There was once an absent-minded farmer who owned a donkey Sometimes, when he was riding his donkey, the farmer would start thinking about something else, and forget where he was going. If it had not been for his faithful donkey, the dreamy farmer would have fallen over a bank or lost himself in the forest. One day, the farmer was gazing up at the clouds as he rode. The clouds were blowing across the windy sky, and the farmer was thinking how beautiful they looked. Lost in a dream, he did not notice that three robbers were following him. He did not even notice when one of the robbers got under him and took the place of the donkey. He kept on riding, and dreaming, as the other two robbers led the donkey away When he came to the gate at the end of the fields the farmer looked down and saw he was riding not a donkey, but a man. He blinked in surprise. Was he still dreaming? He tapped the man on the head and said, "Excuse me. How is it that a little while ago you were a donkey and now you are a man. "Ah! I used to be a man said the robber. "But I was a bad man, so as a punishment was turned into a donkey. Today my time is up, and I have turned into a man again. "Oh I see," said the farmer, getting off his back. "Then I must set you free. I cannot ride a man." He took off the bridle and patted the man rather sadly on the head. "You were a good donkey. Now off you go and be a good man. Very soon the farmer found he could not do without a donkey, so he went to the fair to buy another one. There, amongst all the other donkeys, he saw his own one. The robbers had taken it to the fair to sell. "My goodness me!" he said out loud; Then looking round to make sure no one could hear, he bent and whispered in the donkey's long ear, "What wicked thing did you do to get changed back into a donkey again? Then he chuckled. "Never mind. It's good luck for me. I will buy you back again. And he did