Story time

Man struck an agreement with Ox at the beginning of time.

Man: Ox! Come with me. You will help me plough my field and harvest my crops in exchange for me feeding you every day of the year. Even in a drought, there will be no requirement to trek through this enormous forest daily for food. There are no predators where I live.

That sounds like an excellent idea, Ox. I concur. 

Ox moved in with man, and they will plough, plant, and harvest together season after season. There was a lot to eat and even sell in the market.

Their relationship prospered, and man became prosperous. He erected a pleasant barn for the ox to keep it safe from foul weather.

Man had tools and machinery like tractors and harvesters that made his task easier as time passed. Farming was becoming a business. As a result, Ox was deemed obsolete. Man started limiting ox food, lowering the quality of the food and failing to maintain the barn perfectly as promised.

Despite this, the ox never protested. It hoped that things would improve as they had in the beginning.

One day, ant shared a revelation with ox.

Ant: Man plans to slaughter you at the next festive season’s feast since he considers you to be sluggish and useless. “All Ox does is eat and sleep” he complains. I overheard him speaking with his servants. Leave as soon as possible and never return.

Ox: You’ve got to be kidding. Who dares to challenge my strength and size? We built this farm from scratch and my partner is not going to do anything like that. I am powerful, and I will protect myself when the time comes, but for the time being, I am certain that man will follow through on our agreement.

Ant went away in surprise, warning Ox to be cautious.

Not long after the chat with Ant, the servants hauled Ox from the barn and tied it to a tree, claiming to be conducting maintenance on the barn. Ox was never returned to the barn. It was left at the mercy of the weather and hardly fed. Ox was now poised to confront man one of these days if he happens to pass by but man never showed up.

There was a bountiful harvest before the festive season and man wanted to throw a party. Ox awoke one day to find a rope wrapped around its legs, ready to be killed. No one could hear ox’s cries, no matter how loud they were. Its strength could not preserve it at a key juncture against the will and intellect of man.

Lessons

Indeed, the narrative serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of misplaced trust and the significance of exercising prudence in our interactions with others. It contains several lessons that must be studied and used in all aspects of our lives.

Firstly, we must recognise that things are continuously changing, and what appears to be a suitable arrangement today may not be so in the future. As a result, we must remain adaptable and be ready to reassess our agreements with others when circumstances change. The ox had been consistent and held on to its end of the bargain but man, along the line drifted when the ox was of no significant benefit to him. The ox was oblivious to the changing times which required that it repositions itself to be relevant in the relationship else it will be betrayed. This is human nature. You may be useful today but not in the long run. You must learn to walk away before you outlive your usefulness.

Secondly, we must be aware of the dangers of putting too much trust in others. While we must have confidence in our partners’ and associates’ good intentions, we must also be conscious that they may not always behave in our best interests. As a result, we must remain attentive and take precautions to safeguard ourselves and our interests. Because the ox trusted man, the ant’s counsel was ignored. Ox relied on physical strength to defend itself if things go wrong, but it was too late to fight back.

Thirdly, we must learn to speak out when our relationship interests are not fulfilled. People are generally afraid of being gaslighted or victimised if they speak up, so they prefer to keep their fears and concerns to themselves, hoping everything will work out. Hope is beautiful but there are no assurances about it. If you are mistreated, do not pretend that everything is fine when it is not. Confront them since they are aware that their actions are inappropriate. Tolerating them gives them the advantage to continue taking advantage of you your kindred unapologetically. Speaking up for oneself when others wrong you are, in fact, a sign of honesty. Don’t let others regard you as a doormat, someone they can walk over and walk away from without a fight.

Additionally, the story emphasizes the significance of accepting responsibility for our actions and decisions. The Ox made a deal with man, but it failed to recognize the changing circumstances and took no protective measures. It paid the ultimate price for its complacency and trust in the end. As a result, we must take charge of our own lives and make intelligent decisions in our own best interests. When interacting with others, don’t dismiss your gut instincts. Ox saw no significance in ant’s counsel, a tiny insect that can be easily crashed. Sometimes, the best pieces of advice come from unlikely places.

Doveryai, no proveryai or “trust, but verify,” the Russian proverb warns.

Finally, the story serves as a reminder that, while trust is essential in our daily interactions with others, we must be aware of the dangers of human nature and take precautions to protect ourselves. Even if the other party appears to be fully trustworthy, a responsible individual always verifies everything before committing to a shared enterprise with anyone.