Note: I remember reading this story last time in primary school... unforgettable. And well, I was reminded of this story, because of Zachary's latest post: Run At The Speed of Time.
There was once a rice farmer, and he had a young son. They were poor, but happy. And the father would work hard day after day in the hot sun, planting and harvesting the rice.
Finally, the time came when the father decided to teach his young son how to plant rice. So he took him to the rice fields. They worked hard all day and all night, and finally, they had a beautiful field of young tender rice shoots gleaming in the water. The son was very happy and excited, and felt all grown-up and important. He was a big boy now. No, he was a MAN, just like his father!
The next day, the farmer and his son went back to the fields to check on the plants. The father chuckled to himself with satisfaction, but his son was puzzled. He waited, and waited, and waited. But the plants didn't grow very much. He peered at their leaves, and held his little hand next to one of the plants. No difference.
So he asked his father, "Daddy, why are the plants taking so long to grow?"
The father wisely replied, "My son, they were planted only yesterday. They take time to grow. It'll be a few months and then they'll be ready for the harvest."
But the son was discontented. As his father turned around to go off on an errand, the son gazed at the rows and rows of young plants before him. And he murmured to himself, "I think Daddy's wrong. I know what to do to help them grow faster!"
So... when his dad went off for a week to the town to buy some goods, the son crept off to the rice fields. Very carefully, he gingerly pulled up each rice shoot by a few centimetres. He worked hard all day, and all night, and when he was done, he smiled to himself and wiped off his sweat.
"Daddy will be so proud of me! See how much taller my plants are!"
When his dad came back, the son couldn't wait to bring him to the rice field to see the result of all his hard work.
To their horror, all the rice plants lay dead in the water.
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