Rich Man, Poor Man--a folktale for today

So what is America's story today?  We are now a country of dark contrast that sounds more and more feudal: an unrestricted and petted upper class, and a pacified lower class consisting of former middle class members with fond memories of a better past.  We somehow find it difficult to require our wealthy elite to share the wealth, still thinking our lottery ticket will come through some day.

A recent rumor resonnated with me, since I've been feeling this way for some time:  tax the rich, drop health insurance for all public officials; discontinue pensions for elected officials, and stop paying the student loans of politicians, their families and friends.  Those in high position would be restricted from taking employment for 5 years after leaving office in fields related to their recent employment by the government. Nice, yes?

I'm thinking of a story about a rich man and his poor neighbor. There are loads of these folktales all over the world since disparity is an age-old problem. In this version that I tell, the two lived side by side and shared all that they had until famine struck.  The rich man fired his shepherd who just happened to be the neighbor in question, caused a great wall to be built around his property and brought his family and herds into the compound to ride it out in safety.

Finding no work, the poor shepherd and his wife prepared their last meal, but they had no salt for the little pone of bread they would eat.

"Go next door and beg a pinch of salt." said the wife, so the man went but the door was closed to him.  Starving and hurt by rejection, he sat down and leaned against the wall.  Smells wafted from the window over his head and he realized it was food cooking. He sat there until the family's meal was done and went home for his wife.  They came back and sat together under the window while the rich man sat at table, and savored the smells of real food.

The next day, the shepherd was looking for work at the market and saw his former friend. He told him what had happened but the rich man was angry. "You stole from me!" and hauled him to court.

The judge, who just happened to be appointed to office by the rich man, adjudged the poor man guilty of theft and fined him one donkey.

A donkey! He who could not afford a pinch of salt had to find a donkey and give it to the rich man. Desperate, he headed home to his wife, passing the village storyteller, who was leading a donkey, on the way.  "Why are you so downcast?" she said.

He told her the awful story and she gave him the donkey and some food.  She told him to care for the animal, and take it to court the next day. He had to be silent and do exactly what she required of him.

He and his wife loved the little donkey and dreaded parting with, but he took it to court and prepared to give it up, or whatever the storyteller asked him to do.

She approached the judge and told him their version of the story. The rich man looked uncomfortable and refused to look at the shepherd.

Strike that donkey with your staff," she told the shepherd.  He never struck his animals--he couldn't hurt the little animal, but he had promised, so he hit the donkey. The donkey was so surprised it brayed and jumped and bucked and it took all he could do to get it to calm down.

"Now," said the storyteller, "you have payment for the smell of your food. Take it and leave this man be."

Speechless, the judge and the rich man had little recourse. Besides, the rich man saw the folly of his ways and felt foolish.  The storyteller told the man to care for the donkey and keep it with him always and so he did. The rich man caused the walls to be torn away from his home and rehired the shepherd to watch his flocks and herds.  Best of all, they both shared what they had with one another and others and all was well.

Learn from the wise among us and share that which is given.

Photo by Becky Campbell