There once were three farmers.
They lived on a long gravel road.
Each started out with a few cows.
Their story is just now being told.
The first farmer was a big friendly fellow, with a loud booming voice. A lot of people knew him and liked him. He made sure his few cows had grass, and grain, and were fat and healthy. As time went by, he and his family loved the smell of a full grill, and the taste of steaks and hamburgers more and more.
He became a talented butcher. His few cows had more cows, but he and his family and friends got together often for meals. One morning, after a big party the night before, he went out to his fields, and saw that he didn't have any more cows.
The second farmer was a nice man, kind of quiet, and hard working. The town people that knew him liked him and his family. He, too started out with a few cows. He made sure his cows were fed plenty of grass and grain, and were fat and healthy. As time went by, he realized that his cows produced very good milk.
He and his family milked the cows every day. They had milk for themselves, and sold the extra milk every day for cash to the local market in town, and to their neighbors and friends. If the milk didn't sell that day, they tried to trade it for things they needed. What was left over each day. they had to pour out. His few cows had more cows, and his herd grew. Once in a while they had cows that didn't produce any milk and couldn't have more cows, so they sold them to the first farmer. When that happened, the first farmer went to the local bank to borrow the money. Sometimes the first farmer returned some of the processed meat as partial payment.
The third farmer was a very quiet, very hard working man. Not a lot of people knew him. He also started out with a few cows. He made sure his cows had more than enough of the the best grasses and grains, and were fat and healthy. As time went by, his cows produced milk and he and his family learned that they could milk them morning and night. Since the second farmer already took his milk to the local market, the third farmer went and talked to the dairy processing plant several miles away. They made a deal to sell all of their milk, to be made into cream at the plant.
It was used in ice cream, drinks, cakes, and fancy foods. The people in town saw the trucks going down the road to the farm, twice a day, and fussed about the traffic. The making and the selling of the cream took several weeks. The third farmer got paid once a month, after all the cream was sold. Since the third farmer had to wait to get paid, he and his family learned to live a simple, patient lifestyle. In time, his cows had more cows, and his herd grew. He made a deal with the second farmer to trade milk cows for some of the second farmer's best bulls to improve his herd. He also sold his non-producing cows to the first farmer, who had to go to the bank and get a loan each time.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
The first farmer sold his farm and opened up a butcher shop. When he died, it was sold to help settle his debts. His children and grandchildren work at the market, and the bank, and on other farms. A couple of them became butchers. Some of them have done well, but most of them struggle to make ends meet.
The second farmer's children kept raising cows and producing milk. They later made a deal with the processing plant, and the farm stayed in the family until the second farmer died. Then they sold the land for a sub-division. Some of his family now work at the bank, the market, and the processing plant. Most of them moved away to find better jobs.
The third farmer's children and grandchildren kept raising cows and selling their milk for cream. They still have the original farm, and they bought other farms when they had the chance. Some of them work at the processing plant. A few became owners in the local bank, the market, and other businesses in town. They started a charity to help the hungry and needy people in and around their community.
...
The first farmer lived for the sizzle of the grill.
The second chased a poor man's dollar.
The third farmer learned to work, wait, and dream.
Every choice is important! You can have...
Meat for a day,
Milk for a while, or
a lifetime of Cream.