A man was about to go on a long journey. He instructed his servant, "Keep an eye on the gate and look after the donkey."
After the master left, the servant heard music playing nearby. Unable to resist, he wanted to go listen. Feeling uneasy about leaving his post, he tied the gate to the donkey's back and had it carry the gate all the way to the performance.
With the servant gone, all the valuables in the house were stolen. When the master returned, he asked, "Where are my valuables?" The servant replied, "Master, you only told me to watch over the gate and the donkey with the leash. Apart from them, I know nothing about the whereabouts of your things."
The master declared, "I left you here to guard the gate precisely to protect my valuables. Now that all my valuables are gone, what good is the gate?"