שבועות כג

A farmer advertised a cow for sale.  A prospective buyer from a nearby village asked why he wants to sell it.  The farmer responded that it eats much and produces little.  “How much do you want for it?” the villager asked.  The farmer told him that for $300 it’s his.  The villager said he’s not interested but that he thinks that he can find a buyer at a higher price and would do so if he could share in the profit.  The farmer agreed.  The villager took the cow to a fair and sang its praises, getting a buyer for $500.  When he took $100 for himself and gave $400 to the farmer, instead of being glad, the farmer seemed to be upset.  “Why that frown?” the villager asked. “You got more than you wanted and you’re upset?”  The farmer replied: “If I had known how many מעלות טובות that cow has, I never would have sold her.”

06/10/2021