The Impatient Peasant

A long, long time ago, each family used to grow what they needed in their own little field. One peasant called San lived like that with his wife and children. San had made up his mind that he would grow his family the best grain and vegetables in the world.

One day, he went out to his field. He hoed the soil thoroughly, planted seeds in it, and watered it well. He waited all day, watching, to see when his seeds would start to sprout up out of the ground. But no matter how hard he looked, nothing seemed to be happening.

Early in the morning the next day, San went out and watered the seeds again thoroughly. He sat down at the edge of the field and watched, to see when they would start to grow. But still nothing happened. It wasn’t until the third day that the first few leaves appeared above the ground. But the peasant was already getting impatient. He thought the seeds were growing too slowly. How could the best ever vegetables grow out of such lazy seeds? He paced up and down pondering how he could make them grow faster.

“I’ve got it!” San exclaimed.

His family asked what his idea was, but San wouldn’t tell them anything at all. “We’re going to have the best vegetables,” he announced proudly and went to bed feeling satisfied. As usual, when the sun came up, the cock crowed. San often lay a little while longer in his warm bed, but that morning he was already up on his feet before he even heard the cockerel. The sun was only just peeking out from behind the mountains when San began working away in his field, bent over double. Sweat…