Short Stories » A Merchant and his Donkey
A Merchant 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 the salt. The merchant and his donkey were walking along together. They had not walked far when they reached a river on the way.
Unfortunately, the donkey slipped and fell into the river. As it scrambled up the bank of the river, it noticed that the bags of salt loaded on his back had become 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 again, the donkey fell into the river, this time deliberately. Thus the salt was wasted again.
By now the merchant knew the donkey’s trick. He wanted to teach the animal a lesson. As he returned home the second time with the donkey, the merchant loaded bags of sponges on its back.
The duo set out on their trip to the market a third time. On reaching the river, the donkey very cleverly fell into the water again. But now, instead of the load becoming lighter, it became heavier.
The merchant laughed at the donkey and said, “You foolish donkey, your trick has been discovered. You should know that you cannot fool anyone too many times.”
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A Merchant And His Donkey - Takeaway for Class 1,2,3
Hard work and perseverance lead to success, even if there are challenges along the way.
A Merchant And His Donkey - Takeaway for Class 4,5,6
It's important to stay determined and keep trying, even when things are difficult, because sometimes you'll find a surprising solution to your problems.
A Merchant And His Donkey - Takeaway for Class 7,8,9
Even when things seem tough or unfair, always aim to do your best, because shortcuts might bring unexpected consequences.
3 Fun Facts
- The merchant discovered a clever way to lighten his donkey's load by taking a route through a stream, where the water would dissolve some of the salt the donkey was carrying.
- The donkey, realizing that the load became lighter when wet, started to intentionally fall into the stream each time, thinking it would always reduce his burden.
- To teach the donkey a lesson, the merchant replaced the salt with sponges, which absorbed water and made the load heavier, helping the donkey understand the value of honesty and diligence.
Quiz for Class 1,2,3
- What did the merchant's donkey carry on its back?
- What happened to the donkey when it slipped into the river?
- How did the donkey feel after realizing what happened to the load in the river?
Quiz for Class 4,5,6
- What did the merchant load onto his donkey to take to the market?
- How did the donkey accidentally lighten its load during their journey?
- What clever idea did the donkey have to make its journey back home easier?
Quiz for Class 7,8,9
- What did the merchant load onto the donkey's back as they headed toward the market?
- How did the donkey try to lighten its load while crossing the river?
- What lesson did the merchant aim to teach the donkey by placing cotton on its back?
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