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Once upon a time, there were two men called Ikotofetsy and Imahaka. Ikotofetsy lived in the west part of their village, whereas Imahaka lived in the east. One day, they met by chance at a nearby valley and chatted for the very first time. At that moment, Imahaka was carrying a fake spade made of clay while Ikotofetsy brought a pied crow packed in a bag.
Hello, Ikotofetsy said with a smile. What's in your hand?
It's a spade. I want to barter it for chicken.
What a coincidence! I have a chicken here in my bag to be bartered for spade.
Really? So let's barter them if you want.
Sure. Be careful though, because it's a shy chicken, so please don't open the bag on your way.
Okay. I urge you as well not to use the spade right away because I've just forged it. Just wait a little while.
After cutting the deal, they went back quickly to their respective homes, eager to try out their new purchases. When they arrived, Imahaka tore the bag open and was startled by a crow flying out of it; Ikotofetsy dug with the spade and it shattered into pieces. Shocked though they were, both men managed to laugh. Gee, we are so crafty! they all mumbled, almost together.
A few days later, Ikotofetsy and Imahaka met again.
Hey listen, if we are really to be friends, Imahaka said, why don't we weigh each other up a little?
Sounds good to me.
So I tell you something that puzzles me and if you know the answer, I'll accept that you're smarter than me. Okay?
Go ahead.
I wonder why black female zebus produce white milk. Do you know the answer?
Ikotofetsy pondered for a while and said, I don't know, I'm confused too.
It's your turn now, Imahaka continued.
I wonder why zebus and sheep don't have the same type of tail, even though they eat the same type of grass. The zebu's tail is thin and long, whereas the sheep's one is short and furry.
Uh, you're right. It's really strange.
Well, said Ikotofetsy, that means we are all smart, so let's start a good friendship.
As a way of celebrating their new friendship, the two men decided to prepare a delicious meal. But when the meal was ready, an idea crossed imahaka's mind.
Let's sleep first before eating, he said. When we wake up, we'll compare our dreams. The one who has a nice dream will be the only one allowed to eat the meal.
No problem, replied Ikotofetsy.
So they went to sleep and tried to have a dream as nice as they could. When they awoke, both men were excited to tell their dreams. Imahaka started first.
I dreamed I went up to heaven and saw lots of wonderful things. He then looked at Ikotofetsy and asked, How about you? Tell me if you had a better one.
I dreamed I saw you went up to heaven and I muttered to myself 'I'd better wake up and eat the meal because that guy won't come back anymore.' But when I actually woke up I noticed that you're still here!
They couldn't stop laughing.
That's amazing, Imahaka finally said as he glanced at the meal. Shall we eat?
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