Farmer and Oxen Story
Once upon a time, there lived a farmer. One day this farmer went to the market and bought two oxen. Even though the farmer arrived home late, he became very happy buying those healthy oxen. He didn’t need to borrow oxen to plough his fields. He wanted to take of them well. He was also planning to lend them to the others. Thus, he was going to earn money.
Next day, he woke up early in the morning and went to his fields with his oxen. He ploughed his fields until noon. At noon, he wanted to rest. He let oxen graze and he lied under a tree. After a while, he fell asleep.
A thief, going through there, noticed the oxen and sleeping owner. ‘What an opportunity! I shouldn’t miss this.’ thought the thief. He immediately roped the oxen. At that moment, the farmer woke up and saw the thief stealing his oxen. He got up and run after the thief. He caught him and said, “Are you stealing my oxen? How dare!” The thief, “No this is nonsense! These are mine. I bought them from the market!” replied.
The farmer got angry and “You can’t-fool me! These are my oxen” said. The farmer and the thief started to fight.
The farmer took the thief to a nearby village. Both claimed that the oxen were theirs.
The villagers listened to both. Then, they asked to support their claims by showing a witness. The farmer couldn’t bring anyone because he had just bought the oxen, so none of the friends showed the oxen. The thief also couldn’t bring a witness. The villagers also couldn’t solve the case.
“This man couldn’t prove, and he is trying to deceive us.” said the thief. The villagers decided to consult the village physician who was an intelligent man.
The physician listened to both. He figured out the real owner, but he wanted to prove this. To make the case clear, he asked the thief what he gave the oxen to eat in the morning. He said, “rice and vegetables”
Then the physician asked the same question to the farmer. “As I am poor, I gave only grass to them” replied the farmer. The physician prepared a medicine that made oxen vomit. The oxen threw up and there was only grass in their stomach. This proved the claim of the farmer.
The physician told the thief, “You should stop stealing. It is a bad thing. It just ruins someone’s life.”
Thief promised not to steal anymore. The farmer became very happy to take his oxen back.
