The Ass and the Load of Salt

Once upon a time, there was an Ass who was tasked with carrying a load of salt across a river. As he crossed the river, he stumbled and fell, causing some of the salt to dissolve in the water. When the Ass realized this, he was happy because he now had a lighter load to carry.

The next day, the Ass's owner decided to load him up with sponges instead of salt. As they crossed the river again, the Ass purposely stumbled and fell into the water, hoping to dissolve the sponges and lighten his load. But to his disappointment, the sponges soaked up more water and became even heavier.

The Ass was frustrated and confused. He had expected the sponges to dissolve in the water, just like the salt had. He wondered why it did not work the second time around.

Without Ass’s knowledge, his owner had been watching him closely. When he saw the Ass deliberately fall into the water, he realized what was happening. The farmer decided to teach the Ass a lesson.

The next day, the farmer loaded the Ass with a load of salt and sponges. As they crossed the river, the Ass stumbled and fell into the water once again. This time, the salt dissolved and the sponges soaked up more water, making the load even heavier than before.

The Ass was miserable and exhausted. He realized that his attempts to cheat had only made things worse. The farmer explained to the Ass that cheating may provide temporary relief, but it often leads to more trouble in the end. He encouraged the Ass to be honest and trustworthy, and to work hard even when it is difficult.

The moral of the story is that honesty and hard work are important virtues, and that cheating or being dishonest may seem like an easy way out, but it usually leads to more problems in the end. In human relationships, trust and integrity are essential for building strong connections with others.