In the neighborhood, all the residents were busy working in their gardens, weeding and plowing the land to plant yams and sweet potatoes. One morning, the cockroach went to the chicken and asked, “Neighbor, could you come help me plow my garden, please?” The chicken, always eager to lend a hand, agreed, “Of course!” For four straight days, everyone saw the chicken working tirelessly in the cockroach’s garden. In just a few short movements, she managed to plow the entire garden on her own.
On the fifth day, exhausted, the chicken finally left the garden. She went to the cockroach and said, “Neighbor, I worked so hard for you for four days. Now, please help me. Let’s go weed my garden together.” The cockroach responded, “Oh! I’d love to help, but my leg is hurting so badly.” Later, the chicken invited the cockroach to join her in cutting some bananas. The cockroach again replied, “Oh, neighbor, I’d really like to go with you, but I can’t walk. My leg is still sore.” The chicken said nothing further and went off to weed her garden alone.
While she was working, she heard the sound of drums coming from the cockroach’s house. She hurried over to see what was going on and found the cockroach and her children dancing in the yard. The chicken said to the cockroach, “Aha! You tricked me. From this day forward, we are no longer friends.” The chicken then attacked the cockroach and her children, eating many of them. From that moment on, the cockroach no longer had any power over the chicken. As I was passing by, someone gave me a little kick, which send me here to share this story with you.
Context and Lesson:
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This fable teaches lessons about fairness, justice, and the consequences of dishonesty. At the start, the cockroach takes advantage of the chicken’s willingness to help, asking her to work in her garden for four days. The chicken, known for her helpful nature, works tirelessly without complaint, demonstrating kindness and generosity. However, when it’s the chicken’s turn to ask for help, the cockroach suddenly claims to have a “bad leg” and refuses to assist. Later, the chicken discovers that the cockroach has been dancing and is not actually injured, revealing her deceit.
The moral of the story is that fairness is crucial in relationships. The cockroach betrays the chicken’s trust by pretending to be hurt and not returning the favor when it was time to reciprocate. In response, the chicken learns that dishonesty should not be tolerated, and she takes action by attacking the cockroach and her children. The fable highlights the importance of mutual support and warns against manipulating others, as deceit can lead to the loss of trust and support.
The story ultimately conveys that respect and fairness are vital for maintaining strong relationships. Once trust is broken, it is difficult to rebuild.
The fable emphasizes not only the value of helping others but also the importance of being fair and truthful when seeking help.
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One comment
I really love your take on this one. I read this fable at school and didn’t realize how deep it was and the great lesson that the author tried to convey. Thanks to you, now I get it.
Keep them coming and keep up the great work.