The Punishment of Greed

The Punishment of Greed

Once upon a time, in a small village, there lived a farmer with his two sons, Ahmed and Muhammad. Ahmed was clever and cunning, always thinking of ways to get more for himself, while Muhammad was innocent, simple-hearted, and somewhat naive. The farmer owned three valuable things: a cow, a fruit-bearing tree, and a blanket.

After the old farmer passed away, Ahmed, the elder son, decided to divide the inheritance with his younger brother. But, as usual, he wanted to use his cleverness to his advantage. He said to Muhammad, “Let’s share everything equally.” Muhammad, trusting his elder brother, agreed without suspicion.

Ahmed then proposed a division for the cow. “We’ll split it in half,” he said. “I will take the back part, and you can take the front part.” Muhammad, not realizing the trick, agreed. Next, they moved to the fruit tree. Ahmed suggested, “Let’s divide the tree so that I take the top part and you take the lower part.” Muhammad again agreed, believing it was fair. Finally, Ahmed addressed the blanket. “We cannot cut it in half. So, we’ll take turns using it: you use it in the morning, and I’ll use it at night.” Muhammad agreed to this plan as well.

As days passed, Ahmed’s cunning became clear. Muhammad was left with all the hard work. He had to feed the cow every day, while Ahmed drank all the milk. Ahmed climbed the tree and ate the fruit from the top, while Muhammad could only look at it longingly. At night, Ahmed enjoyed the warmth of the blanket, while Muhammad shivered in the cold.

Weeks later, a friend of Muhammad came to visit him. Seeing Muhammad in misery, he asked why he looked so troubled. Muhammad explained everything that had happened. His friend gave him a clever piece of advice to deal with his greedy brother. Excited and determined, Muhammad went home to put the plan into action.

The next day, Muhammad saw Ahmed milking the cow. Quickly, he grabbed a stick and began hitting the cow. Ahmed, startled, protested, “What are you doing? Can’t you see I am milking the cow?” Muhammad calmly replied, “The back part is mine. I can do whatever I want with it.” Confused and helpless, Ahmed had no choice but to leave the cow alone.

Later, when Ahmed climbed the tree to pick fruit, Muhammad immediately took an axe and started chopping the tree. Ahmed tried to stop him, saying, “What are you doing? Don’t cut the tree!” Muhammad responded firmly, “The lower part belongs to me. I can do as I please.” Now, Ahmed had no fruits left, so he walked away silently, realizing he could not gain anything without his brother’s cooperation.

Finally, it was time for the blanket. Before evening, Muhammad soaked it in water. Ahmed saw this and exclaimed, “What are you doing? How will I sleep tonight?” Muhammad replied with a smile, “It is mine until evening. I am washing it. You have to wait.” That night, Ahmed shivered under the cold sky without the blanket, feeling the consequences of his greed.

When morning came, Ahmed realized how foolish his behavior had been. He approached Muhammad, apologized sincerely, and admitted his mistakes. Muhammad forgave him, and the two brothers decided to share everything fairly from that day onward. They used the cow, the tree, and the blanket together, enjoying life in harmony

Through this experience, Ahmed learned a valuable lesson: greed brings suffering, and fairness and cooperation lead to happiness. Muhammad, with his patience and cleverness, showed that standing up for oneself wisely can restore balance without hostility. From that day, the brothers lived happily together, using everything they had in common, with mutual respect and understanding.