Story
Nothing is Certain
Chang the farmer wanted to show his son-in-law that
he was a man of substance so he took the young man around the village to show him
his various properties.
“All the rice fields you see here
are mine!” he announced, proudly. “The rice
has been sown. When the harvest comes in, in my granaries will burst at their
seems! I’ll be the richest man in these parts!”
The son-in-law was a man of simple
tastes ... and a pessimist. He did not
approve of his father-in-law’s boastful talk.
“I do hope you have a bumper
harvest.”, he said, quietly. “But what
if tomorrow the river overflows? Your
fields will be flooded and your fields
will be flooded and your crops will be destroyed. We do not know what the
future holds. Nothing is certain.”
The older man felt annoyed at this
reproach but kept silent.
A few weeks later they were again
passing that way and the rice was being harvested.
“No flood came, said the farmer,
drily. “The harvest will be great!”
“A fire could destroy your crops,”
cautioned the son-in-law. Nothing is certain.”
A week later the two men saw the
grain being stored in the barns.
“The fire didn’t happen,” said the farmer, his voice dripping
sarcasm. “My barns are full. It’s time to celebrate!”
“Mice could eat all your grain,”
said the son-in-law. “As Lord Buddha says, nothing is certain.”
The farmer controlled himself with
a great effort.
“One thing is certain,” he said.
“today you’ll eat rice that was grown in our fields!”
Later that day when they sat down
for lunch, a bowl of fragrant rice was placed before the son-in-law.
“That rice was grown in our
fields!” said the farmer. “And now you’re going to eat it! And that is for
sure!!”
“Nothing is certain,” said the
young man, morosely. “Nothing!”
The farmer could no longer control
his temper.
“you brainless fool!” he roared,
and swept aside the bowl from the table.
It fell and broke and the rice was
scattered all over.
The son-in-law got up to leave.
“I did not get to eat the rice,
after all!” he observed. “As it has been
rightly said, nothing is certain.”