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There was a farmer. He had two oxen and a plough. He earned his livelihood by the help of the oxen and ploughed the field. All of a sudden one of his oxen died. The farmer was very unhappy. The king's poet ( poet lariat ) took pity on him. He said, “ Ramjibhai our king is very kind. When I sing a poem, he pleases and gives me a handful of gold coins, If you sing a poem to him, you will get an ox.” “ I know nothing recitation of Lord Rama moreover I do not like to stretch my hand to beg before anyone, answered Ramjibhai. “ I shall teach you what to sung. In doing so you have not to strech your hand for help.
You have to repeat what I teach leave everything to me. I will be there,” said the poet. Ramjibhai was persuaded after a long persuasion the poet immediately precomposed a Shloka; “ I am a farmer of your town, And two oxe I had. One of them is dead, please give me one instead. yet the farmer failed to recite the Shloka.
The poet made a wonderful plan. He arranged the bundles of grass in the form of a king's court. He treated the bundles of grass as courtiers and the king, and the biggest bundle was treated as the king. The poet himself was represented in one of the grass bundles. Then he thought Ramjibhai how to enter the court, how to stand there and how to address the king. Ramjibhai took complete four months to learn this. He could by heart that Shloka after the completion of four months. Now he could recite it with style.
The poet told Ramjibhai come to court next day. Ramji went to the court, uttered as he was taught by the poet “ Victory to the king ”, and stood in a corner. Ramjibhai was a little bit frightened on seeing all courtiers sitting pompously, in place of grass bundles. The poet began, “ O king ! this Ramji is a peasant. He is your subject. He has come to tell you a sloka.”
The king said, “ Very nice indeed ! Ask him to recite it.” The poet gave a signal to the farmer. Ramjibhai came forward with a little fear and recite the SLOKA :- “ I am a farmer of your town, And two ox that I had. one of them is dead, O king ! take the other instead.” while reciting, Ramjibhai faltered and used the word “ take ” in place of “ give ”.
Poor man ! The farmer he was. He knows only to give to others, but fails to understand in taking. At last he naturally made a mistake and used the word “ take ” instead of “ give ”. The king fell a thinking; “ This farmer had two oxes. One of them died. This much I could understand. But why he tells me to take the other one ? ”. Ramjibhai realised his mistake. Now he was quiet at ease. He cleared his throat by coughing a little and said, “ My lord, I am a poor farmer. I know how to give but I do not know to take. I labour hard and provide food grains to others. I earn my livelihood by tilling land with god's grace. Meanwhile one of my bullocks died. So I came to ask for one. For this I crammed for full four months the word “ give ”, still now the “ farmer ” in me cried out today “ take, take ”. Hence, I present my only ox to you. Accept that and allow me to go home.”
The king followed the whole matter. On seeing the kind and generous heart of the farmer, the king was pleased. He said, `'Bravo, Bravo, present. But you will also have to accept one present from me. I give you four oxes with horns framed in gold.”
The whole conference applauded; and expressed their joy.
Whosoever labours honestly needs no help from anyone. The farmer is such a person , He is generous by nature. Many of farmers had become Shriji Maharaja's devotees.