In my village there once lived a farmer. He was an only child and was left orphaned when his with his father died in 2010. He had a son of his own. Together, they lived very poorly. The farmer’s rice fields did not yield successful crops. But despite everything, the farmer did not feel sad. Quite the contrary, he was content with what God had given him and his son. He was always grateful, and he was happy.

In addition to the small patches of rice fields that he had, the farmer also owned a cow. The cow was fat and had a slightly shiny brownish skin. Both the farmer and his son were very fond of it. One day, a veterinarian was walking past and saw the elegant cow and asked the farmer if he could buy it. But unfortunately, the farmer stood firm and would not budge on selling his beloved animal.

The veterinarian was quite disappointed with the farmer’s response and as a last effort, tried to persuade the him one more time, even offering him a fantastic price for a cow belonging to a poor farmer! However, in the end, the farmer still refused. The news soon spread that the farmer rejected the vet’s amazing offer to buy the cow for a good price. His neighbors were upset with the farmer, calling him stupid for not taking the offer. The farmer and his son remained silent and did not respond to the neighbors' talk.

The days went by. Three days after the farmer rejected the offer for his cow, to his dismay, the animal slid out of his shelter and ran deep into the forest, nowhere to be found! When the neighbors heard of the cow’s disappearance, the approached the farmer making fun of him. They criticized the farmer’s decision for refusing to sell the animal to the vet, saying that he could have been living a wealthy life, but instead, he is now poorer than he was before. But again, the farmer and his son remained silent. They did not respond to the neighbors' talk. In the hearts of the peasant and his son, God had given them what was best for them and they sincerely accepted all the events that happened to them, they remained meek and mild.

Two weeks after the disappearance of the farmer's cow, without anyone suspecting it, the cow was returned to the farmer! The condition of the cow was still as it once was, in perfect health! Again, the neighbors began to talk. This time they felt foolish for making fun of the farmer. They shook their heads in disbelief, as if they did not believe in the magical events experienced by the farmer.
The farmer and his son smiled and gave thanks. In their hearts they praised the mercy of God who had answered their prayers. Now a task awaits the boy: he has to look after the cow.

This post has been edited by a member of the @blue-pencil team.

@agrojaya