One evening, a farmer returned from his field dusty and tired. As usual, his wife had kept two buckets of water in the backyard for his bath. As the farmer sat down upon his stool and took a mug full of water from the bucket, he noticed that someone was sitting crouched behind the bushes. Perhaps a thief? He must be waiting there for nightfall so that he could loot the house and run away in the darkness. Now, how was he to catch him? He and his wife were alone in the house. By themselves they would not be able to catch him. The farmer thought quickly and planned his course of action.
Instead of taking a bath as usual, he poured the water in his mouth and then spat it out onto the bushes where the thief was hiding. Again and again he took mouthfuls of water and spat them out. The thief sat silently behind the bushes and suffered because he did not want to be caught. The two buckets of water was exhausted. The farmer cried out to his wife for more water. She wondered why he wanted more water today. Nevertheless, she brought two more buckets of water. Again the farmer spat out the whole water and asked for more. His wife patiently brought more water four or five times, but when he demanded more water the sixth time, she lost her patience and shouted at him. ” What is wrong with you today? You ahve not even started your bath. All you do is spit mouthfuls of water. What is the meaning of this? ”
Now the husband spat out the water at her. Now she was sure that he had suddenly become mad. She cried out loud to her neighbours, ” Please come and save me. My husband has suddenly turned mad.” Hearing her cries all the neighbours came running and asked the farmer what the matter was. The farmer complained in an indignant voice. ” Look at this ungrateful wife of mine, Sirs. I feed her, clothe her and give her ornaments. I ahve spat water at her just once and she raises her voice and calls me mad. Look at the gentleman in the bushes. He is an utter stranger to me. He has sat quietly without complaining even though I have spat out ten buckets of water at him.
All those gathered there saw the thief in the bushes. They caught him and took him to jail. The farmer’s wife and his neighbours congratulated him for his presence of mind and quick thinking.
If you can keep a cool head, you can think of ways out of the trickiest situations in life.
