Foreword:
This fable represents monotonous measures and behaviours irrespective of circumstances. It is numbered 180 in the Perry Index (as 180. The Ass with a Burden of Salt), and is also popular as 'The Salt Merchant and His Ass' and 'The Ass and his Burdens'. It is not to be confused with a different fable, 'The Ass and his Driver', numbered 186 in Perry Index.
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A merchant walked his donkey enroute to a marketplace.
This was a regular route of the merchant, who frequented this marketplace to buy salt and other things, that he traded in.
The merchant was wise and hardworking, while his donkey was smart, but very lazy.
As he walked the donkey, the merchant said, "I will buy bags of salt in the marketplace, and you will have to carry it home. We will take the usual route, by the river, on our way home."
The donkey wagged his tail, in understanding.
Once they reached the marketplace, the merchant proceeded to buy the smaller things, and loaded them one by one, atop the donkey.
Lastly, he proceeded to buy the bags of salt, and with some help, he loaded the bags of salt atop the donkey.
Once again, with the donkey laden with heavy bags of salt, they started homewards.
On their way home, they had to cross a shallow stream of river. They had walked together across this shallow river stream, many times in the past, without any mishap or accident, because it was part of their usual route.
"Watch your step, as we cross the stream", he cautioned the donkey, as he slowly led the way through the rocky river bed.
All of a sudden, this particular time, the donkey accidentally fell into the river stream, along with the load he was carrying.
The merchant struggled to drag the donkey out of water. By the time he managed to lead the donkey out of the water, most of the salt had dissolved and washed away in the water.
"This is terrible!", the saddened merchant contemplated about his losses.
"This is great!", thought the donkey, on the other hand, realizing that much of the load he was carrying had got lessened.
With a much lighter burden to carry, the donkey finished his journey happily.
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The next day, the merchant had to return to the marketplace for some more salt, to make up for the lost salt.
He bought and loaded the bags of salt atop the donkey, and started homewards again.
And again, they came to same shallow stream of river, on their way home. He said to his donkey, "Do be more careful now. Remember what happened yesterday?"
As they waded slowly and cautiously through the stream, the donkey remembered how his heavy load was lessened, last time, after he fell into the water.
Feigning to walk cautiously, and pretending to slip accidentally, the donkey dived into the water on purpose.
As the merchant struggled to drag the donkey out of the water, the merchant grew very angry, as he had observed that the donkey had intentionally fallen into the water.
"The donkey needs to be taught a lesson!", he thought.
By the time he managed to lead the donkey out of the water, as expected, most of the salt had dissolved and washed away in the water.
"This is wonderful!", thought the donkey, as his load had drastically lessened, once more.
The merchant knew that his donkey was smart, and that he had stumbled upon this method to lessen his burden.
So, the merchant returned to the marketplace, the next day, to make up for the salt he had lost yesterday.
But, instead of buying salt, he bought and filled the bags with cotton.
And with the bags of cotton laden atop the donkey, they started homewards, and soon reached the eventful river stream.
Once more, while pretending to walk cautiously, the donkey dived into the water on purpose. "The water will lessen my burden!", he thought.
But the cotton in the bags, absorbed water from the river, and became much heavier.
The merchant struggled hard to drag the donkey out of the water, and by the time he managed to lead the donkey out of water, the donkey could hardly stand at the weight of his increased load.
The merchant smiled expectedly, while the donkey was surprised that the water had the exact opposite effect, this time around.
"This is terrible!", the saddened donkey thought, "I will never play with water, again."
As he struggled for the rest of the journey, the merchant was happy to have taught him a lesson.
Moral:
You can fool someone only so many times.
Or,
The same measures will not suit all circumstances.
Summary:
A merchant bought bags of salt, and loaded them atop his donkey to carry. He then walked the donkey. On the way, as they were crossing a stream, the donkey accidentally fell into the water. Most of the salt washed and dissolved away. As the merchant was saddened by his loss, the donkey realized the weight he was carrying had suddenly lessened. The merchant had to go back and buy more bags of salt, and once again, loaded them atop his donkey. When they crossed the same stream, the donkey intentionally jumped into the water to lessen the weight he was carrying. The merchant realizing this, went back, and bought bags of cotton. Once again, when they crossed the same stream, the donkey jumped into the water intentionally. But, the cotton only soaked up water, and the weight carried by the donkey greatly increased.