The story of the foolish man and the moringa tree, from South Asian folklore, is a must-have in your collection of folktales from around the world. Since this is a suitable story for kids, whether you are seeking bedtime stories for kids, folktales for kids, or folktale stories with moral lessons, this story will meet all your requirements. This story can be suggested as one of the short, funny folktales that includes a moral lesson. Happy storytelling!
Once upon a time, there was a foolish man in a village. He was a very poor man. But he worked hard. He worked at his paddy fields, Chena, and home garden. He cultivated all he could and made a living out of his cultivations. That was how he fed his wife and his son. He was an honest, innocent man. But, unfortunately, he was not that smart.
One day, in the evening, this villager was sitting on the log placed in the front yard of his house. After having a tiring day, he sat there and kept thinking about his future. He wanted to earn a little more and make his family have better lives. While thinking, the man saw that the moringa tree that was planted on the fence had flowers. That sight put a smile on his face. Because it made him happy and hopeful. Then he fell into deep thought.
“The moringa tree has a lot of flowers this time. So, there will be a lot of moringa pods. That means I can harvest, take those drumsticks to the market and sell them. I will be earning a lot of money,” the man thought.
“What do I do with that money? I have my house, my land, and my crops to eat. Money should not be spent on foolish things. We have enough clothes, too. My wife doesn’t have jewelry. Ah, no need. What benefits do we have from jewelry? Those are unnecessary things. I should spend money on useful things. What should I do?” The man kept thinking.
“Should I buy another cow? Oh no. I am busy with my cultivation. And my wife is already taking care of three cows and a flock of chickens. Another cow would be a burden,” the man thought.
“What if I buy a herd of goats for my son? Will he be able to look after them? Nah, he is still 6,” he thought.
“What do I do with the money?”. I have two good buffaloes for plowing. I can buy a cart!” The man finally finds what he needs.
“Alright then, I am going to sell moringa pods and buy a cart. Then I can go anywhere I want with my cart. My wife, son, and I can go visit my mother more often. How proud I can be! I can take my vegetables to the market anytime I want. I don’t have to beg Gamarala to take my luggage into his cart anymore. Others will be coming to me to ask for help. When my son grows up, he can go with me to the market by my cart,” the man dreamed about his future.
“So, in like three months, I should pluck moringa pods and take them to the market. Then I should sell them and buy a cart right away. I will be coming back on a cart. I wonder if the road is wide enough for a cart.” The man stood up from where he was sitting and went towards the gate. The man looked around and imagined how he would bring his new cart home.
“The road is wide enough, and the yard is big enough. It seems the entrance is not wide enough because of this tree,” the man thought. He rushed to the house and picked up the axe. Then he started to cut down the tree that was blocking the entrance for the cart to his front yard. After a while, he cut down the tree. His wife was preparing dinner in the kitchen. She came out to see when she heard a tree falling down.
“Why did you cut down that tree?” my wife asked. “This tree is blocking the gate for my cart. I am going to buy a cart selling moringa,” the man replied.
“It is the moringa tree you cut down!” the wife said.