Bullock lost ; Lesson learnt!

Chellappa was a farmer. He lived in a village called Senthanur. He had two sons. The elder one, Muthu, was not interested in doing any work; he spent his time eating and sleeping. The younger son, Raju, would go to the field along with his father and help him. He would happily do work both at home and in the field.

“Muthu! Get up. Do some work. Look at Raju—how brisk he is!” Chellappa would say. However, Muthu would not pay any attention to his father's words.

Once, Chellappa suffered from a severe fever. He was unable to do any work, and there was only a limited stock of grains and pulses at home. Chellappa called his sons to his side.

“My sons! I have become so weak. If both of you look for some work and earn something, it will be useful,” said Chellappa.

“Certainly, Appa. I will find some job and earn to get some grains. Don’t worry; you will be alright soon,” said Raju. Muthu did not say anything; he was looking here and there.

“What are you searching for, Muthu?” asked Raju.

“I feel hungry.” Muthu neared the basket with oil press cake and started eating the coconut oil-cake.

“Muthu, it is for the bullocks!” said Chellappa. He further continued, “My sons, there are two bullocks in our house. Each one of you take care of one bullock.”

The next morning, Raju set out looking for a job along with a bullock. “Get up, Muthu, you also go,” said Chellappa very harshly. Muthu picked up some oil-cake from the basket and walked out of the house with the other bullock.

Raju walked towards the fields. He saw a farmer ploughing his field with only one bullock.

“Uncle, why do you struggle with a single bullock?” asked Raju.

“I had to sell the other one,” said the farmer sadly. “If I had another bullock, it would be fine. You are also walking with one bullock. Can you give me that bullock for this day?”

Raju hesitated a little, then said, “Uncle, I shall gladly give you my bullock so that you can plough the field. But...”

“What do you want to say? Come out with it,” said the farmer.

“Can you feed the bullock with food, grass, hay, and cotton seed?”

“Certainly! I will feed the bullock to its stomach full. And I will also give you one basket of paddy,” said the farmer.

While the farmer was ploughing the field, Raju did not sit idly. He took a shovel in his hand and started strengthening the bunds of the field. He heaped soil around the ridges and made the boundary stronger and taller. The farmer was very happy. At the end of the day, he not only gave fodder for the bullock but also gave two baskets full of paddy, pulses, and oil.

Raju went home and narrated the day's events to his father. With the items he brought, he cooked food. But Muthu did not come back at all.

“What happened to him? I compelled him to go. Where has he gone?” muttered Chellappa.

“I will go and find him, Appa,” said Raju.

Their neighbour told them that Muthu was sleeping under a tree in the green pasture land. When Raju arrived, there were no cattle in sight—only Muthu was sleeping under a tree. Raju woke him up. For some time, both of them searched for the bullock, but it was gone.

“Appa is alone; he will be worried. Let us go home,” said Raju.

Muthu cried on seeing his father. “Appa! I ate some fruits offered by one person. I slept after that. I don’t know what happened to the bullock!”

Chellappa did not talk to him.

“Muthu, don’t worry. We will get back our bullock in the morning,” comforted Raju.

“Appa, hereafter, I will be careful. I will not be lazy. I will be brisk and active. Please forgive me,” cried Muthu.

“We cannot succeed in life if we are lazy. We can eat well only when we are active,” observed Chellappa.

“I am very hungry. Come, let us all eat,” said Raju.