The Devoted Friends

SUMMARY

One fine morning, an old water-rat came out of his hole and saw a mother duck, trying to teach its ducklings, how to swim. But the ducklings were not listening to their mother. On this, the water-rat said, “what disobedient children; they really deserve to be drowned.”

On hearing this remark, the mother duck said, “parents have to be very patient with their children”. To this, the water-rat replied that he knows nothing about the feelings of parents. Being a bachelor, he valued friendship most. So, the green linnet narrates the story on, Devoted Friendship.

There were two friends, little Hans, a gardener and the Miller. The Miller used to visit Hans every day and take flowers from him and never gave him anything in return. But he never visited Hans during the Winters as Hans had no flowers. He used to tell his wife, “when people are in trouble, they should be left alone and not be bothered by visitors”.

After one winter, the Miller visited Hans and on learning that Hans had sold his wheelbarrow he got very angry with him and then offered his broken wheelbarrow to him. He then said, as I have given you my wheelbarrow, you will give me your plank of wood. So, he took the plank of wood and flowers and went home.

The next day the Miller visited Hans, with a large sack of flour on his back, and asked him to sell it in the market. And he said, “Considering that I am going to give you my wheelbarrow, you should do something in return.” So, Hans just could not refuse.

Early next morning the Miller came, to get the money for his sack of flour and scolded him for being in bed. Hans replied that as he was very tired, he laid in bed for a little longer and listening to the birds sing, as he always worked better after hearing the birds sing. The Miller grabbed the opportunity and asked him to come over to his mill and mend his barn- roof for him, Again, Hans could not say, no.

The next day he sent Hans with his sheep, to the mountain for grazing When Hans got back, he was so tired that he went off to sleep in his chair and did not wake up, till it was broad daylight.

One evening little Hans was sitting by his fireside, when the Miller came over He asked Hans to get the doctor for him, as his son had hurt his leg Hans agreed to go, and asked him for his lantern as it was so dark But the Miller refused to give him the lantern saying, it was new, and he would spoil it in the rain So, Hans went without the lantern.

After three hours he reached the doctor’s house and asked him to go to the Miller’s house as he needed his services. So, the doctor rode off towards the Miller’s house, while Hans went on his way. Because of the storm and the rain, Hans lost his way, and fell into a large pool and got drowned.

At Han’s funeral, everyone was very sad. The Miller shed crocodile tears and pretended to be very sad. He said that he had as good as given him the wheelbarrow and now did not know what to do with it He said, in future, he would not be generous because one suffers for being generous.

Thus, the moral of the story is, that, one should not be so stupid as little Hans and get exploited by the Miller.