The Donkey and the Salt Merchant

Once upon a time, a merchant owned a donkey that helped carry salt to the market. But over time, the donkey became lazy and began looking for ways to avoid hard work. Every day, they had to cross a shallow river. One day, the donkey pretended to fall in. The salt dissolved in the water, making the load lighter. The donkey was delighted and repeated the trick day after day.

The merchant soon realised what was happening. He filled the sacks with sand instead of salt to teach the donkey a lesson. The next day, the donkey tried the same trick, but it became even heavier when the sand got wet. Struggling under the weight, the donkey understood his mistake. From then on, he worked sincerely, having learned that trying to avoid responsibility can make life even harder.