepted this offer with joy and immediately stepped aside to make way for the donkey. While the donkey drank water to his heart's content, the snake absorbed the secret of endless youth in the box into his own body.
From that day on, snakes gained the ability to rejuvenate themselves by shedding their skin every year. The donkey, acting thoughtlessly, lost both the precious trust and was left alone with the fate of constant thirst. Sacrificing priceless values in our hands for the sake of momentary comforts brings great regret. It's no use crying over spilled milk.