Folk tale: The sow returns the favor
In an ancient and distant village, the villagers live a life of sunrise and sunset. The village is surrounded by dense mountain forests, and wild animals are often found in the depths of the forests, but the villagers live in harmony with them and do not disturb each other. At the east end of the village, there lived a hard-working and kind farmer named Ah Fu.
Ah Fu's wife died of illness at an early age, leaving a young son to rely on him. Although Ah Fu has a hard life, he is always optimistic and loves his son even more. In order to make his son live a better life, Ah Fu got up early every day and worked greedily at night, cultivating a few acres of thin fields, and from time to time going to the mountains and forests to pick herbs and hunt in exchange for some meager income.
One day, Ah Fu went hunting in the mountains and forests as usual. He walked through the dense woods and came to an open field. Suddenly, he heard a faint moan, and followed the sound to see a large sow lying in the grass, with a visible wound in her belly, dripping with blood. Seeing this, Ah Fu couldn't help but feel a trace of pity in his heart. He put down his bow and arrows, cautiously approached the sow, and found that its wound had been bitten by a wild beast.
Ah Fu didn't think much about it, and immediately removed the medicine basket from his back and took out the herbs to heal the sow. He gently cleaned the wound, applied herbs, and carefully bandaged it with strips of cloth. The sow seemed to feel Ah Fu's kindness, and her eyes showed gratitude. Seeing that the sow was fine, Ah Fu got up and prepared to leave. At this moment, the sow suddenly raised her head and gently arched Ah Fu's trouser leg with her mouth, as if to thank him.
Ah Fu smiled slightly, touched the sow's head, and said, "You can rest assured that you can recuperate here, I won't hurt you." With that, he turned and left the forest.
A few days later, Ah Fu came to the mountains and forests again to pick herbs. When he walked to the place where he had last met the sow, he was surprised to find that the sow had recovered her health and was frolicking in the grass with a group of piglets. When the sow saw Ah Fu, she immediately ran over and arched his trouser leg with her mouth, as if inviting him to share the joy with him.
Ah Fu was deeply moved by the sow's actions, he squatted down and stroked the soft fur of the little piglets, and a warm current welled up in his heart. He thought of his motherless son at a young age, and his heart couldn't help but feel a little sour. But he knows that although life is hard, as long as you have kindness, you will always get unexpected warmth and beauty.
Since then, every time Ah Fu goes to work in the mountains and forests, he will go out of his way to visit the sows and piglets. The sow also seems to regard him as a friend, and welcomes him warmly every time she sees him. And Ah Fu's son gradually grew up, and he learned to farm, hunt and collect medicine from his father, and became a hardworking and kind teenager.
However, fate is always full of variables. Just when Ah Fu thought that he could live in peace like this forever, a sudden disaster shattered his peaceful life.
It was a stormy night, thunder and lightning, and a howling wind. As his hut crumbles in the storm, he does his best to protect his son and his family's belongings. However, just then, a bolt of lightning struck a corner of the hut, causing a raging fire. Ah Fu and his son are trapped in the sea of fire, and their fate is uncertain.
At this moment, a black shadow suddenly rushed into the sea of fire. It rushed desperately into the flames, arching its mouth open the burning wood and tiles, looking for Ah Fu and his son. After some effort, the sow finally found them and pushed them out of the fire with all her might.
Although Ah Fu and his son suffered some minor injuries, they were able to save their lives. They looked at the wounded and exhausted sow in front of them, and their hearts were filled with gratitude and respect. Ah Fu hugged his son tightly, tears welling up in his eyes. He understands that it was the sow's life-saving grace that allowed them to get back to life.
Since then, Ah Fu has been more respectful and grateful for the sow. Not only did he build a comfortable home for his sows and piglets in the forest, but he also took his son to visit them from time to time. And the sow seems to have become a member of their family, sharing the joys and sorrows of life with them.
The story spread throughout the village, and people were amazed by the wonder and kindness of the sow. They have expressed that they should learn from the gratitude of sows, cherish their relatives and friends, and jointly create a harmonious and beautiful world.
And Ah Fu and his son have also become stronger and more optimistic because of this story. They know that no matter how difficult life is, as long as they have kindness and gratitude, they will be able to overcome all difficulties and meet a bright future.
This story teaches us that kindness and gratitude are the most beautiful qualities in human nature. When we treat people and things around us with kindness, we often harvest unexpected warmth and beauty. And when we are grateful, we will cherish everything we have now more and bravely face the challenges and difficulties of the future.
As the days passed, the life of the Afu family gradually returned to peace. The sow's wounds are completely healed, and she still frolicks freely with her piglets in the mountains and forests, while Ah Fu and his son often visit them with food. When the villagers saw this, they all praised Ah Fu as a kind-hearted person, and the sow was the patron saint of their village.
