THE ASS and HIS BURDENS
by Aesop · from Aesop's Fables; a new translation
Adapted Version
The Pedlar had a Donkey. The Donkey carried salt. The Pedlar put much salt on the Donkey's back. The load was very heavy. The Donkey walked very slowly. He felt tired already.
They came to a small stream. The Donkey walked into the cool water. He stumbled and fell down. The salt got very wet. Much salt melted away. The water took the salt. The heavy load became much lighter.
The Donkey stood up. He felt his back. "My load is light!" he thought. He felt very happy. This was a good surprise.
The Pedlar did not know the trick. He took the Donkey back to town. He bought more salt. He put a new load on the Donkey. The load was heavy again.
They came to another stream. The Donkey remembered the water. He thought, "I can do it again." He lay down in the water. The salt got very wet. It melted away. His load felt light.
The Pedlar watched the Donkey carefully. He saw the clever trick. "Ah, you are very cunning!" he thought. The Pedlar made a new plan. He was smart too.
The Pedlar went back to town quickly. He did not buy more salt. He bought many soft sponges. Sponges soak up much water. They get very heavy then. This was his plan.
The Pedlar put sponges on the Donkey. The Donkey did not know. He thought it was light salt.
They came to the stream again. The Donkey was happy. He lay down in the cool water. He thought his load would be light.
The sponges soaked up all the water. They got very, very heavy. The Donkey tried to stand up. His load was much heavier now. He was very surprised. He felt very tired. This was not good.
The Donkey was very tired. He learned a big lesson. It is not good to trick others. Bad tricks can make things harder. He never tried that trick again.
Original Story
THE ASS AND HIS BURDENS
A Pedlar who owned an Ass one day bought a quantity of salt, and loaded up his beast with as much as he could bear. On the way home the Ass stumbled as he was crossing a stream and fell into the water. The salt got thoroughly wetted and much of it melted and drained away, so that, when he got on his legs again, the Ass found his load had become much less heavy. His master, however, drove him back to town and bought more salt, which he added to what remained in the panniers, and started out again. No sooner had they reached a stream than the Ass lay down in it, and rose, as before, with a much lighter load. But his master detected the trick, and turning back once more, bought a large number of sponges, and piled them on the back of the Ass. When they came to the stream the Ass again lay down: but this time, as the sponges soaked up large quantities of water, he found, when he got up on his legs, that he had a bigger burden to carry than ever.
You may play a good card once too often.
Story DNA
Moral
You may play a good card once too often, meaning that repeated trickery or taking advantage of a situation can backfire.
Plot Summary
An Ass carrying salt accidentally falls into a stream, causing his load to lighten. Realizing this, he deliberately lies down in the water on subsequent trips to reduce his burden. His master, detecting the trick, replaces the salt with sponges. When the Ass tries his trick again, the sponges soak up water, making his load heavier than ever, teaching him a lesson about his cunning.
Themes
Emotional Arc
cleverness to comeuppance
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Aesop's Fables are ancient Greek stories, often featuring anthropomorphic animals, intended to convey moral lessons. They reflect simple, agrarian societies where pack animals were common.
Plot Beats (11)
- A Pedlar loads his Ass with a heavy burden of salt.
- While crossing a stream, the Ass stumbles and falls, causing much of the salt to dissolve and lighten his load.
- The Ass realizes his load is lighter and feels relief.
- The Pedlar, unaware of the Ass's realization, takes him back to town to buy more salt and reloads him.
- Upon reaching the next stream, the Ass deliberately lies down in the water to dissolve his load again.
- The Pedlar observes this trick and understands the Ass's cunning.
- The Pedlar returns to town and buys a large quantity of sponges.
- He loads the sponges onto the Ass's back.
- When they reach the stream, the Ass again lies down, expecting his load to lighten.
- Instead, the sponges soak up water, making his burden much heavier than before.
- The Ass learns a harsh lesson about overplaying his trick.
Characters
★
The Pedlar
A man of average height and sturdy build, accustomed to walking long distances. His hands are calloused from handling goods and leading his ass. His face is weathered from exposure to sun and wind.
Attire: Simple, durable clothing typical of a traveling merchant in ancient Greece or a similar Mediterranean setting. He wears a short, practical chiton made of coarse wool, perhaps in a muted earthy tone like brown or grey, belted at the waist with a leather cord. Sturdy leather sandals are on his feet.
Wants: To earn a living and make a profit from his trade. He wants his business to be efficient and successful.
Flaw: Perhaps a bit too trusting or slow to anger initially, allowing his ass to trick him twice.
He starts as a somewhat naive or trusting master, but quickly learns from his ass's trickery, evolving into a clever and punitive figure who outsmarts his animal.
Resourceful, observant, shrewd, patient (initially), and ultimately cunning. He is quick to adapt and learn from his experiences.
⚔
The Ass
A sturdy, grey-brown donkey of average size, with strong legs and a thick coat. Its ears are long and expressive, and its tail ends in a small tuft of darker hair. It carries the typical panniers of a pack animal.
Attire: No clothing, but it consistently wears two large, woven wicker panniers strapped to its back, designed to hold goods.
Wants: To avoid hard work and lighten its load. It desires comfort and ease.
Flaw: Its greed and overconfidence in its own trickery, leading it to repeat the same action too many times.
Starts as a clever trickster who successfully outsmarts its master twice, but ultimately learns a harsh lesson about the consequences of its deceit, ending up with a heavier burden than ever.
Lazy, cunning, opportunistic, and initially clever. It seeks to lighten its burden through deceit.
Locations
Pedlar's Farmyard
A simple, functional farmyard, likely in a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern setting, with a sturdy, sun-baked earth ground and perhaps some low, whitewashed stone walls. The air is dry and warm, typical of a market day.
Mood: bustling, functional, ordinary
The Ass is initially loaded with salt for the journey.
Market Town
A lively market town, possibly with narrow, unpaved streets, low stone or mud-brick buildings, and bustling activity. The air is filled with the sounds of commerce and the smells of goods.
Mood: busy, commercial, vibrant
The Pedlar returns to town multiple times to buy more salt and then sponges.
Stream Crossing
A shallow, clear stream with a rocky or gravelly bed, flowing through a natural, uncultivated landscape. The banks are likely overgrown with reeds or wild grasses, and the water is cool and refreshing.
Mood: peaceful, natural, deceptively calm
The Ass repeatedly falls or lies down in the water to lighten its load.