A merchant had been traveling with his donkey all his life, in fact we could say that this animal was his only family.
They went from market to market buying and selling objects, and they had never been separated from each other.
But one day, when they arrived in a distant city to go to a large market, the donkey, because of old age, could not walk anymore and died.
The merchant loved his donkey so much that he decided to bury him like a person. So at night, when no one could see him, he went to the cemetery and buried it.
The next day, in the morning, he went to the grave and brought him the most expensive and beautiful flowers he found. And there he remained, crying for several hours.
"You were the best thing I've ever known." You have never failed me, you have been a friend, companion ... You have taught me so much, I have learned so much with you during all these years.
And so, day after day, the man visited the donkey's grave to tell him everything his life with him had meant.
People around him wondered what great personality would have buried there so that this man had come so many days to visit him.
Finally, the merchant had to leave, but not before leaving a huge bouquet of flowers on the grave.
Time passed and rumors grew that someone very important had buried there: perhaps a great sage, or a great teacher ...
The rumors spread through neighboring cities and more and more pilgrims came to visit the tomb.
After a few years, there were so many visitors that they decided to build a huge pantheon for that sage.
One day, the donkey's owner passed near the city and decided to go to the cemetery to see his friend's grave.
When he arrived he realized that he had to queue up to access it.
"Have you also come to pray to the wise man?" A man commented to him. "No, no, I only came to see my donkey."