Do Your Duty & Be Quiet - Day 6

Kiran Reddy from Mount Eden

Apologies for the delay, busy morning. Here is today's one :)

In a small rural town in the heart of New Zealand, there was a local washer named Hemi, who worked hard washing the laundry for the people in the community. He owned a well-behaved dog called Kahu and a sturdy old horse named Tahi.

Every day, Hemi would load Tahi with heavy bundles of dirty laundry and make the long trek down to the river to wash it. The river, known as the Whanganui, was a calm and peaceful place where Hemi could get the washing done while Tahi grazed nearby. After washing the clothes, Hemi would hang them on the riverbank to dry under the sun.

Once the clothes were dry enough, Hemi would load them onto Tahi’s back and head back to his home. There, he would hang the clothes on the lines outside to dry even further before folding them and returning them to the owners in the town.

Kahu, the dog, had a different role. While Hemi worked on the laundry, Kahu would patrol the property and keep an eye out for any would-be thieves or anyone trying to steal the clothes as they dried. Kahu would bark loudly at any suspicious person, ensuring the laundry was safe.

Hemi’s job was to wash the clothes with care and attention to detail, while Tahi’s job was to carry the heavy load to and from the river. Kahu’s task was simply to guard the laundry while it dried. Hemi made sure to feed Tahi and Kahu for their hard work. However, he had a tendency to favour Tahi more because, after all, Tahi was the one doing the heavy lifting. Kahu, on the other hand, only had to bark from time to time, so Hemi fed Kahu a little less than he fed Tahi.

Kahu, feeling neglected and underfed, grew increasingly irritated. One evening, as Hemi was asleep after a long day of work, a thief crept into the yard to steal some of the drying clothes. Kahu saw the thief, but instead of barking as usual, he decided to keep quiet in retaliation for the lack of food and attention. Tahi, on the other hand, saw the thief too, and began to bray loudly, trying to alert Hemi.

But Hemi was sound asleep, and the braying of the horse only annoyed him. In his frustration, Hemi rushed outside and, in the dark, mistook Tahi’s braying for a nuisance. He lashed out at Tahi in anger, thinking the horse was causing trouble. Tragically, in his fury, Hemi struck Tahi so hard that the old horse collapsed and died.

The next morning, Hemi was devastated. He found the clothes had been stolen, and his beloved Tahi was dead. Kahu, still hungry and upset, hadn’t barked as he should have. Hemi now realized the true cost of his actions: by not feeding Kahu properly, he had neglected his duty as a master and created a situation where everyone suffered. The townspeople no longer trusted him, and he had lost the loyalty of his dog, as well as the service of his hardworking horse.

Moral of the Story:

In life, everyone has their role and responsibility. Just as a horse is meant to carry loads and a dog is meant to guard, it’s important to recognize and respect the contributions of others. If you neglect those who help you, or fail to fulfill your own responsibilities, you risk upsetting the balance and causing harm. Do your duty with care, treat others with fairness, and don’t interfere with roles that don’t belong to you. When everyone does their part quietly and without complaint, things will run smoothly, and you’ll avoid unnecessary troubles.