Two men with a bag of gold coins went to the cadi or judge. They asked his help in solving their problem.
"I am a woodchopper," said the first man. "I chopped down twenty-eight donkey-loads of wood in exchange for this bag of gold. This man offered to help to help me but he didn't do any work. Now he claims that half the coins are his."
"Certainly," said the second man. "I'm your partner."
"Partner!" the woodchopper exclaimed. "Who does every blow at every tree? Who chopped the fallen trees, tied the wood in bundles, loaded them on the donkey, brought them to the customer's house, and unloaded them? Who worked all day long until all the woods were piled and tied in bundles? I did. You did nothing."
"Is what this man say true?" asked the judge.
"Look at it this way, judge. I did all the grunting and groaning when the work was heavy. I did all the complaining when the day grew hot and the donkey did not want to go where the woodchopper wanted it to."
"What good was that?" the woodchopper asked angrily. "Do you call that work?"
"I saved your strength, time, and energy," replied his partner. "If you had to do all those things yourself, it might have taken you a long time to finish your job. I certainly should receive half the pay for I did half the work."
"Yes," agreed the judge thoughtfully. "You certainly should receive your fair share of the money."
At this the woodchopper shouted angrily.
The judge told him to be quiet. He asked his guard to get a metal tray. He got the bag of gold from the woodchopper. He told his partner to hold the tray.
The judge took a coin from the bag and dropped it on the metal tray. The coin rang out loud and clear. The woodchopper gritted his teeth at the sound but his partner grinned.
"A pleasant sound, isn't it?" said the judge. "Here's another and another."
One by one he let the coins drop with loud clangs on the metal tray. The woodchopper's face became blacker and blacker. The judge listened to the ring of each coin. As each coin fell on the tray, the partner nodded happily.
When the bag was half empty, the woodchopper asked for it from the judge. But the judge shook his head and continued to take out the coin and drop each one loudly on the pile in the tray.
"But your Honor," the woodchopper said.
"Keep quiet," shouted the judge. "Do not disturb the pleasant sounds."
The partner kept nodding greedily. He hoped to get a half share only and here the judge was dropping every coin in the bag into the tray.
When the last coin had been dropped into the tray, the judge got all the coins in the tray and put them back into the bag. Then he tossed it over to the woodchopper.
"The money has now been equally divided," said the judge. "You have received your fair share."
The partner said, "But your Honor, I don't have any of it. He has it all."
"I said you should receive your fair share," replied the judge, "and you have just received it. you made the sound of the work while the woodchopper did the work. Now, you have heard the sound of the coins while the woodchopper has received the money."
The judge took a coin from the bag and dropped it on the metal tray. The coin rang out loud and clear. The woodchopper gritted his teeth at the sound but his partner grinned.
"A pleasant sound, isn't it?" said the judge. "Here's another and another."
One by one he let the coins drop with loud clangs on the metal tray. The woodchopper's face became blacker and blacker. The judge listened to the ring of each coin. As each coin fell on the tray, the partner nodded happily.
When the bag was half empty, the woodchopper asked for it from the judge. But the judge shook his head and continued to take out the coin and drop each one loudly on the pile in the tray.
"But your Honor," the woodchopper said.
"Keep quiet," shouted the judge. "Do not disturb the pleasant sounds."
The partner kept nodding greedily. He hoped to get a half share only and here the judge was dropping every coin in the bag into the tray.
When the last coin had been dropped into the tray, the judge got all the coins in the tray and put them back into the bag. Then he tossed it over to the woodchopper.
"The money has now been equally divided," said the judge. "You have received your fair share."
The partner said, "But your Honor, I don't have any of it. He has it all."
"I said you should receive your fair share," replied the judge, "and you have just received it. you made the sound of the work while the woodchopper did the work. Now, you have heard the sound of the coins while the woodchopper has received the money."
Adapted from Doorways to Reading
