• a long time ago, but not too long ago, but quite long ago, there lived a fakir outside a village

• a wild watermelon patch had cropped up outside the village

  • the villagers, who had never seen a watermelon before, happened across the watermelon patch
  • they grew fearful of the watermelons and threw stones at it, thinking it was the demon

• the fakir, who knew what a watermelon was, decided to resolve their confusion
  • while the villagers were throwing stones at the watermelon patch, the fakir approached them and stopped them
• he advised the villagers to stop throwing stones and observe the patch for a week instead
  • the villagers noticed that the watermelons had done nothing in the week
• the fakir then told them to observe the watermelons from a closer distance for the next week
  • the villagers again saw that the watermelons did nothing
• this continued until the villagers were right next to the watermelons in the patch
  • that day, the fakir brought a pocket knife along with him
  • he touched the watermelon and demonstrated to the villagers that the watermelon was harmless
• he pulled a watermelon out from the patch
  • gave it the ripeness test with his fingers
  • and cut open the watermelon with his pocket knife
• he then ate a piece of watermelon
  • this horrified the villagers
  • but the fakir enjoyed eating it
  • so this put the villagers at ease somewhat
• the fakir offered the villagers a piece to eat
  • but they were not convinced about eating it yet
• the next day, the fakir went to the patch again
  • the villagers showed up to see the fakir enjoying another watermelon
  • and some of them asked the fakir to share the watermelon
  • the fakir was happy to oblige
  • the villagers were delighted by the juicy fruit
• in the coming days, more villagers tried out the watermelons
  • and watermelons were accepted as an edible fruit in the village

moral of the story

• if the fakir had eaten the watermelon the first day, he would have been demonized
• the villagers might have stoned him for eating something as horrific as the watermelon
  • because the villagers saw the watermelon as a demon

reflections

• in today’s day an age, even if a fakir puts in the work to bring a watermelon into a village with patience and effort
  • it might still backfire
  • and the fakir might be demonized for being materialistic