THE COCKROACH’s CHOICE
Three hungry cockroaches came to a farmer and asked him for food. He willingly offered them some bread and some cheese. They ate to satisfaction and saved food to take home to their families.
Upon leaving, the farmer told them,
“Listen roaches, instead of begging for food as you always do, why don’t I offer you a job in my farm? We offer good pay, food, and protection for your families.”
The cockroaches asked,
“What work do we have to do, and how much salary do we get?”
The farmer answered,
“There are four positions available in my farm, with each having a different pay. It’s up to you to choose which of them you prefer! The worker whose job is to inform my chickens that food is ready gets paid $3,000 every month. The worker whose job is to peel and slice my garlic gets $5,000 monthly. The worker whose job is to chase pesky lizards out of the farm gets $4,000 every month. And lastly, the worker whose job is to sing and dance for my goats gets only $250 monthly. You can make your choice now!”
The first cockroach exclaimed,
“I choose the $5,000 job! I want to peel and slice your garlic!”
The second cockroach chorused,
“I want the $4,000 job! Let me chase the pesky lizards out of the farm!
The third cockroach thought for a long moment, then said surprisingly,
“I would prefer the $250 job! I want to sing and dance for your goats!”
For a moment, the two other cockroaches glared at her and thought she was very dumb.
“How could she have chosen the lowest paying job in the farm? Is she that silly and unreasonable?” they thought within themselves.
The following morning, the three cockroaches arrived for their first day of work. However, as they began their duties, the first and the second cockroaches died all of a sudden.
The curious farmer then called the third cockroach and asked,
“Tell me, why did you choose the lowest paying job?”
She took a deep breath and answered,
“Firstly, chickens favourite food is cockroaches- why would I choose a job where I have to go close to chickens? Secondly, the pungent smell of garlic can quickly kill a cockroach- why would I choose a job where I have to peel and slice garlic? Thirdly, lizards love to snack and prey on cockroaches- why would I choose a job where I have to chase lizards out of the farm? It’s not about the money at all, it’s about putting my life into consideration.”
LESSON TO LEARN:
Be careful of the deals you accept from people. Don’t jump into every offer made to you. Don’t be so blinded by money and material things that you refuse to pause and carefully consider the ramifications before taking a decision. Be wise!
THE ELEPHANT AND THE DUCK
A Short Moral Story
One day, a fox approached an elephant and said,
“Look, this is ridiculous. The duck keeps talking badly about you behind your back. He’s spreading lies! You need to teach him a lesson!”
The elephant frowned and replied,
“I will teach him a lesson and break every bone in his body! Just go back to sleep and leave it to me.”
The next day, the fox returned and said,
“You didn’t do anything! He’s still gossiping about you. This is getting out of hand. You can’t just stay quiet!”
The elephant grunted and whispered,
“Yes, it’s time to teach that fool a lesson. Leave it to me.”
On the third day, the fox urged again,
“You’re too calm! The duck is bad-mouthing you everywhere. Teach him a lesson once and for all!”
The elephant finally said,
“Alright, bring me a cutlass, a shovel, and an axe. I’ll handle it!”
Excited, the fox fetched the tools and handed them to the elephant. But to his surprise, the elephant walked straight to his farm and began to work.
Stunned, the fox asked,
“Wait! I thought you were going to teach the duck a lesson?”
The elephant smiled and replied,
“I am. I’m too busy building my life to worry about a duck whose only skill is to quack. I’m a majestic creature of strength and wisdom. Why stoop to the level of one known only for noise and gossip? Let me farm in peace. I’ll return your tools when I’m done.”
Moral of the Story:
In life, you’ll meet ducks, people who gossip, lie, and try to drag you down. But like the elephant, be wise. Don’t waste your energy on noise. Focus on your purpose, your peace, and your power. Never stoop to their level.
Credits to the Author: Chima_Dickson Official
I let my stories teach the life lessons.