A Peddler drove his Donkey to the seashore to buy salt. His road home lay across a stream into which his Donkey, 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 Donkey 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 Donkey, 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.
一个小贩赶着驴子到海边去买盐。他回家的路上，在一条小溪的对面，他的驴子走错了一步，意外地跌倒了，站起来时，他的担子轻了许多，因为水把麻袋熔化了。小贩沿路返回，装上更多盐比上次更重。当他再次来到小溪，驴子同样的目的在同一个地方倒下，站起来他的负荷减少了很多，驴子好像得到了他所有目的。小贩识破了他的诡计，把他第三次带到海边，在那里他买了一批海绵代替盐。驴子再次扮演傻瓜，当他到达小溪时故意落下，但海绵因水而肿胀，大大增加了他的负载。因此，他对他的把戏退缩，他背上的双重负担。