The Miserly Farmer
Chinese Folktale
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Retold by The Legendary Connection
TLC#00185
Once upon a time, there was a farmer who was bringing a cart full of juicy, sweet-smelling pears to the market. He was excited, thinking he could sell them for a good price. As he set up his cart, a tired-looking monk in a torn cap and worn-out robe came over and asked for a single pear.
The farmer frowned and told him to go away, but the monk didn’t leave. Growing impatient, the farmer began to scold him. The monk calmly replied, “You have so many pears in your cart, and I only ask for one. Surely that can’t harm you. Why get so angry?”
People nearby told the farmer he could spare one small pear, but the farmer stubbornly refused. Finally, an artisan watching from his workshop got annoyed by the noise. He took out a coin, bought a pear, and gave it to the monk.
The monk smiled and thanked him. “A simple man like me must not be greedy,” he said. “I actually have wonderful pears of my own, and I invite all of you to share them with me!”
Someone in the crowd laughed and asked, “If you have pears, then why don’t you eat them yourself?”
The monk replied, “Ah, but first, I need a seed to grow my tree.”
He ate the pear with delight, saved the seed, and dug a small hole in the ground. Carefully, he placed the seed in the hole, covered it with soil, and asked for some water. Amused by his strange request, two people brought hot water from a nearby inn, and the monk gently poured it over the seed.
All eyes in the market were fixed on the spot. To everyone’s surprise, the seed began to sprout right away! It grew and grew, turning into a small plant, then a young tree, and finally a tall pear tree with strong branches and green leaves. Soon, blossoms covered the tree, and before long, large, fragrant pears appeared, hanging in thick clusters.
The monk climbed into the tree and began handing down the pears to the crowd. People marveled at the fresh, delicious fruit, and soon, every last pear was eaten.
Then, to everyone’s surprise, the monk took his pickaxe and chopped down the tree. “Crash! Crash!” went the wood as it fell to the ground. When the tree was felled, the monk picked up the fallen wood, placed it on his shoulder, and calmly walked away.
The farmer, who had been watching the monk’s magic along with everyone else, suddenly remembered his own pears. But when he turned to his cart, he found it empty—every single pear had disappeared! Looking closely, he realized that the cart’s axle was missing too. It looked as though it had been freshly chopped off.
In a panic, the farmer ran after the monk, who had already disappeared around the corner. When he reached the city wall, he found the missing piece of his axle lying on the ground. At that moment, he understood: the “magic” tree the monk had grown and chopped down was really made from his own cart’s axle!
As the realization sank in, the crowd in the market burst out laughing, and the farmer could only stand there, astonished.
Edwards, David. “The Project Gutenberg EBook of the Chinese Fairy Book, by R. Wilhelm (Ed.) and Frederick H. Martens (Trans.).” Www.gutenberg.org, 5 Jan. 2021, www.gutenberg.org/files/29939/29939-h/29939-h.htm#XXXIII. Accessed 26 July 2024.