The Pumpkin is for Me and You

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Jack’s wife is a woman who does not cooperate with others. She also has large number of children to take care of. Her husband, Jack, is a struggling man who works a lot and through his work, gains a lot.

Whenever Jack brings a lot of food when he comes home. His wife allocates some for food to be consumed by family members and keeps some in her stock.

The neighbouring women at the village know that Jack’s house has enough food. Whenever one of the women needs assistance, she picks her pumpkin container* (calabash) and goes to Jack’s house. But Jack’s wife drives them out without giving them anything, even if they ask explicitly, and she does not respect the tradition of holding the pumpkin container.

But variability is the nature of life and at some point Jack becomes ill; his illness intensified and eventually he died.

As Jack was good to them, many men and women attend his funeral and offer consolation. They return home immediately after the funeral.

Days pass and food in the stock of Jack’s home runs out. Jack’s wife does not know where to get food for her children and she does not like to cooperate with others.

She never assisted any person and so her children soon become vulnerable. Jack’s wife soon becomes unable to afford to feed her children. Their screaming for food was alarming because of hunger.

This pumpkin is for you, me, and for everyone. We need each other and therefore we should cooperate among ourselves.

Eventually, the community elders of her village gathered and discussed the screaming from Jack’s house, but they
could not find an answer. They decided to go to the house. When the elders reached, they found the children and the mother exhausted.

Everyone knew that this could be the harshest treatment of Jack’s wife by the needy who came to ask her for food, but whom she did not give to.

The wise man of the village asked Jack’s wife, “Did you carry your pumpkin container and go to the neighbours or relatives and no one gave to you?”

She replied that she had not.

The wise man responded to her, “This pumpkin is for you, me, and for everyone. We need each other and therefore we should cooperate among ourselves.”

Reflections:

1) Do you think that the truth will always come out/prevail? Does that give you hope or make you afraid?

2) What matters most in this story, truth or power? What should matter most in the world, truth or power?

3) Was murder a reasonable price to pay for a man who only told the truth?

 

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