Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time there lived a farmer who had no son. He  had a small farm that produced good vegetables for market and provided the farmer with a meager income.One day an older farmer suggested that he add some burnt coconut husks to his fertilizer, so he tried it and the vegetables grew bigger.  But he was a good farmer and soon he had a full garden. People came to the farmer because  of his special vegetables. Word got out that the farmer was very good at raisng vegetables.  One day a young man came to see the farmer and asked to learn  the secrets of the growing. The farmer agreed and took the young man into his home and showed the young man how he made special fertilizer to  feed his vegetables. For many years the young man helped the farmer grow his vegetables and even helped the farmer expand his garden. Soon all the tending of the garden fell to the young man.

People would come from  miles away to buy these delicious vegetables. The old farmer would smile and thank them while counting his earnings. He would tell all that this was his family secret passed down for years. The young man would soon  not only tend to the garden but also sell the vegetables because the old Farmer started to spend more time playing chess and chatting with the vendors at the market. The young man  still did all his chores and learned to make the fertilizer a little better and  soon the vegetables were doing better and growing bigger.Yet the young man was never paid for his efforts.This went on for years.
 One day a customer came up to the young man and said "you have done a fine job raising these vegetables" The old farmer overheard this compliment and yelled at the young man, how can you take a compliment for my vegetables?  The young man just said  he laid no claim to the vegetables and did not solicit the compliment. The old farmer was infuriated he said " I teach you to  care for the plants and you ride on my reputation!" The young man said " if you no longer need me I will leave"  "Fine!" said the old farmer.

A few weeks later the farmer learned that the young man had bought some property and was cultivating a  vegetable patch. Customers would come to the farmers  garden and ask where the young man went. " He stole my fertilizer and is trying to grow his own vegetables. " he would rant.  The young man just continued to til away and set up  a nice garden.
Soon  the young man's garden was producing vegetables and they were larger than they were before. People started to buy his vegetables. The old farmers vegetables were  not doing as well because they were not tended as they were before. The old farmer had forgotten his fertilizer formula. Soon his regular customers would not come to him and those that did he would tell how the young man had robbed him and how his garden  was failing because of the young man.

 But the young man  , used to tending the other  garden, continued to  work every day. He was doing quite well and making a nice living. The old farmer cussed and accused the young man, but the young man kept quiet about learning of the gift that was given to the old farmer that he now claimed as his own.

What you give away cannot be taken back. What  you cultivate becomes yours, because it is a part of you. Do not become greedy with your knowledge or use others to bring you fame. For one day, it will come back and bite you.

This is the story of Kuntaw, how it was formed, and how it fell.