Hello, welcome to Chinese Folk Tales.
I'm Paul Osborne and I've got another amazing story to tell you.
I hope you enjoy it.
All the best stories have something to teach us and this story is all about being clever.
It's not always the people with the best education or the sharpest wit who are the cleverest.
Let me explain.
Once upon a time, in a town not so very far away from where you are right now, there were three daughters.
Each had married. and left home to bring up their families.
The eldest daughter had married a physician.
Now, it's not easy to become a doctor.
You have to study for a very long time and work very hard, read a lot of books and see a lot of sick people before you become any good at it.
For that reason, many people say doctors are very clever, and they'd be right.
Her parents were very happy.
Her mother said, How lucky she is to marry a doctor.
They shall have a fine house and their children will all be healthy and well educated.
And when we get old, they'll be able to look after us well.
The second daughter married a magistrate.
Once again, it's not an easy profession to get into.
You have to know every law in the land and be thoughtful and wise so that you can make good and fair judgments.
It's another job where you'd be right to think you have to be clever to do it well.
Her parents were delighted, especially her mother.
What luck!
What luck to get a magistrate as a husband!
Their children shall be tall and strong and be very well behaved.
Her family shall want for nothing and when we get old, they shall also look after us well.
The third daughter had watched her sisters marry, and soon enough it became time for her to choose a husband.
Of all the sisters, she was the cleverest, and she was also very choosy indeed.
She wanted to make the right choice so that she would be happy in her marriage.
She thought long and hard, weighing up all the choices.
Finally, she declared that she was going to marry a farmer.
Now a farming life is hard.
There's no certainty you'll get rich, although sometimes it does happen.
There are many reasons why people become farmers.
Some like to look after animals and live off the land.
Others want to grow tasty things for people to eat.
While still others do it because they know they will never have to rely on anyone else in life.
The third daughter wasn't worried about money.
She wanted to marry someone she could talk to and share her life with, both the good times and the bad.
But her parents were not convinced. foolish girl," said her mother.
What choice is that?
You'll live to regret your decision.
Mark our words.
But the youngest girl took no notice of what they said.
A few years later, the parents decided to hold a party to celebrate a big birthday.
The whole family was invited, including the three daughters and their three husbands.
It was a grand sight to behold.
The whole village turned out to watch the grand parade of guests.
The doctor and his wife arrived on fine horses.
The magistrate and his wife in a fine golden cap.
The farmer and his wife turned up in a cart pulled by a donkey.
The other sisters and their husbands laughed at them but she still didn't care.
Her parents had prepared a meal for the gathering.
Everyone ate until their bellies were fat.
Then the oldest son-in-law, the doctor, thought it would be fun to embarrass the farmer, who he knew hadn't attended school.
I've got an idea, he said.
Why don't we play a game?
The doctor's wife, her sister and her husband all agreed it was a fine idea.
Each one of us must invent a verse.
It's got to rhyme and make sense.
The lines of the rhyme must begin like this.
In the sky, on the earth, at the table in the room he said then adding and whoever cannot do so will have to bray like a stupid donkey as a punishment.
But the youngest daughter and her farmer husband could see what the others were trying to do.
You are all too clever for me.
I cannot match you for education and wit.
I have a farm to run, and cows to milk, sheep to feed, and pigsties to clean out.
You will excuse me if I sit this one out and go home.
And he stood to thank the parents and leave the party.
The others protested loudly and said that he should stay and reluctantly, he did so, though he knew they all wanted to humiliate him.
I'll go first, said the doctor, and delivered his rhyme as though he were diagnosing a sick patient.
In the sky the phoenix proudly flies.
On the earth the lambkin tamely lies.
At the table Through an ancient book I weighed.
In the room I softly called the maid.
Everyone applauded and called on the magistrate to say his rhyme, which he delivered as though making a judgment.
In the sky the turtle dove flies around.
On the earth the ox pours up the ground.
At the table one studies the deeds of yore.
In the room the maid, she sweeps the floor.
Again, they all applauded and eventually turned to the farmer who stood slowly and shrugged his shoulders.
He looked so sad and humiliated.
He wasn't good at speaking.
He just wanted to go home to his animals.
He looked at his wife, who smiled and encouraged him to speak.
This is my verse, he said, which he delivered with difficulty, as slow as one of his oxen ploughing a field.
In the sky flies a leaden bullet.
On the earth stalks a tiger beast.
On the table lies a pair of scissors.
In the room I call the stable-boy."
No one clapped.
They all looked at each other in confusion.
The doctor and the magistrate then started laughing and pointing to the farmer.
Why, the four lines do not rhyme at all.
And besides, they do not make sense.
A leaden bullet is no bird.
The stable boy does his work outside.
Would you call him into the room?
Nonsense!
Nonsense.
You must bray like a donkey in front of us all.
His wife jumped up in his defense.
She was angry that her sister's husbands had tried to make her husband look foolish.
Listen to you.
You will think you're so clever, but none of you have truly understood my husband's clever rhyme.
Allow me to explain to all you clever people.
There was silence as she spoke.
In the sky, our leaden bullet will shoot your phoenix and your turtle dove.
On the earth, our tiger beast will devour your sheep and your ox.
On the table, our pair of scissors will cut up your old books.
And finally, in the room, well, the stable boy can marry your maid.
The oldest son-in-law looked sheepish and eventually said Well, Now that you've explained it, I rather think you're right.
The second eldest son-in-law said, I judge it to be a very wise rhyme indeed.
Your husband is indeed the winner.
It is we who should bray like a donkey and make ourselves look stupid.
But the farmer stood up and said calmly and slowly There is no need for anyone to feel humiliated here.
You are both clever in books.
I know that.
But I doubt either of you could milk a cow or plough a field.
We are all clever in our own way, said the farmer.
Let us drink to all our health, wealth and happiness and give birthday wishes to our hosts.
And they did.
Oh, by the way, in years to come, it was the farmer who looked after the parents the best, ensuring they were always well fed, both dressed in the finest woolen cloth and always had a roof over their heads.
And that's my story.
You see, we all have different talents.
Some get their knowledge from books, some from experience.
There are lots of ways of being clever.
I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I've enjoyed telling it to you.
See you then.
Bye-bye.
Next time, we'll hear how the truth will come out in the end if you just wait long enough.
With that, we conclude this episode of Chinese Folk Tales.
Thanks for listening.
If you're interested in hearing more about Chinese folktales, follow us on your favourite podcast platforms.
We'll see you next time.
Bye for now.
