How to hit a donkey

I had one of my best 'conversation courses' ever. Oh, I'm an English teacher, by the way.

It was a nice group of students, all under thirty, i.e. active and enthusiastic, rather than the mid-thirty ones who usually come to class dead tired after spending their day in a middle-management job day.

On the last day, students were all required to give a two-min presentation.

Ok, everyone. The topic for the presentation this term is 'How to...'. You can choose aaaanything you want: How to be come an astrologist, How to polish your shoes, How to spot a liar, How to make lasagna.. just anything. You'll be under the time limit of two minutes and you'll need to pay attention to what we've talked about before: accuracy, fluency, vocabulary, pronunciation, and presentation skills.


Next class: Presentations:

How to ..

- give a presentation

- be positive

- set goals

- recognize swine flu

- to be a good teacher

- keep your good friends

- spot a liar

- avoid hitting your kids

- hit a donkey


"Hi Everyone! The title of my presentation is "How to hit a donkey". Once upon a time, there was a farmer who had a donkey on his piece of land. One morning, the farmer woke up to find the donkey eating from his land.

'Donkey, why are you eating from my land? Don't do that again'

Next day, the donkey was doing the same thing.

'No, no, donkey. Listen. You take this area of the land and eat as much as you want from it, but don't come near my area.'

Same thing happens the next day.

'Oh, my God. Please people come and help me. This donkey has been eating from my land and I don't know what to do'

Everyone in the village came to see the donkey that wouldn't stop eating from the poor farmer's land.

'Listen, donkey, everyone is really upset with you now. I'll tell you what. You take the bigger piece of land and leave me the smaller one.'

But the donkey just didn't stop eating and the farmer and the villagers were all going crazy. Suddenly, a young boy came with a stick and shooed the donkey away and problem was solved. Everyone was surprised as well as ashamed.

'How could a little boy solve the problem that easily?' thought the villagers. 'And 'WE', big people, turned out to be stupid and ignorant!'

On that same day, the villagers killed both the farmer and the little boy, and let the donkey eat whatever it wanted, for there was no way they would be wrong!"


Silence for two seconds and everyone in class was laughing and clapping for Alaa, a young female fresh graduate. She was laughing contagiously all throughout the presentation.


It was interesting to hear the hysterical laughter drop silent for two seconds before everyone starting laughing again after realizing what she was talking about. I wish people who should reflect for two seconds would just do that.