An Eritrean Tale

Once upon a time, there was a farmer who took his cow to the village market to be sold. There he met a merchant who asked him what price he wanted for his cow. When the farmer said that he wanted fifty measures of grain, the merchant laughed at him, called him a fool and said his cow was worth only one measure of grain.

As they haggled with each other, the argument became fiercer and fiercer. Finally, the farmer said that he was not a fool because he knew where the centre of the earth was and how many stars there were in the sky. The merchant, enraged by the farmer's statement, tried to punch him. The people around them intervened and took them both before the judge.

The judge asked the farmer whether he could show them the centre of the earth and tell them the number of stars in the sky. The farmer looked around and then stuck his staff into the ground and said that that was the centre of the earth. Anyone wishing to verify it, he said, was welcome to measure and find out.

Next he picked up a handful of dust and said that the number of stars in the sky was equal to the number of particles of dust in his hand. Anyone could could and see for themselves.

The judge realised that he was dealing with a very clever man and ordered the merchant to pay fifty measures of grain for the cow.
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