Aesop's Fables: Townsend (1867)
54. The Salt Merchant and His Ass (Perry
180)
A PEDDLER drove his Ass to the seashore to buy salt. His road home lay
across a stream into which his Ass, making a false step, fell by accident
and rose up again with his load considerably lighter, as the water melted
the sack. The Peddler retraced his steps and refilled his panniers with
a larger quantity of salt than before. When he came again to the stream,
the Ass fell down on purpose in the same spot, and, regaining his feet
with the weight of his load much diminished, brayed triumphantly as if
he had obtained what he desired. The Peddler saw through his trick and
drove him for the third time to the coast, where he bought a cargo of
sponges instead of salt. The Ass, again playing the fool, fell down on
purpose when he reached the stream, but the sponges became swollen with
water, greatly increasing his load. And thus his trick recoiled on him,
for he now carried on his back a double burden.
George Fyler Townsend's translation of the fables, first published in 1867, is
in the public domain and can be found at many websites, including Project
Gutenberg.
Illustrations come from: Aesop's Fables, by George Fyler Townsend, with
illustrations by Harrison Weir, 1867, at Google
Books. |