«HENS»
As long as I owned nothing but my bed and my books, I was happy. Now I own nine hens and a rooster, and my soul is troubled.
Property has made me cruel. Whenever I bought a hen, I tied it to a tree for two days to impose my domicile on it, destroying in its fragile memory the love for its former residence. I mended the fence of my yard, in order to prevent the escape of my birds and the invasion of four and two-footed foxes. I isolated myself, fortified the border, drew a diabolical line between my neighbor and myself. I divided humanity into two categories: I, the owner of my hens, and the others who could take them from me. I defined crime. For me, the world is filled with alleged thieves. And for the first time I cast a hostile glance from the other side of the fence.
My rooster was too young. One day the neighbor's rooster jumped the fence and began to court my hens and to embitter my rooster's existence. I stoned the intruder, but my hens jumped over the fence and laid eggs in the neighbour's house. I demanded the eggs of my hens and my neighbour hated me. From then on I saw his face over the fence, his inquisitive and hostile gaze, identical to mine. His chickens went over the fence and devoured the wet corn that I consecrated to my own.
So, the other chickens seemed criminal to me. I pursued them and, blinded by rage, killed one. The neighbour attached enormous importance to the attack. He refused to accept any financial compensation. He gravely removed the carcass of his chicken and, instead of eating it, showed it to his friends. And so the legend of my imperialist brutality began to circulate through the village. I had to reinforce the fence, increase the surveillance, and, in a word, increase my war budget. Now the neighbour has a dog that is determined to do anything and I am thinking of buying a revolver.
Oh God! ¿Where is my old tranquillity? Now I am poisoned by distrust and hatred. The spirit of evil has taken hold of me. I was once a man. But now I am a landowner!
«A short story by Rafael Barret»
«««-$-»»»
"Follows, Comments, Rehives & Upvotes will be highly appreciated"
This is why I transact with goodwill as much as possible, and avoid money as I am able. The dependence on goodwill requires that I earn it. I must do good to create goodwill. As you note, the love of money produces the opposite effect, we become willing to do bad things to keep our wealth, and others resort to bad things to get it.
Thanks!
Absolutely. What you say is completely true. And at least I, over the years, have been able to confirm it as well. The message and reflection of the story is not a question of adopting political, philosophical or religious positions, especially from a material point of view. It is a profound and overwhelming reality that generally affects most people in the manner so precisely described. I have seen it very closely and I have witnessed it from the first row.
And that's why I've been using these mottoes for so many years:
1.- "Richer and happier is not who have more but who need less"
2.- "Once achieved a minimal threshold is richer & happier who needs the least"