258th story

First published: July 03, 2025

There was a beautiful village far from the castle.

People of the village worked very hard farming.

The villagers were mostly illiterate and didn’t care for their children to become educated.

One of the farmers cared very much for his children to read and write.

He observed the advantage the Chieftain took of the villagers.

He claimed a huge part of these simple farmers’ products. This was because he and his family were the only ones allowed to sell to other towns.

He struggled to convince the villagers. The Chieftain is taking advantage of them all. They are abusing our hard work.

They always thought the Chieftain was honest and only trying to help them, wouldn’t believe other than that.

He taught reading and writing his children privately at night. He sent his young boy to the town to get more educated. The boy would come back to the village as a teacher. His aim was to convince people to let their kids learn to read and write.

The young teacher returned to the village. He began going door to door. He encouraged the villagers to let their kids attend the school he was starting.

The Chieftain knew if more educated the villagers became, the less power he would have.

He told the villagers to gather in the main square.

He said, ” Dear farmers, don’t be fooled by evil’s plan. The words they are putting in your ears will bring a very difficult future for our village.

Our children going to school instead of working on the farm will make you produce less. Let me prove to you who’s illiterate, this young person calling himself a teacher.”

Then the Chieftain asked the teacher to write the word snake.

The teacher wrote SNAKE on the soil with a twig.

Thereafter, the Chieftain drew a snake on the soil with the same twig. He then asked: “Which of these is the snake?”

People all pointed at the drawing.

The Chieftain emphasized: ” Don’t let these people stop your children from being a huge help to your farm! “