The salt seller was a hardworking man who earned his living by selling salt in the marketplace. His reliable partner was a grey donkey who carried the heavy bags of salt every day.

Every day, they had to cross a small stream to reach the market. The journey was tiring but the duo never complained. They were content with their humble lives.

One day, while crossing the stream, the donkey stumbled and fell into the water. The bag of salt on his back got wet and the salt dissolved, making the bag lighter.

The donkey was delighted by the sudden ease of his burden. He thought to himself, 'What a wonderful trick! The water made my load lighter. I will do this every day.'

The donkey repeated his trick every day. The salt seller noticed the donkey's mischievous act and decided to teach him a lesson.

The next day, instead of salt, the seller loaded a bag of cotton on the donkey. 'Let's see how he likes this,' thought the salt seller.

As usual, the donkey fell into the stream, hoping to lighten his load. But instead of becoming lighter, the wet cotton became heavier.

The donkey struggled to carry the heavy load. He realized his foolishness and felt guilty for trying to deceive the seller.

From that day on, the donkey never tried to play tricks. He understood that shortcuts and deceit only lead to trouble.

The seller was happy to see the change in the donkey's behavior. They continued their journey to the market every day, crossing the stream without any tricks.