A salt merchant lived in a small village. Every day, he walked to the city to buy salt. His donkey accompanied him. The merchant loaded the bags of salt on the donkey and they walked back to the village along the river.
The donkey did not like carrying so many bags on his back as he was lazy. He always looked for ways to get rid of work. For some days, he would act like he was sick so that his master might not take him to the city, but all in vain.
One day, the salt merchant loaded the donkey with two bags of salt and they started walking back to the city. On the way, the donkey accidentally slipped into the river. The salt dissolved in the water and when the donkey was pulled out of the river, he felt lighter. The salt merchant had to go back to the city to buy more salt.
The donkey thought of this as a good idea to get rid of the load.
The next day, he intentionally slipped into the river. When he was pulled out, he felt lighter. But the salt merchant understood the donkey’s trick. He knew that the donkey was falling in the river on purpose.
The next day, the donkey again fell into the river. But when he was pulled out, the load on his back felt much heavier. The salt merchant had filled cotton in the bags that day instead of salt. As the bags fell into the water along with the donkey, the cotton absorbed water and the bags became heavier.
The donkey had to pick up heavier load. He had learnt his lesson.
