1893 Chicago Worlds Fair

A halftone print of the donkey boys in the street of Cairo at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The boy on left is Achmed, the famous donkey boy of Cairo.

The story of Achmed is something that peta and Born Free have kept hidden for years. They don't want it known as it will hurt at donation time. Nut's to them!!!!! You read it here first, number 721 in the Perry Index:

The basic situation in this story, first documented by historian, geographer and poet Ibn Said is of a man and his son who are accompanied by their donkey and meet constant criticism from passersby of the way it is used and treated by them. The story's purpose is to show that everyone has their own opinion and there is no way one can satisfy all. The person with the most practical, hands on knowledge of donkey's usually knows best. When both walk beside the donkey they are criticized for not riding it. When the father rides, he is blamed for making his young son walk; when the son rides, he is blamed for leaving his elderly father on foot. When both ride, they are berated for overburdening their beast. The father then exclaims that the only option left is to carry the donkey on his back, but that would be impossible. No exclaim the passersby, that would be best for the donkey. So the father, with the aid of his son valiantly hoists the donkey on his back and trudges up the mountains to their home. Along the way one of the fathers home made sandals comes apart, he trips and does a Jerry Lewis 2 1/2 roundoff, loses his grip on the donkey which falls, ass over tea kettles, into a deep ravine. Dead before it hit the ground. Good job passersby!!!!!

As long as I am reveling stuff here, I would be remiss if I did not mention that Achmed later immigrated to the United States and changed his name to Bobby where he became even more famous as a Siberian Zebra trainer and sometime camel drover. As Chicago's Paul Harvey used to say, "now you know the rest of the story."