Once upon a time, in a far away village there lived a poor farmer family. There was the farmer, his wife and their pretty daughter.
The farmer worked very hard morning, noon and night in his home garden cultivating vegetables. He always had a plentiful harvest of manioc, sweet potato and other varieties of yams. The farmer watered his plants morning and evening and looked after them well. He was a good man but unfortunately, he could not hear well.
The farmer’s wife was clever at weaving mats in beautiful patterns and colours. Sadly, she too could not hear very well.
Daughter
The couple had a pretty daughter who was an excellent cook who could make delicious dishes. The girl could also sew beautifully. It was vKing’ery sad that this pretty girl too was hard of hearing.
One day, the farmer decided to harvest some sweet potatoes. He began the hard work of digging the yams out.
A young man
At this same time, a young man was on his way to the palace but he did not know the way. Seeing the farmer hard at work, the young man called out to him and said, “Uncle, can you please tell me the way to the palace”?
Way to the palace?
As the farmer was hard of hearing he heard what the young man said all wrong. He said, “ you certainly can have some sweet potatoes but you will have to wait till I dig them up”. The young man realised that the farmer could not hear well. He shouted again, “Can you please tell me the way to the palace?” Getting no answer the young man looked around for someone else to ask the way.
He saw the farmer’s wife weaving a mat. “ Can you please tell me the way to the palace”? the young man asked.
“ No, my son, I have not completed the mat. You will have to wait for a while till I dye it “ replied the farmer’s wife. “ I don’t want your mat, I want to know how to get to the palace”, shouted the young man.
Commotion
The farmer’s daughter heard all this shouting and came out to see what all the commotion was about.The young man was happy to see the pretty girl. “At last, here is someone who can hear well and will be able to tell me the way to the palace” he thought .
“ Sister, can you please tell me the way to the palace ?” asked the young man hopefully.
The crow
The girl laughed joyously and said,“ What the crow said has come true. It said, that a handsome, young man will come to see me today”. The young man was sad and puzzled. He said, “What are you saying”? “I only wanted to know the way to the palace”?
The girl smiled and repled, “If my parents say it is alright for me to marry you, I will marry you”.
Now, the young man knew that the pretty girl could not hear too. The young man did not know what to do. He wondered whether he should go to the palace or marry the girl and settle down at the farmer’s house. The young man thought , “ even if I go the palace what can I do? This girl is beautiful like a princess. I will marry her and settle down here”. The young man married the girl and settled down at the farmer’s home.