The Kind Peasant

A peasant saddled his horse and rode to town to buy soybeans. In town, he bought twelve small barrels of soybeans.

"Your horse can't carry more than eight barrels," the merchant told him. "Leave four here. Come back for them tomorrow."

"My horse is old," replied the peasant. "Even eight barrels would be too much for her. I'll load only six on her, and I'll carry the rest myself."

And so he did: he loaded six barrels onto the horse and hoisted the remaining six onto his own back. Then he mounted the horse and set off.

The horse took a step or two and then stopped. Its legs were buckling. It was clear that the horse wouldn't make it to the village.

"What an ungrateful animal!" the peasant shouted. "Others load eight barrels onto their horses, but I pity you—I'm carrying six barrels myself. Why are you still resisting?"

More fairy tales

• The Boastful Gambay
• About How a Man Turned into a Turtle
• A Long Name
• The Badger and the Magic Fan
• The Swallows and the Gourd