100 Moral Stories

AMERCHANT AND HIS DONKEY One beautiful spring morning, a merchant loaded his donkey with

bags of salt to go to the market in order to sell them. The merchant

and his donkey were walking along together. They had not walked

far when they reached a river on the road.

Unfortunately, the donkey slipped and fell into the river and noticed

that the bags of salt loaded on his back became lighter.

There was nothing the merchant could do, except return home

where he loaded his donkey with more bags of salt. As they reached

the slippery riverbank, now deliberately, the donkey fell into the

river and wasted all the bags of salt on its back again.

The merchant quickly discovered the donkey’s trick. He then

returned home again but re-loaded his donkey with bags of sponges.

The foolish, tricky donkey again set on its way. On reaching the river he again fell into the water.

But instead of the load becoming lighter, it became heavier.

The merchant laughed at him and said: “You foolish donkey,

your trick had been discovered, you should know that,

those who are too clever sometimes over reach themselves.”