The Ox Who Won the Forfeit
Traditional | India
A proud man's boastful claims about his strong Ox backfire, but after showing kindness and humility, the Ox proves its strength.
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Once upon a time, in a small village in India, there was a man with a very strong ox. The man was very proud and often talked about how strong his ox was. He would say to everyone, "There is no ox in this village or the next that is as strong as my ox!"
One sunny day, some heavy wagons got stuck in the village because of the muddy road. The man saw a chance to show off and offered his ox to help move the wagons. The villagers came to watch.
"Look at this!" he shouted as he connected the ox to the wagons. But to his surprise, the ox wouldn't move. Even though the man pulled, shouted, and even whipped the ox, it just stood there. The villagers laughed at him, and the man felt embarrassed and had to pay a penalty for his boast.
That night, under the moonlight, the man sat beside his ox feeling guilty and sorry. He gently stroked the ox and said, "I'm sorry for being so proud and making things hard for you. I promise to be kind from now on."
The next day, the wagons were still stuck. The man tried again, but this time he was respectful. He gently connected the ox to the wagons and quietly asked, "Could you help us, dear friend?"
To everyone's surprise, the ox started pulling hard. Slowly, the wagons moved, and soon they were rolling along. The villagers cheered for the ox’s strength. The man was very happy and thanked his ox warmly. The wagon owner was so impressed that he gave the man a lot of money, more than what he lost before.
From then on, the man never bragged again. He always treated his ox with kindness and respect, and he became known as a man with humility and an understanding of true strength.
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