Aesop's tales #
22 - The Donkey carrying salt
A Merchant,
driving his Donkey homeward from the seashore with a heavy load of salt, came
to a river crossed by a shallow ford. They had crossed this river many times
before without accident, but this time the Donkey slipped and fell when halfway
over. And when the Merchant at last got him to his feet, much of the salt had
melted away. Delighted to find how much lighter his burden had become, the
Donkey finished the journey very happily.
Next day the
Merchant went for another load of salt. On the way home the Donkey, remembering
what had happened at the ford, purposely let himself fall into the water, and
again got rid of most of his burden.
The angry
Merchant immediately turned about and drove the Donkey back to the seashore,
where he loaded him with two great baskets of sponges. At the ford the Donkey
again tumbled over; but when he had scrambled to his feet, it was a very
disconsolate Donkey that dragged himself homeward under a load ten times
heavier than before.
Moral: The same measures will not suit all circumstances.
