The Grateful Cow

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Once upon a time, there was a rich man named Kind-hearted Weng. He lived in the countryside of southern Taiwan. One day, he met a butcher leading a cow down the street. He asked the butcher, “Is this cow for sale?” The butcher replied, “This cow is on its way to be slaughtered.” Kind-hearted asked, “Can you sell it to me?” The butcher replied rudely, “It will cost you a lot of money, can you afford it?” Kind-hearted smiled and said, “Name a price.” The butcher asked for three thousand dollars, and Kind-hearted bought the cow without hesitation.

That night, Kind-hearted tied the cow to a tree outside his home. It was late at night, and everyone had fallen asleep, except for the cow. The cow opened her eyes wide, as if she heard something. Suddenly, she started to moo very loudly, “Moo! Moo! Moo!” She woke everyone from their dreams, and they came running out of the house wondering what happened. Suddenly, a huge earthquake rocked the earth. Then, there came a huge noise. Kind-hearted's house had collapsed, and everyone was too shocked to move. After the cow stopped mooing, Kind-hearted told the cow gratefully, “Our ancestors said that cows were the first to know about an upcoming earthquake! My dear cow! Thank you for saving us all!” The cow wagged its tail.

As the night was still dark, Kind-hearted and his family decided to lay out straw mats and sleep under the tree. Kind-hearted slept beside the cow. In his dream, Kind-hearted heard the cow say, “Master, thank you for saving my life! I would have been slaughtered if you didn't save me. Therefore, you are my savior!” Kind-hearted said, “No, it was you who saved my family!” The cow replied, “You are kind and benevolent and a very good man. I must repay your kindness!” Just then, a drop of dew fell onto Kind-hearted's face and woke him up. He turned his head and looked at the cow. Not only did he believe what the cow said, from then on, he cherished the cow even more.