A Life Less Ordinary Read Online Free Page B

Brother, the jackal.”
    â€œWhat’s wrong? Why are you knocking at my door so early?” the headman asked.
    The jackal said, “Please come out.”
    So the headman came out, and what did he see? The jackal all covered in blood.
    â€œWhat happened to you, jackal?” the headman asked.
    â€œDon’t ask, Brother…I tried to get into your garden to steal aubergines and…”
    The headman was furious. “Why are you disturbing me now?” he snapped The jackal told him that he’d spent hours pulling out thorns but there was one stuck in his ear that he just could not reach, so he’d come to the headman for help. The headman was angry anyway that the jackal had dared to get into his garden to steal, so he thought, “Let me teach this fellow a lesson.”
    â€œAll right, but what if your ear gets cut when I’m taking out the thorn?” he asked.
    â€œNo matter,” the jackal said, “if my ear gets cut, at least it will be for a good cause.”
    So, instead of pulling out the thorn, the headman cut the jackal’s ear in that exact place. The ear began to bleed, but the jackal did not say anything. Just as he was about to leave, he turned and said, “Brother, you have cut my ear, now what will you give me in exchange?”
    â€œI have nothing to give you,” the headman said, “but if you like you can take this spade for digging.”
    The jackal took the spade and left.
    On the way he met a farmer who was scraping at the earth with his hands. The jackal asked why he was using his hands, and the farmer replied that he had nothing else. “I have this spade,” said the jackal. “I can give it to you, butyou will have to give me something in exchange.” The farmer took the spade and said to the jackal, “I have nothing to give you. All I have is this staff that I use for grazing the cows. Would you like it?”
    â€œWhy not?” said that jackal. “I’ll take it.”
    Halfway through the story my cousin said, “It’s getting late. Let’s go to sleep now—we’ll hear the rest of the story tomorrow.” I asked if she would remember the story so far, and she said yes. Then both of us went off to sleep. We woke late in the morning to a scolding from Aunt, who told us off for oversleeping, and warned us to sleep on time that night and not to spend our time chatting. But that night, no sooner had Aunt left us than my cousin said, “Okay, now tell me the rest of the story, but make sure you whisper so she does not get to know that we are awake.” I asked her if she remembered where we had left off, that the jackal was about to take the farmer’s stick in exchange for his spade? “Yes, yes,” she replied. “Now get on with the rest.” So I said, “All right, so listen…”
    The jackal took the staff and went on his way. A short distance later, what does he see but a peasant using his bare hands to chase a cow away! So he asked, “Brother, what are you doing?”
    The peasant said, “This cow is eating up all my grain, so I am trying to make it run away.”
    â€œBut how can you do that with your bare hands?” the jackal asked. “I have this staff…would you like to take it?”
    â€œWhy not? I’ll take it.”
    So the jackal gave it to him. “Will you give me something in exchange?”
    â€œBut what if the staff breaks?” said the peasant.
    â€œWell, what if it does? At least it will have been put to good use.”
    The peasant said, “But I have nothing to give you…except, wait. I have this small shovel.”
    â€œAll right,” said the jackal, “give me whatever you have.” And so saying, he took the shovel and went on his way.
    A little further along, he met another farmer who was digging mud with kitchen tongs. When the jackal saw him he asked, “Is this all you could find to