Question

short story on the son of poor farmer

Answer 1

The Poor Farmer :




There was a small village wherein several rich farmers were settled and only one poor man who was therefore called THE POOR FARMER. He had not even a goat, nor the money to buy any though he and his wife would have been extremely happy to have one. One day he said to her, "A good thought has just struck me. The carver can make us a lamb out of wood and paint it brown so that it will look like any other. In time perhaps it will grow big and become a goat". This proposal pleased his wife. And the carver was instructed accordingly and he cut out the lamb, painted it as it should be and so made it that its head was bent down is if eating. 


The next morning the goats were driven out to pasture and the farmer called the shepherd and said, "See… I have here a little lamb. But it is so small that it must as yet be carried." The shepherd said, "Very well" and taking it under his arm, carried it down to the meadow and set it among the grass. All day the lamb stood there as if eating. The shepherd said to himself, "See how it is eating! It will soon grow big and go alone." In the evening when he wanted to drive his flocks home, he said to the lamb, "If you can stand there to eat all the time, you must also be able to walk upon your four legs and I shall not carry you home in my arms." 


The poor farmer stood before his house door waiting for his lamb. The shepherd drove his herd through the village. The farmer asked him about the lamb. The shepherd replied, "It is still standing there eating. It is not listening to me". The farmer exclaimed, "Eh! What? I must have my lamb!" and so both of them went together down to the meadow. But someone had stolen the lamb and it was gone. 


The shepherd said "Perhaps it has run away itself", but the farmer replied, "No, no, that won't do for me." The shepherd was dragged before the Mayor. He was sentenced for his negligence to give the poor farmer a goat in the place of the lost lamb. 


Now the farmer and his wife possessed the long-desired goat and were very glad. But having no fodder they could give her nothing to eat. So, very soon they were obliged to kill her. The flesh they salted down and the skin the poor farmer took to the next town to sell and to buy a lamb with what he got for it. 


On the way he passed a mill where a raven was sitting with a broken wing and out of compassion he took the bird up and wrapped it in the skin he was carrying. But the weather was very bad with a great storm and rain so he was unable to go further and turning into the mill, begged for shelter. The miller's wife was at home alone and said to the farmer, "Lie down on that straw" and gave him a piece of bread and cheese. The farmer ate it and lay down with the skin near him and the miller's wife thought he was asleep. Later, a man came and she received him very cordially. She gave him a grand feast and the farmer was vexed on having been treated only with bread and cheese. 


The woman went inside the kitchen and brought well-fried chicken, rice and salad. As they were sitting down to eat, there was knock outside and the woman exclaimed, "Oh! Gracious! That is my husband!" In a great hurry she stuck the chicken in the oven, the salad under the pillow, the rice upon the bed, while her guest stepped into the cupboard where she kept the linen. After doing all this she let in her husband and said, "God be praiseaway. Presently the miller noticed the skin lying upon the ground in which was the raven and asked, "What have you there?" 


The farmer replied, "I have a truth-teller therein". " 


Can it tell me the truth too?" asked the miller. 


"Why not?" said the other "but he will only say four things and the fifth he keeps to himself." 


The miller was curious and wished to hear it speak and the farmer squeezed the raven's head so that it squeaked out. 


The miller then asked, "What did he say?" 


The farmer replied, "The first thing is under the pillow lies the salad". 


"That is a rare thing!" said the miller and went and found the salad. The farmer made the raven croak again and said, "Secondly, he declares there is roast chicken in the oven." "That is a good tell-tale!" cried the miller again and opening the oven, he took out the roast chicken. Then the farmer made the raven croak again and said, "For the third thing, he declares there is rice on the bed." "That is wonderful!" exclaimed the miller and he found the rice. Then the farmer made his bird croak once more and said, "For the fourth thing, he declares there are boiled eggs under the bed". "Oh! I like it." said the miller while he went and found as it sa