The Merchant and the Donkey

One bright spring morning, a merchant loaded his donkey with heavy sacks of salt and set off for the market. As they walked, they came to a river.

The donkey slipped, fell into the water, and quickly climbed out. To its surprise, the load felt much lighter — the salt had dissolved.

The merchant went back home and reloaded the donkey with fresh sacks of salt. When they reached the same river, the donkey pretended to slip. Again, the salt was ruined, and the merchant returned home frustrated.

Realizing the donkey was playing a trick, the merchant decided to teach it a lesson. This time, he loaded the animal with large sponges.

When they reached the river, the donkey “slipped” once more. But instead of feeling lighter, the load grew heavier as the sponges soaked up water.

The merchant chuckled and said, “Clever tricks don’t work forever, my friend.”

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Glenn Cunningham: The Boy Who Never Gave Up