The Oriental Tale Of The Magician And His Sheep
This oriental tale tells us about three men who lived with their families in an area where water was becoming increasingly scarce. One summer, the drought was so great that water ran out. No one knew what to do.
The three men were very good friends. They were constantly helping each other. So they got together to think about a common solution and concluded that it was crucial to go to the nearest village. It was four days’ walk away but they would find water there.
They communicated their decision to the community. Even though everyone needed water, no one wanted to accompany them. So they left early in the morning, with little food but determined to fulfill their mission. If they failed, they would all die. It was therefore crucial to properly ration the provisions to achieve their goal.
Plenty of water
This old oriental tale tells us that the three men walked with determination, almost without stopping, for four days. They arrived exhausted and sweaty in the village, but it didn’t matter: they were happy. They had almost accomplished their mission.
The villagers offered them shelter and a meal. The three friends were extremely grateful to them. The next day, they filled all the containers they had brought on their mules with fresh water. The animals could barely move forward with all this weight. The villagers did not want money in exchange for water, so the protagonists of this oriental tale felt lucky.
The inhabitants advised them to take the return path at nightfall. The sun was very strong and walking in its rays was dangerous. The three men therefore decided to listen to them and returned home in the middle of the night. They let themselves be guided by the stars. The night was very clear.
The climax of this oriental tale
Shortly before daybreak, the men went to bed to rest for a few hours. The scorching sun was beginning to rise. They then resumed their journey. They thought they had already completed half of their journey and imagined the joy of their loved ones when they saw them return with water.
However, in the early hours of the morning, they noticed that they were in a place they had never been before. They tried to find their way back but couldn’t. They were in the middle of a plain that they did not know at all. They went one way, then the other but did not understand where they were. There was no living soul around. The three men were confused and didn’t know how to get out of this situation.
They started to despair and then tried to put their minds in order. They did so until nightfall and then took the route which they thought was the most correct. But she was leading nowhere. The three men were still lost. It lasted three days. They had no more provisions and the more they looked for the right way, the further they got away from everything.
An unexpected outcome
As they were descending a mountain path, they saw a very dry tree with a fruit on it. It was a very small fruit; the three men hastened to pluck it. They didn’t know how to share it because the fruit was not enough for three. They were thinking about it when they saw a shepherd approaching with some sheep. He was an old man who seemed sympathetic.
The man greeted them. When he saw them so helpless, he asked them what was happening to them. The three men told him their story. The old man revealed to them that he was a magician and that he could help them solve their problem. But each had to come up with a solution so that all three could enjoy the fruit. He could only help them if they gave a correct solution that would respect their friendship.
According to this oriental tale, the first man said to the magician: “If you have magical powers, make more food appear”. The old man reprimanded him. No solution is born through magical apparitions. The second man then said to him: “Make this fruit bigger so that we can share it”. The magician also reprimanded him. The real solutions do not come from external but internal changes.
The third man then said: “Make us smaller so that we have enough to eat with this fruit”. The wizard nodded. “When we have serious problems, the best solution is to make ourselves smaller, more humble”. Then he took two steps forward and disappeared. The sheep were still there, as a gift for the three noble men. A thunderstorm erupted and when it finished, the three friends saw that they were very close to their house.
Our thoughts The kid who could do it. We should tell this story to all the children of the world. Indeed, it conveys a powerful message: it is …
