The foolish donkey story teaches us that we should not be lazy but work hard as luck will not favor us always. Moreover, if we deceive others we not only lose their trust but also we would suffer for our mistakes.
Clever Merchant and the Foolish Donkey Story
Here in this short story (the foolish donkey story), we can see how a merchant was fooled by his donkey, and in the end, how the clever merchant taught the donkey a powerful lesson.
Once there was a small village named Cabot Rock. In that village lived a hardworking salt merchant called John, who lived happily with his family. Every day he used to load sacks of salt on his donkey’s back and traveled to the market to sell the salt. He returned to his home by evening with the money, which was enough to sustain his family’s needs for a day.
On a warm and sunny morning, the merchant put the salt bags on his donkey’s back and journeyed to the market using a shortcut. They came across a stream filled with rocks and tried to cross it. Unfortunately, the donkey tumbled down the stream, and the salt bags also fell into the water. Much of the salt got dissolved in the water, and hence the bags became very light to carry. The donkey easily crossed the stream and was very happy.
The next day, the donkey knowingly fell into the stream. His trick worked, and he started doing it every day. John became suspicious about the intention of the donkey and decided to teach him a lesson.
The next day, John loaded cotton bags instead of salt bags on the donkey. As they neared the stream, the donkey played the same trick again hoping the bags will become lighter. However, this time it was difficult for the donkey to come out of the stream as the dampened cotton became heavier. The donkey struggled very much, and finally, it managed to get up, suffering bruises and cuts in the process. He realized that playing tricks with others can be harmful. He learned a valuable lesson and never repeated his trick.
Have you tricked (deceived) others and succeeded in doing so. Do you know many people have the habit of making fools of others by playing a trick just for fun? Sometimes, even you would have experienced the same.
The foolish donkey story reminds us that no matter how smart you are there may be others who are smarter and sharper than you. The foolish donkey story is one of those moral stories that should be taught to young kids to imbibe good habits in them such as trustworthiness, responsibility, hard work, and fairness.
The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Proverbs 11:3
Check our wide collection of Moral Stories that will inspire you and your children to do great things for the good of others. These stories for kids are motivating stories that will teach valuable lessons.