Two brothers lived in the same village: one was poor, one rich.
One day the poor brother remarked, "I stored bread in a calabash hanging from the ceiling, and somehow a mouse got in and ate it, leaving just a few crumbs."
The people all protested. "Impossible!" "Ridiculous!" "You're lying!" they said, because he was poor.
Another day the rich brother remarked, "I stored a grindstone in a calabash hanging from the ceiling, and somehow a mouse got in and ate it, leaving just a few pebbles."
"No doubt!" "Naturally!" "Of course!" The people believed him, because he was rich.
Inspired by: "The Rich Man and the Poor Man" in Hausa Tales and Traditions, volume 1, by Neil Skinner, 1969.
Notes: You can read the original story online.
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