The Singing Donkey

Donkeys are used as beasts of burden by washer men in India. Although in recent years many rich Indians families have installed washing machines in their homes, the washing of clothes by washer men has been an Indian tradition for centuries. They belong to a caste of their own as it is a family trade, handed down from father to son for generations. Most washer men own donkeys which help them carry the dirty clothes to the nearby river or lake for washing. Each morning, the clothes are washed and hung to dry at the bank of the river, while the donkeys are kept tied to nearby trees. Later in the evening, the dry clothes are bundled on the backs of the donkeys and carried to the washer man's house for ironing, and then delivery.