The Story of the Farmer’s Wife
The Story of the Farmer’s Wife: In a certain town, there lived a farmer and his wife. As her husband was old, the woman was always thinkingof other men and
” In a certain town, there lived a farmer and his wife. As her husband was old, the woman was always thinkingof other men and could never relax at home. The wholeday she would wander about the town, looking forcompany. “Once, a certain crook, who made it his business to. rob other people, noticed her. When there was nobodyelse about, he went up to her and said, ‘You lovelycreature! My wife is dead and when I looked at you, I fell in love with you. So, let me have the pleasure ofyour company.’ -‘My handsome fellow,’ she replied, ‘if that’s the case, I am ready. And what is more, my husband is very richbut so old that he can’t even walk. So, we can steal hismoney, elope together and enjoy life to our heart’scontent, in another town.’ -‘All right then,’ said the crook. ‘Meet me here earlytomorrow morning and we’ll go.’ The farmer’s wifeagreed and went home, her face beaming with joy. “Early in the morning while the old farmer, herhusband, was fast asleep, the woman stole all his money, hurried to the rendezvous and met, the crook. Thenthey set out on the journey towards south. “When they had covered quite some distance, theycame to the bank of a river. When the crook saw theriver, he thought to himself, ‘What is this woman tome! She is at the fag end of her youth. Besides, ifsomebody follows her and catches up with us, then Iam ruined. So what I will do is, rob her · and deser ther.’ “So, he said to the woman, ‘Darling! It’s difficult tocross this big river. I will go first with the money and then come back and take you across, on my back.’ -‘All right my handsome fellow,’ she replied, ‘do that then.’
THE FORFEIT OF PROFITS
“With this, she handed over to him all her money. When he had collected everything, the rogue said toher, ‘Lovely creature, give me the clothes you are wearingtoo, so that afterwards you can cross the rivercomfortably. ‘ “The woman agreed, handed him the clothes and hewent off, taking everything with him, and deserted her. “The woman waited for him on the bank of the river, with her arms crossed over her breasts and her handson her shoulders. ” Meanwhile, a female jackal arrived on the scene, holding a piece of meat in her mouth. Suddenly a fishleaped out of water and fell on the bank of the river. When the female jackal saw this, she dropped her pieceof meat and went to try to catch the fish but some howthe fish managed to slip back into water before shecould reach her. So, the female jackal started to returnto the place where she had dropped her piece of meat. But meanwhile a vulture swept down, picked up thepiece of meat and flew away with it. So the fem alejackal was looking up at the vulture, full of disappoint ment, when the woman addressed her with a smile, ‘The vulture took your piece of meat away and the fishhas gone back into the river. Madam Jackal! You havelost both of them, so what are you staring at?’ “Now the female jackal had seen what had happenedbetween the woman and the crook and had understoodthat the woman had lost both her husband and herlover. So, she replied, mockingly, ‘Naked woman! Youare twice as clever as I am, but you have now neither your lover nor your husband, so what are you staringat?’ Now, while the crocodile was telling this story to themonkey, another water-dweller came up and told him, “A bigger crocodile has taken over your house I ” When the crocodile heard this, h e was very upset. Hepondered over ways and means of driving the othercrocodile out. He said to himself, “Oh, look at my
mis fortune! My friend has turned into my enemy, my wife has died and now my house has been occupied bysomeone else. What will happen to me next? It is sotrue what they say: ‘You get more cuts where there is already a wound And when the food is alt gone, Then you are more hungry for it. During hard times, your enemies multiply. All this happens when fate is against you.’ -“Now what shall I do?” went on the crocodile. “Shall I fight this intruder or persuade him to move outpeacefully? Or shall I bribe him or consult my friend, the monkey? For _they say: ‘When a man begins a task, After consultation with his elders And his friends, who wish him well; He will never face any hind rance.’,; Then the crocodile spoke to the monkey, who was upin the Jambu tree, “My dear friend, look at my badluck! My house has been occupied by a much biggercrocodile! So now I am asking you for advice. Tell me, what shall I do? What tactics shall I adopt: peacefulne gotiation, fighting, bribery or what?” -“Ungrateful sinner!” said the monkey. “Why are yourunnirtg after me although I’ve forbidden you to? Iwon’t advise such a rascal as you are! ” -“Please!” said the crocodile. “I know I have done youwrong but, for the sake of our old friendship, give mesome advice.” -” I will give you no advice!” retorted the monkey. “Youtried to drown me in the sea, just because your wifeprompted you to do so. That was despicable of you. Awife is dear to us all but you don’t drown your friendsjust because your wife asks you to. You are doomed toruin because you are too stupid to know good advkewhen you hear it, for they say: ‘He who, out of conceit, Does not follow the good advice of virtuous peuple,
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Shail ‘certainly be destroyed As, the camel, with a bell round his neck, was by · the liori.’ ” -” H ow was that?” asked the crocodile. And the monkey told:
PACHATANTRA
What is the moral of THE STORY OF THE FARMER’S WIFE?
