The story of the servant and two rivers

Some time ago there was a businessman who owned two donkeys and a water cart. He had tried, as many businessmen do to get a faithful servant to manage his water distribution business. Each of the hands he hired would, in turn, run away after three days or get tired of the work and resign. One enterprising chap actually made off with all the water containers and left the empty cart in the village square.

As it turned out the businessman did manage to hire an excellent worker. Some people say that every cloud has a silver lining and indeed the businessman was glad that his luck had turned for the good. The hardworking servant would come in early in the morning, untie the donkeys rub them down and load them up with empty water cans to fetch water from the river, sell the water on his way back home and give the money earned to the businessman by 2.PM. This happy collabo went on for some time until the businessman started to boast about how proud he was of his dedicated and hardworking employee who came in early and always returned on time in the village.

After some time he started noticing that the villagers were looking at him a little strangely after all nobody else boasted about their hired hands. Some laughed quietly as he passed by. One day he was shocked when he overheard one woman whispering to another in the market, “it is better to leave him in his ignorance”.

The next day the businessman disguised himself and followed his employee to the river. To his dismay the servant crossed the river and continued on his way. As the businessman wondered where the servant was going, the servant was happily greeting everyone along the way. Later they came upon another river where the servant loaded up the cart with water and started the journey back home. 

The businessman thought for a while and said to himself, perhaps there is better water in the second river than the first. But to his dismay the servant began to sell the water along the way. By the time they reached the first river the water cart was empty. The servant then proceeded to load up another full cart of water and continued on his return trip. This time the servant sold the water to the people the businessman knew.

The businessman rushed home as he knew what was about to happen. When the servant reached the house the businessman he gave him the earnings from the first river. However, when the servant came for the donkey cart early the next morning the Businessman asked him casually, “to which river are you going today, the first or the second?”

Allan Bukusi