The Ass and the Load of Salt
A Trader, 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 Trader 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.
The next day the Trader 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 Trader 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 of the story
Cheating may bring temporary gains but can lead to bigger losses.
Think before you act; not all tricks work every time.
Questions for the children
- Why do you think the Donkey tried the same trick again?
- Can you think of a time when doing something clever turned out to be a mistake?
Post Note: This story is based on Aesop’s fable, written around 600 BC. In this retelling, we’ve used simpler words to make the story easier for young readers to understand.