The moral is: To value wisdom and make thoughtful decisions. This story teaches us that every action has consequences, and we must think carefully about the impact of our choices on ourselves and others.
What collection does THE STORY OF THE FARMER’S WIFE belong to?
THE STORY OF THE FARMER’S WIFE is from the Indian Folk Tales, an ancient literary work. The Indian Folk Tales is a timeless collection of stories that teaches important life lessons through memorable tales.
What age group is THE STORY OF THE FARMER’S WIFE suitable for?
THE STORY OF THE FARMER’S WIFE is best suited for Ages 6-10. Younger children will enjoy hearing it read aloud for its engaging narrative, while older children can read it independently and explore the deeper meanings and moral lessons embedded in the story.
Moral
The farmer’s wife’s greed for more destroyed her chance to keep anything at all. Her endless wish to improve her fortune through magical means led to losing everything. The story teaches that gratitude for what we have protects us better than schemes for wealth we don’t deserve.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Panchatantra (Sanskrit: Pañcatantra, “five treatises”) is an ancient Indian collection of interlinked animal fables traditionally attributed to Vishnu Sharma in roughly the 3rd century BCE. Composed to teach three reckless princes the arts of governance (niti-shastra), its stories were carried by merchants and translators across Persia, Arabia and Europe, seeding the world’s fable tradition.
This Panchatantra tale belongs to Labdhapranasam (Loss of Gains), exploring avarice and its consequences. The motif of wishes corrupted by greed appears in Sanskrit literature and folk narratives worldwide. The farmer’s wife represents the human tendency to mistake luck for earned reward and to desire beyond natural limits. Scholars recognize this as a variation of ATU 750A (The Wishes) and similar tradition tales. Vishnu Sharma uses the narrative to teach about the danger of unlimited desire within his broader ethical framework. The story appears in Kalila wa Dimna and shares cultural DNA with Buddhist Jataka tales emphasizing contentment over endless acquisition.
Reflection & Discussion
- Why did the farmer’s wife believe that more wishes would make her happier than the gifts she had?
- Describe a time when you wanted something else right after getting something you’d wished for.
- If she had stopped after her third wish, would she have lived happily with those riches?
Did You Know?
- The Panchatantra was written around 200 BCE by Vishnu Sharma to educate three young princes.
- The Panchatantra has been translated into over 50 languages, making it one of the most translated works in history.
- Many of Aesop’s Fables are believed to have roots in the Panchatantra stories.
What This Tale Teaches Us Today
Old stories keep their power because their lessons never stop being useful. Here is how this one still applies:
- Women’s practical intelligence is often the hidden backbone of any family or community. Respect it, and outcomes improve.
- In crisis, the person who stays calm is often more valuable than the person in charge. The farmer’s wife models that calm.
- Modern household economics still follows the patterns these tales describe. Good management at home is not a small skill – it is civilization-building work.
Why This Story Still Matters
The Story of the Farmer’s Wife belongs to a long Indian tradition that quietly celebrates women’s practical wisdom. The farmer may be the one who goes to market or stands in the fields, but when a real problem appears, the wife often solves it. These tales teach daughters that their intelligence is powerful and visible, and they teach sons that their wives will often be wiser than them in the pinches of life. That is a gentle, ancient feminism embedded in stories long before the word existed.
What We Can Learn
This story teaches us important lessons that we can use in our own lives. Stories like these have been told for hundreds of years because they show us something true about how to be a good person.
One lesson is that kindness always matters, even when no one is watching. Another lesson is that we should think before we act. When we take time to understand a problem, we often find a better answer than if we act quickly without thinking.
This story also teaches us that everyone has something valuable to offer. Sometimes the person we think is the weakest turns out to be the strongest. Everyone deserves respect and a chance to help.
Meet the Characters
The characters in this story are important to understanding what happens. Each person or creature in the story has their own reasons for doing what they do.
When we read about the characters, we learn what they care about and what frightens them. We learn what makes them happy and what makes them sad. Understanding characters helps us understand the story better.
As you read this story, think about what each character wants and why. What do you think they are feeling at different parts of the story?
Think and Talk About It
Great stories give us things to think about. Here are some questions you can ask yourself or talk about with your family:
- What would you have done in this situation?
- Do you think the ending was fair?
- What was the hardest choice anyone had to make?
- What would happen next if the story continued?
Talking about stories helps us understand them better and learn more from them.
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