The Donkey and the Load of Salt

Once upon a time, a merchant set out for the seashore to collect a load of salt. His journey was long and challenging, filled with steep hills and bubbling streams. The path was narrow and rocky, so he loaded the heavy salt into large bags and strapped them onto the back of his donkey.

The day was warm, and the donkey was not pleased with his burden. He walked as slowly as he could, hanging his head low under the weight of the load.

After some time, they reached a stream. The water was shallow, and there was only a narrow footbridge for people to cross. The merchant led the donkey through the stream, but as the donkey splashed along, he didn’t notice a large, slippery stone in the middle of the water.

The donkey stumbled and fell! Splash! The bags of salt plunged into the water, and soon the salt began to dissolve. When the donkey got back on his feet, he realized his load felt much lighter.

He was delighted.

Not long after, they came to another stream. This time, the donkey had a clever idea. Instead of stumbling, he lay down right in the middle of the water. As the bags soaked, the salt dissolved again, and his load became almost weightless.

But when the merchant saw what had happened, he was furious. He had no choice but to return to the seashore for another load of salt. On the way, though, the merchant couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. He thought, I know just the way to teach this donkey a lesson.

When they reached the seashore, the merchant filled the bags with sponges instead of salt. With his new load, the donkey felt lighter than ever. He trotted happily along the rocky path, thinking, What an easy day!

Before long, they reached another stream. The donkey’s clever plan came to mind again. “This will make my load even lighter!” he thought. Without hesitation, he lay down in the middle of the brook.

But this time, as the sponges soaked up the water, they became heavier and heavier. When the donkey tried to stand, he could barely lift the load. His master had to help him to his feet. The donkey was drenched and miserable.

“Oh no,” he thought, “I will never lie down in the water again.”

The merchant took him back to the seashore once more, refilled the bags with salt, and started for home. This time, the donkey walked carefully and carried the salt all the way without any tricks.

From that day on, the donkey was much wiser, and he never tried to lighten his load in the stream again.

Moral: Tricks can backfire, and there’s no shortcut to avoiding hard work.