Once upon a time, a man and woman were blessed with seven daughters. They loved their family very much, but back then, life was hard for the average farmer. So much, that even putting food on the table was a struggle.
But one glorious day, a miracle happened: the father found a clutch of duck eggs.
Now, he was a kind man, but even nice people make poor choices from time to time – especially when they’re hungry. So, because it was not yet dawn and his family was still sleeping, the man snuck back into his home, hid the eggs in the kitchen, and then went back to working the fields. All morning, as he tilled the earth, he thought about the seven-egg lunch he would soon be eating.
That’s right – the father planned to eat all seven eggs. He had no intention of sharing a single one with the rest of his family.
But, shortly after the man walked out the door (for the second time), his eldest daughter woke up. She was hungry, so her mother rummaged through the kitchen, trying to rustle up a few grains of rice and some parsley for breakfast.
Imagine her surprise when she found seven duck eggs hiding behind an old bottle of vinegar.
What a blessing, the woman thought as she fried up a nice breakfast for her daughter.
Shortly after the girl finished her meal, the second eldest daughter woke, and then the third. Soon, the seven girls had eaten the seven eggs.
When their father arrived home for lunch, he appeared happier than usual. He whistled a new tune and seemed unfazed when his wife said there was only a bit of bread and butter to eat. But when he knelt down and pushed aside the bottle of vinegar, finding nothing but a dusty shelf – well, his attitude soured.
The man yelled and cursed. He swore to the gods that whoever stole his eggs would pay a mighty price. And when his wife explained that his daughters had eaten the eggs, he said the unthinkable: He wished they’d go away and never return.
Although he knew it was shameful to wish for something so cruel, his hunger got the best of him. Even the next day, as he loaded a cart of goods to sell at the market, he glowered at his measly possessions and poor luck. But, since he felt bad about the previous day, he agreed to let his two youngest daughters ride with him to town. Plus, he enjoyed their company. They were kind and clever, just like their father, but they were also quiet, so quiet that the man didn’t notice when he stopped for water, and the two girls wandered into the woods. The man was still thinking about the seven duck eggs he never got to taste when he hopped back onto his cart and continued the journey. He didn’t notice the cart was lighter until many hours later.
The girls realized they were in danger when it grew dark. Knowing that they wouldn’t be able to find their way home until the sun returned, they made a small bed against an enormous rock. But when the girls leaned against the stone, it gave way to a cozy cave. The cave was filled with diamonds and gemstones, but more importantly, there was a fire, a massive kettle for tea, and two beds. The girls curled up beneath the covers and soon were fast asleep.
Later that night, a fox and a wolf returned home to their cave. One claimed to smell humans, but the other insisted it was only wishful thinking. Since it was a cold night, instead of opting for their beds, the fox and wolf curled up inside the tea kettle to dry their fur and warm their paws over the fire.
Now, imagine the girls’ surprise when the next morning, they found two animals with awfully big teeth in their tea kettle! Luckily, the girls had risen early, as their father and mother taught them to, so the animals were still fast asleep.
The girls had no weapons or tools except for their wits, so they had to think fast. They filled the kettle with all the diamonds and gemstones scattered throughout the cave, and soon, the creatures were trapped within.
Now, this was just about the time their father was rushing home from the market. As soon as he’d arrived in the village and unpacked his cart, he realized his daughters were gone. Stricken with grief, the man drove through the night, stopping only to search for his brood and ask an occasional passerby if they’d seen two lost girls. For although just yesterday he’d wished for a smaller family, he couldn’t believe the gods thought him serious.
As the father rounded the corner where the girls wandered away, he saw footprints leading into the woods. He followed them and, within minutes, discovered the cave where his daughters were stacking gemstones into a massive pile.
The father was surprised, relieved, but also, hungry.
Just think of all the duck eggs someone could buy with a kettle full of diamonds...
Now, that’s not to say the man chose diamonds over his daughters because, as I said, he was a kind man. But, every so often, kind people make poor choices.
Truth be told, nobody knows whether he returned home with his daughters or a cart loaded with crystal.
So, in place of an ending, perhaps ask yourself what you would have done:
Would the prospect of riches and opulence leave you blind to the needs of others? Would you take a few gemstones and risk meeting the wrath of the wolf and fox? Or, would you remember that the greatest fortune of all is not gold or silver, but family.
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This story was adapted from the Chinese folktale “The Cave of Beasts.”
