The Farmer Who Wanted a Horse
Once upon a time, at the edge of an old forest where cool waters ran, there lived a poor farmer who tilled his soil with love. The old man would go to his field before daybreak and try to pull the plough all alone with his calloused hands. When his knees gave way from weariness, he would fix his eyes upon the sky and pray that a strong horse be granted to him. This sincere and helpless plea of his glided upon the wings of the wind and reached the ear of a wise dervish. The dervish, who had bathed in the sea of truth, set out to test the farmer's loyalty and patience. One evening, as the sun was sinking behind the hills, the dervish knocked at the poor farmer's door.
Without any hesitation the farmer offered his guest the last bread he had and a bowl of hot soup. The dervish asked, "Despite so much hardship you do not give up your generosity; what is the greatest wish in your heart?" The old farmer sighed deeply and said, "My only desire is to have a noble horse that will plough my field and lighten my burden." The dervish smiled and, striking his staff upon the ground, warned, "Look in your stable at midnight, but you must treat him not as a servant, but as a friend." When midnight came, a silvery light rising from the stable filled the farmer's heart with excitement. When he opened the door, before him stood a horse as swift as the wind, as bright as the full moon, and with a mane of silk.
But the farmer, approaching the horse with joy, noticed that the animal neighed peevishly and let no one come near it. Remembering the dervish's advice, the farmer set the whip aside and decided to approach the animal with tenderness. With sweet words he stroked the horse's head, fed it the freshest grass with his own hands, and quenched its thirst. This heartfelt love and patience the farmer showed melted away in an instant all the fierceness in the noble animal's heart. The next morning, with the break of dawn, the horse stepped before the plough of its own accord and began to plough the field joyfully. That day the poor farmer understood most deeply that the sustenance asked for from the heart is blessed only through labour and love. Humble requests that come from within bring a person true peace only when they are joined with compassion and responsibility. You reap what you sow.