[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is reasonable to assume that like most Chakhesang villagers, to wit, cultivators in general, that they tend to consume salt beyond what most city-bred people might. This is so because they sweat not only because of the heat of the weather but by virtue of their hardiness in physical/manual labour. (Whether they bathe or not, that is their personal issue).
There was once a huckster who kept an ass, and when he heard that some cheap salt was being sold at the seaside, he drove his ass there to buy some. After having loaded with as much salt as it could carry, the huckster drove him home alongside a slippery ledge of rock, until the ass accidentally fell into the river below. When the salt dissolved, the ass was relieved of his burden so that he reached the bank with ease.Then he continued his journey, light in body and spirit. Some time later, the huckster set off for the seashore for some more salt and loaded the ass, if possible, with even more salt than before. On their return home, they crossed the river into which the ass had previously fallen, and this time he slipped into the water on purpose. Once again the salt dissolved.
Disturbed by the loss of the salt, the huckster tried to think of a way to cure his ass from performing this trick. So, on the next journey to the coast, he placed a load of sponges on the beast. When they arrived on the same river as before, the ass was up to his old tricks and rolled himself into the river. But the sponges became soaking wet, and the ass discovered to his dismay that his burden had doubled in weight instead of getting lighter.
The moral of this story is that the same ploy will not suit all circumstances.
Perhaps all of us do need to ponder various issues and apply our abilities with gusto so that we may be compelled to sacrifice the lesser evil for the greater good. Sacrifices tend to be necessary sometimes but for the better interest of our country.
Millions of people have died for their beliefs in their religion. Christians have been eaten by lions, massacred and underwent all kinds of brutalities but their faith in the Scriptures of the Bible never wavered. That is why Christianity today still has the greatest number of adherents—about 1.2 billion or over one-fourth of the world’s popukation.
