Mule in the Well

An Acceptance and Commitment metaphor

A farmer has an old, useless mule that falls into a dry, abandoned well. Upon

realizing that he is stuck, the mule becomes afraid and begins to bray. The farmer, who

hears the mule crying, decides that instead of pulling him out, he will just bury the

creature in the well. As the farmer shovels dirt into the well, the mule realizes that he is

being buried alive. He shivers and shudders, shaking the dirt from his shoulders to

down around his feet. He steps up on top of the dirt. The farmer continues to shovel,

and the mule continues to shake and step up and up,eventually stepping right out of the

well.