However, the peaceful life did not last long. One year, the village was hit by an unprecedented drought, with rivers drying up, fields cracking, and crops being lost. The villagers are in an unprecedented predicament, with hunger and despair gripped the entire village.
Ah Fu looked at his son's increasingly thin face, and his heart was full of anxiety. He knew that if he didn't find food soon, the father and son would probably not be able to escape their fate. So, he decided to go into the mountains and forests again in search of wild fruits and herbs to satisfy his hunger.
Deep in the mountains and forests, Ah Fu searched tiredly. However, due to the prolonged drought, there are few wild fruits and herbs in the mountain forests. Ah Fu sat on a large rock in disappointment, his heart full of despair.
Just then, the sow suddenly appeared in front of him. It arched his trouser leg with its mouth, motioning for him to follow it. Although Ah Fu was puzzled, he still followed the sow forward. They walked through a dense forest and came to a hidden cave. The sow arches the weeds from the hole with her head, revealing a hole.
Ah Fu cautiously walked into the cave, stunned by the scene in front of him. The cave was filled with all kinds of wild fruits and herbs, which the sow had accumulated little by little on a daily basis, and she knew that the village was suffering from a drought, so she took out all this food reserve.
Ah Fu was moved to tears, and he understood that this was the sow repaying him for saving his life. He hurriedly collected the wild fruits and herbs and prepared to take them back to the village to distribute to the villagers.
When Ah Fu returned to the village with food, the villagers gathered around. They looked at the hard-won food and their hearts were filled with gratitude. They knew that it was the sow that saved the whole village.
So, the villagers decided to hold a big celebration for the sows. They beat gongs and drums, sang and danced, and thanked the sow for saving her life. The sow also seemed to feel the joy and gratitude of the villagers, and she ran happily with the piglets in the celebration, sharing this joy and warmth with the villagers.
Since then, the sow has held a higher place in the hearts of the villagers. Not only do they see the sow as their guardian saint, but they also pass on its story from generation to generation, so that future generations will always remember this deep friendship and gratitude.
And Ah Fu also realized the true meaning of life from it. He understands that kindness and gratitude not only bring good luck and happiness, but also allow us to find hope and strength in difficult situations. He decided to pass on this kindness and gratitude to his son, so that he could become a caring and responsible person.
After the celebrations, life in the village gradually returned to normal, but the drought did not end there. Ah Fu looked at the villagers with sad faces, knowing that the end of this drought was far away. He thought to himself that since the sow could accumulate so much food, she must know where there was a water source to solve the village's urgent needs.
So, Ah Fu found the sow again and sincerely asked her to lead the villagers to find a water source. The sow seemed to understand Ah Fu's request, and she arched Ah Fu slightly, then turned and walked deeper into the forest. Ah Fu followed, and the villagers also picked up their tools and followed Ah Fu and the sow.
The group followed the sow through the dense forest, climbed the steep peaks, and finally came to a hidden valley. In the middle of the valley, a clear spring gushes out, and the sound of water gurgles like nectar from heaven. When the villagers saw the spring, they cheered, knowing that the drought was finally coming to an end.
Under the leadership of the sow, the villagers not only found the water source, but also learned how to protect the water source and use it wisely. They built canals to bring clear springs to the villages and irrigate the fields. Under the protection of the sows, the crops in the village gradually came back to life, and the villagers' lives were full of hope again.
And the sow became a deity in the hearts of the villagers, and they built a small temple for the sow to worship its statue. Every festival or important moment, the villagers will go to the small temple to pray for blessings and thank the sow for her kindness.
Ah Fu also always remembers the kindness of the sow. He taught his son to be kind to animals, cherish resources, and be grateful for life. Under his influence, his son grew up to be a kind, hardworking, and grateful person.
As the years passed, Ah Fu and his son were old. But the kindness and gratitude in their hearts have never changed. They often take their grandchildren to the mountains and forests to visit the sows and piglets, and tell the stories of the past. And the sow seems to recognize them, and welcomes them warmly every time they see them.
Until Ah Fu died, he still remembered the kindness of the sow. He took his son by the hand and said, "Remember, our lives were saved by the sow, and we are to always live with gratitude." With that, he closed his eyes peacefully.
Ah Fu's son and grandson buried his ashes next to the sow's temple in accordance with his last wishes. They believe that Ah Fu's soul will be with the sow, guarding the peace of the land and the village.
The story has been passed down from generation to generation in the village and has become a beautiful legend. It teaches us that the power of kindness and gratitude is endless. As long as we treat the people and things around us with our hearts and infect the world with kindness, we will be able to harvest endless warmth and beauty. And the sow's act of repaying the favor also makes us understand that animals also have spirituality, and they also know how to be grateful and reciprocate. In this loving world, people and animals, and people and nature, can live in harmony and prosper together.