The Golden Cucumber - Sri Lanka

Once upon a time, there was a farmer. He was cultivating many kinds of vegetables: sweet potatoe, manioc, pumpkin, sweet melon, maize, golden cucumber, millet and egg plant.One day the farmer was going around his field when he noticed a huge golden cucumber, a ran kekire. As the farmer watched the cucumber grow each day, he felt very happy. 'Isn't it a wonderful big fruit? I should not be the only one to enjoy it. It must be gifted to someone, who deserves it?', he shared with his wife.

In his village, the chieftain was a kind man. He looked after the poor people. The farmer plucked his cucumber and offered it to the chief. 'Please accept my gift, you deserve it for you're always looking after people's welfare'. The chief felt pleased and wondered how he could repay the farmer.

The chief decided to give away his cow. The farmer could not believe his luck, how fortunate was he, to receive a cow in return for a cucumber! As the news spread quickly around the village, another farmer thought: I too must offer a gift to our chief. He gave a cow for a cucumber. If I give him my bull, he might give me some land in return, or a paddy field.

He took his bull and offered it to the chief, who was a wise man. The chief remembered the cucumber. Surely this man expects me to give him an even bigger gift now, he wondered. The farmer was impatient to receive his present. The chief went inside th house and brought a large gift, wrapped in brown paper. The farmer's joy knew no bounds...

He could not even wait to get back home, he quickly opened the package, and...it was the golden cucumber.

Image: Susil Sri Creations

Questions

• Why did the poor farmer decide to give away the cucumber?
• Why do you think the chief offered hum a big gift (cow)?
• Why did the second farmer offer his bull?
• What may happen if you give only because you expect something in return?

Management Link

The first farmer in the story shows values of love and altruism, while the second farmer reveals greed and selfishness. The wise chief was able to distinguish between the two, and treated the givers accordingly.
With the first farmer he took a risk by offering an expensive gift in return for an inexpensive one. That was philanthropic...or was it? The chief is a smart person, therefore, it is more likely that he saw it as an investment in his village's relations. As a manger you sometimes have to take risks, investing in the people of your organization without knowing what to expect in return. In your human resource development strategies, be sure they are calculated risks, and try to distinguish between people who are true, and those who have means.

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Makato and the Cowrie Shell - Thailand

Once upon a time there was a boy named Makato. He was an orphan, and had no friends or family to take care of him. Because he had to make his own living he did all kinds of odd jobs: chopping wood, feeding pigs, clearing and cleaning. He didn't mind to work hard, and despite his small wages he was satisfied with his life.

He was only 4 when his mother passed away, but he remembered some stories she had told about the kind-hearted king of Sukhotai. Ever since he was small he wanted to meet this king. One day, when helping a friend to find food for elephants, he found so many branches that the friend offered him a job to become the assistant of the King's mahout. He worked hard cleaning elephants sheds and finding food. One fine morning Makato's patience and hard work got rewarded: he was to accompany the King's elephant an a parade. As the king mounted the beast, in his splendid, shiny costume, he dropped a tiny cowrie shell. Makato picked it up and held it out to the king. who told him to keep it.

Image: Susil Sri Creations

At the time the people of Sukhotai used cowrie shells as money, and although one little cowrie had little value, he wanted to use it wisely. He went to the market to buy seeds, yet quickly realized he could not even buy the smallest bag of seeds, while he noticed a lettuce seed stall.

"Lady, if I dip my finger into this pile of seeds, can I take those that stick to my finger for one cowrie?", he asked. "Well why not", replied the sales lady, amused by his suggestion. Makato carefully scraped the seeds from his finger and planted them, watering the tiny sprouts daily, until the garden was covered in fresh, green lettuce. Proud as he was, he offered to king his first produce.

"Where did you get these, my boy?" the king asked surprised, and Makato told him the story. He king was impressed by so much intelligence and industry that he offered him a fixed position at the palace.

Questions

• Why do you think the lettuce women agreed to let Makato dip the seeds? 
• Have you ever asked someone a favor? Was the favor awarded?
• What can you learn from this story from Makato's point of view?
• What do you think about the king's perspective?

Management Link
Apart from being a dedicated hard worker Makato has shown initiative and creativity to make something of his life. This story nicely illustrates an Afghan proverb: 'one who does not appreciate the apple, won't appreciate the orchard'. There is also the perspective of the king, who was loved, generous and considerate. He is 'the wise man in the background'. As managers we should aim to inspire by rewarding determination, creativeness and the small efforts of all employees, not only of the big people. Managers need to create an enabling environment for all staff, from the cleaning lady and office clerks to the top sales representatives.

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