The Woman and Her Hen

Summary

This short tale centers around a woman's ambition to maximize the productivity of her hen, which lays one egg each day. Seeking to double her egg yield, the woman decides to increase the hen's barley feed considerably, hoping that it would induce the hen to lay more eggs. However, the opposite occurs - the hen grows fat and healthy from the extra nutrition but ceases to lay any eggs altogether. This story illustrates the concept of greed and impatience, suggesting that an imprudent and excessive pursuit of more can ultimately lead to losing even what one already possesses. It serves as a cautionary tale highlighting the importance of contentment and the potential negative consequences of greed-driven actions.

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A Woman possessed a Hen that gave her an egg every day. She often pondered how she might obtain two eggs daily instead of one, and at last, to gain her purpose, determined to give the Hen a double allowance of barley. From that day the Hen became fat and sleek, and never once laid another egg.