Here is a concise summary of the story:
**Title:** The Lazy Donkey
**Summary:**
A trader has a lazy donkey that helps him transport goods to market. When the trader starts selling salt, the donkey discovers that falling into the river dissolves the salt, making his load lighter. The donkey tries to exploit this by intentionally falling into the river again, but the trader outsmarts him by loading cotton instead of salt. When the donkey falls into the river, the cotton absorbs water and becomes heavier, teaching the donkey a lesson. From then on, the donkey never tries to avoid work by falling into the river again.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text, each with a number and in short sentences:
**Character & Setting**
1. There was a trader who lived in a small village.
2. The trader had a donkey that helped him with his market business.
**Daily Routine**
3. The trader sold various items in the market, including pulses, grains, vegetables, spices, and fruits.
4. The trader and donkey would cross a river daily to get to the market.
5. The trader took special care of the donkey while crossing the river.
**Salt Sales**
6. A friend informed the trader about a high demand for salt in the market.
7. The trader arranged for 12 sacks of salt to sell in the market.
8. Initially, the donkey struggled with the weight of 6 sacks of salt.
**Incident at the River (First Time)**
9. While crossing the river, the donkey slipped, fell, and sat down.
10. The water dissolved the salt in the sacks, making the donkey's load lighter.
11. The trader was initially unaware that the salt had dissolved.
**Second Trip to the Market**
12. The next day, the trader loaded 6 new sacks of salt on the donkey.
13. The donkey intentionally sat down in the river to dissolve the salt again.
14. The salt dissolved, and the donkey's load became lighter.
**Consequence (Third Trip)**
15. The trader loaded 8 sacks, but not with salt; this time, it was with cotton.
16. When the donkey sat in the river again, the cotton absorbed water and became heavier.
17. The donkey was forced to carry the heavy cotton sacks to and from the market.
**Aftermath**
18. The donkey realized the water was not magical.
19. From that day on, the donkey never tried to sit in the water again to avoid work.