A learning journey
A man once lived with hunger his constant companion. His brother was a rich man but not a kind one. He never shared his wealth. Only his scorn. “You will always have little,” he said with a laugh to his brother. “It is your fate to be poor, but my fate to be rich.”
One day, the poor brother decided to seek his fortune and vowed, “I won’t return until I have riches like my brother”. So he wrapped some hard chapatis in a piece of paper and set off.
After some days of walking, he saw a palace being built. He stood resting, and watched builders finish a wall. Then, to his surprise, when they turned to go, the wall tumbled down. When the king came by, he shook his head in fury. Then, the king saw the man and called out, “Are you seeking work?”
“No. I’m seeking my fortune,” the man replied.
“Well, if you find it, please also find out why this cursed palace keeps falling down,” said the king. The man promised to help and continued on his way.
Soon, he came to clean mountain river. Sunning itself on a large rock was a tortoise, who asked, “where are you going, young man?”
“To seek my fortune,” the man replied.
“Well, I can help you across the river, if you help me,” said the tortoise.“ When you find your fortune, see if you can find why I burn inside, even in the cool water.” The man promised to help, so the tortoise led him across the river.
On and on the man walked, higher and higher across the mountains, until he came across a fine-looking plum tree. He was hungry and so he eagerly picked a plum and bit it. “AHHHH,” he cried and spat it out. It was awfully bitter. He hit the tree, shouting “you look lovely, but your fruits are useless”.
“Everyone tells me this,” came the tree’s voice, “but no one tells me why.”
“Well, I’m going to find my fortune. When I find it, I will ask why your fruit is bitter,” the man promised as the tree swayed in farewell.
The man walked until he entered a dark forest. Tired and hungry, he searched for a place to sleep. Suddenly, he came upon a fakir sitting motionless, his eyes closed, deep in meditation. When he opened his eyes, he said, “young man, you have come at the perfect time. Who are you and what do you want?”
“I wish for my wealth, for I am a poor man,” the man replied.
“Go back home now,” said the fakir, “ And you will find what is needed.”
“Kind sir,” said the man. “Before I leave, may I ask three questions?”
“Yes,” said the fakir, and the man asked, “Why does the king’s palace fall down? Why does the tortoise burn inside? Why are the plum tree’s fruits bitter?”
“The king has an older daughter who is ready to be married. When that happens, his wall will stand,” said the fakir. “The tortoise hides his wisdom. If he only shares some, his burning will disappear. And the tree stands above a buried treasure that poisons its roots. If the treasure is given away, the fruit will taste as sweet as it looks.”
With a low bow, the man thanked the fakir and started back home. When he reached the plum tree, he told the tree of the treasure buried beneath its roots.
“Please take it away,” begged the tree, “I have no need of wealth,” So the man dug with his hands and found a box of jewels that he happily took, along with a delicious plum.
Down the mountain he went and found the tortoise by the river. “ I have good news,” said the man. “Your burning comes from the knowledge you hide. You have only to give some away and you will be healed.” At once, the tortoise started to share his wisdom. With every word, the fire within died down a little. When he told the young man valuable things, he felt completely cured. He helped the young man across the river and swam freely away-
At last, the young man reached the king’s palace and went into the royal hall. He asked permission to speak and then told the king what he has discovered.
“What a fool I have been,” said the king. “ I have worried so much about the palace walls that I have forgotten about the people living within them. You seem to be a clever young man. If you have indeed found your fortune, you would be the perfect match for my daughter, What do you say?”
“I would be honoured to marry your daughter,” said the young man.
Soon the city was dressed in its best, with oil lamps glowing. Drawings carpeting the halls, and flower garlands hanging in the streets. With chanting and rejoicing, the two were wed and they returned to the young man’s home.
Then he built a grand house and invited his brother to a feast. With a smile, he introduced his wife and told of his good fortune. Thus he proved to his brother that it was possible to change one’s fate and find a fortune.
From the World of Indian Stories,
a teaching resource of folk tales from every state.
– Catthy Spagnoli
Editor’s brief comment: Once a work of art is articulated, it can have an independent life of its own, which goes far beyond the intentions of its author. This is a wonderful creative story. Do we see the value of both moral and scientific education in this story? They must go together. Otherwise the word is faced with a real threat today in this nuclear age. Apart from that, India is an open society despite some of its entrenched prejudices. The story has some realistic relevance there. In the context of the Abyssinian dominated empire of Ethiopia, where absolutism is the order of the day and the norm since its formation in the last years of the 19th. century, the hardwired response of its elites to peaceful protests is too well known throughout its history to go into here. The Abyssinian elites are the ultimate control freaks of black Africa. Concealing facts and naked violence are part of their main formula. Today, even rare birds of Abyssinia will not openly feel free to objectively and honestly express or show the realities of their own people, let alone those of the hated and feared other. Amost all sections of the Abyssininan elites, including the so-called opposition, consider themsleves as the guardians and inheritors of the so-called Ethiopian unity. Officially, our lands still belong to their crown under a different name- as their monopoly. They must do all they can to look tough and be brutal automatically singing the same mantra for ever. Of course, they are not alone in the world anyway. And on top of that, they still do count on their Oromo collaborators. When I started this website, many Oromos thought I had private ambitions. I had grown up in a family where people often said, ” We do this li wajhillah,” (literally, we do this for the face of God). I find great satisfacrion in telling the truth as much as I can. Nothing else. And I have learned that human truth is only relative. I am happy to see the Oromo people today acting as one for the first time. Of course, at this historical juncture, the unarmed, defenceless Oromo people are facing the horror of the most brutal civilian and military machines in the continent, single handedly. I can only say, they need the utmost seriousness, extraordinary inner strength, organizational prepardnesss and flexibility to deal with the Abyssinian militarization. Besides, we need all the help we can get from the peace loving peoples of this world. Let us not kid ourselves, underestimating Abyssinian fascism. Certain childish assessments of the situation in some of our media outlets make me nervous and sick. Let us not be the merchants of cheap nationalist emotions. We cannot catastrophize Ethiopia. It is already a catastrophy, and an ourage to humanity, no matter how certain world circles pretend otherwise. They may try to contain our democratic and just struggle for liberation from slavery to save their thugs and stooges. They can delay our revolution but not indefinitely. We need to listen mindfully to the beautiful voice of our own inner fakirs in the first place.