The Cock and the Jewel

In the cool of morning, a cock scratched about the farmyard with the hens near him. He turned over straw, loosened bits of earth, and searched carefully for food. To him a barleycorn, a small bean, or a worm hidden in the soil was a true discovery, for such things could fill an empty stomach.

Suddenly his claw struck something hard. He scratched again and uncovered a bright jewel. In the sunlight it shone with a cold and splendid gleam, like a little star buried in the dust. Had a jeweler found it, he would have lifted it with delight, cleaned it, and set it where many eyes could admire it. Had a rich man found it, he might have placed it in a ring or ornament.

But the cock tilted his head and looked at it without joy. “You may be a very precious thing,” he said, “and to one who understands jewels you may be worth much gold. Yet what are you to me? You cannot satisfy my hunger, nor can you feed the hens who follow me. I would rather have one barleycorn than all the jewels in the world.”

With that, the cock left the jewel lying in the dirt and went on scratching. Before long he found a few grains and called the hens to share them. The jewel still shone behind him, but he did not turn back. Brightness alone was not usefulness.

The fable does not say that the jewel had no value. It says that value depends on need. To a hungry cock, a plain grain may be better fortune than a treasure he cannot use.