The Wise Rooster

The Wise Rooster

“You are fortunate,” the ox said to the donkey, “because I plow the fields all day while you live in comfort.” The donkey replied, “If you listen to me, you too can find peace. Pretend to be sick tomorrow while working, and the owner will not make you work.”

It is said that once there lived a wealthy merchant who owned many animals. He was not only rich but also possessed a rare ability: he could clearly understand the language of animals. One day, while visiting his stable, he overheard a conversation between his ox and donkey.

The ox was complaining about his hard life. He said to the donkey, “You are lucky. I work from morning till evening plowing the fields, while you live comfortably.” The donkey, who was clever but selfish, replied, “If you follow my advice, you will also get rest. Tomorrow, pretend to be ill. When the owner hears this, he will not make you work.”

The ox felt pleased with this suggestion and promised to act upon it. The merchant heard their entire conversation but remained silent and showed no reaction.

The next day, when the servant informed the merchant that the ox was sick and unable to work, the merchant smiled knowingly. Instead of letting the field remain unattended, he ordered the servant to take the donkey to the fields and make him work in place of the ox.

The donkey was taken to the fields and forced to work hard all day until evening. By nightfall, he was exhausted, weak, and covered in sweat. When he returned to the stable, the ox thanked him happily and said, “Your advice worked perfectly. I got a day of rest.”

The donkey did not reply immediately, but deep inside he regretted his own cleverness. He thought to himself, “I gave advice to help him, but I myself fell into trouble.”

The following morning, the merchant once again went to the stable to observe the situation. By coincidence, his wife was also with him. At that moment, the donkey asked the ox, “What do you plan to do today?”

The ox replied confidently, “I will act sick again today.”

The donkey immediately warned him, “Do not do such a terrible thing. I heard the owner say that if the ox does not recover, he will be slaughtered. It is better for you to go to work today, or your life will be in danger.”

Hearing this conversation, the merchant laughed quietly. His wife was surprised and asked, “Why are you laughing?”

The merchant replied, “I laughed at the conversation between the donkey and the ox.”

His wife asked curiously, “What were they talking about?”

The merchant said, “This is a secret. If I reveal it, my life will be in danger.”

His wife became suspicious and insisted, saying, “You are making excuses. If you do not tell me the truth, I will kill myself.”

The merchant tried to calm her and explained repeatedly, but she remained stubborn. She started crying loudly and threatening to take her own life. The merchant became deeply worried. He thought, “If I tell her the secret, my life will be at risk, and if I do not tell her, she may harm herself.”

While he stood there confused and distressed, he overheard another conversation in the stable. A dog said to a rooster, “Why are you still scolding the hens today?”

The rooster replied, “What is the matter today?”

The dog said, “Our mistress is pressuring the master to reveal a secret. If he reveals it, his life will be in danger, and if he does not, she is ready to kill herself.”

The rooster laughed and said, “The master is foolish if he cannot control just one wife. Look at me—I manage fifty hens. If any of them act against my will, I discipline them until they obey.”

Hearing this, the merchant understood the message. He immediately picked up a whip and began scolding and beating his wife. The woman became frightened and realized her mistake. She fell at her husband’s feet, begging for forgiveness.

She said, “I am sorry. From now on, I will never go against your wishes. I will not be stubborn again and will obey you.”

Thus, the merchant was saved from revealing his secret, and peace returned to the household

Moral:

This story teaches that false advice often brings harm, wisdom comes from experience, and greed or manipulation eventually backfires. True intelligence lies in honesty, responsibility, and understanding the consequences of one’s actions.