Saad al-Din traded in spices and silk, bringing them from India and distributing them to small merchants. He wanted to deliver a quantity to one of his customers in a semi-desert area, a day and night’s journey from his town. He took with him the camel and the donkey. He placed a light load on the camel and the rest on the donkey’s back.
After one day: After a journey of one day, the donkey began walking with difficulty, unable to continue walking because of his heavy load. The donkey complained to the camel about the weight of his burden.
After another half day: After a journey of half a day, Saad al-Din filled a number of water bags from a well on the road and placed them on the donkey’s back. This doubled the load on him, and he began to stagger without his owner feeling it.
The donkey and his master: The donkey said, “My master, I’m tired from the heavy loads on my back. You’ve loaded me beyond my capacity. If you distributed the water bags between me and the camel…” He said to him, “The camel carries on his back thousands of times what you carry.” The donkey fell silent against his will, suffering from extreme fatigue and exhaustion.
The donkey’s complaint: The donkey said, “Since morning you’ve only given me one meal. I want you to give me some food so I can be strong enough to walk.” He said to him, “Soon we’ll reach a place where merchant caravans gather, and we’ll take our need of food and water. Only a little remains until we reach. You have nothing but patience. Your braying and complaining have increased this time. Have you grown old and weak? This is the last time I take you with me. Next time I’ll choose a strong, active donkey.”
The disaster: The donkey began to stagger right and left until he fell to the ground with his heavy loads. Saad al-Din approached him to examine him and found him dead. The disaster fell upon Saad al-Din, for the bags burst, and the water poured out of them. The thirsty desert sands drank it, and he began to lament his fate where regret was of no avail.
The camel: The camel was patient against his will. He said to his master, “You are the reason for the donkey’s death in this terrible way. If you had been just, you would have distributed the loads between us. I don’t need to live with you after today. There’s no mercy or compassion in your heart. I want to live in the desert away from you and people like you, merchants who think only of collecting money by any means.” Saad al-Din wanted to transfer the merchandise that had been on the donkey to the camel. The camel began to bring foam out of his mouth and grunt in his owner’s face, announcing his refusal.
The camel and his master: He tried to grab the rope around the camel’s neck but couldn’t. The camel said to him, “Stay away from me, you unjust, greedy oppressor. If you approach me, I’ll trample you under my hoof, and I’ll leave you here in the desert until you meet the same fate that befell the donkey.”
The camel’s escape: The camel let himself go at full speed into the desert until he disappeared from sight, leaving his owner in the desert with the merchandise thrown on the sands.
Greed and loss: Thus the merchant Saad al-Din lost his trade, his camel, and his donkey because of his greed and lack of kindness toward animals.