There was a rooster who lived with a farmer. Every day, the farmer would feed him grains. Once, the farmer had to leave for the neighbouring village. He left his rooster with his neighbour. “Please feed him while I am away,” said the farmer. But the neighbour let the rooster roam around the backyard without feeding him anything. The rooster was hungry and he went around pecking at the ground, eating insects. He scratched the soil while looking for seeds to eat. Just then, he found a gold ring studded with a diamond. The rooster looked at it for a long time and thought, ‘This precious ring can make anyone rich. But I cannot eat it. I’m hungry and a bowl of corn is more precious than a handful of jewels right now.’ He tossed the ring away and began digging elsewhere. Precious things matter only if they are useful.
The Rooster and the Ring
