In the beginning, when the Creator was making all the creatures of the world, he decided to assign them lifespans. First, he spoke to the donkey.
"Donkey," the Creator said, "I am going to give you a lifespan of 30 years. How would you like that?"
The donkey protested the idea. "No, no, no!" the donkey said. "I have to work hard all day long as a beast of burden. 30 years of toiling away for a living is much too long. I'd rather only live for 12 years, if you please."
The Creator granted the donkey's wish, which is why donkeys usually live for only 12 years.
Next, the Creator turned to the dog.
"Dog, I'm going to give you a lifespan of 30 years," the Creator said. "What do you think of that?"
Like the donkey, the dog objected to such a long lifespan.
"30 years is much too long for me to live," the dog said. "I have to guard and protect everything day and night. 30 years of doing that would be too much. Please make me live only 18 years."
The Creator agreed, which is why dogs live an average of 18 years.
Next, the Creator spoke to the monkey.
"Monkey," the Creator said, "I'm going to give you a lifespan of 30 years. What do you think of that?"
Like the donkey and the dog, the monkey didn't like the idea of living so long.
"I spend all of my days trying to entertain myself and others," the monkey said. "30 years of that would become tedious; I'd rather live for only 20 years, if you please."
The Creator granted the monkey's request, which is why monkeys live for about 20 years.
Then the Creator turned to the human.
"Human," the Creator said, "I'm going to give you a lifespan of 30 years. What do you think of that idea?"
"Oh, no!" the human said. "30 years is far too little time. There is so much for me to learn and do! Please let me live a bit longer."
"Very well," the Creator answered. "The donkey didn't want 18 of the years I had allotted him. You can have them and live until you are 48."
But the human still wasn't satisfied, and asked for more time.
"Well, the dog didn't want 12 of his years," the Creator mused aloud. "Why don't you take those years and live until you are 60?"
But the human wanted to live still longer.
"Oh, very well," the Creator answered. "The monkey didn't want 10 of his years. Go ahead and have those, and live until you are 70."
And finally the human was satisfied.
Because of this bargain between humans and the Creator, humans live for about 70 years. However, only the first 30 years are truly "human years," when a person can develop and explore his potential. Once a person hits 30, though, he begins to live out his "donkey years," slaving away like a beast of burden. After roughly 18 more years, when he is about 48, a human starts his "dog years," bound by responsibilities and protecting all he has acquired. Finally, when he reaches 60, a human enters his "monkey years," when his primary purpose in life is to entertain himself and others all day long.
And this is why donkeys, dogs, monkeys, and humans live as long as they do.
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