The Hen That Laid Golden Eggs: A Turkish Tale of Greed and Patience

Summary: A Turkish folk tale about a farmer who didn’t value what he had and lost everything because of his greed. A story about patience, gratitude, and kindness.

Long ago, in a small village, there lived a farmer named Hasan. He was a kind man, but he often dreamed of wealth. Every day he worked on his small field and cared for the hens in his old chicken coop. His life was modest, but he would often say to himself, “If I were rich, I wouldn’t have to work so hard.”

One morning, as usual, Hasan went into the chicken coop to collect eggs. On the floor, he saw something unusual—a golden egg. At first, he thought it was a joke or a strange rock, but when he cleaned it, he realized it was pure gold.

Hasan was amazed but decided not to tell anyone. “Maybe it’s just a coincidence,” he thought. However, the next day, the hen laid another golden egg. After a few days, he realized one of his hens was laying golden eggs every day.

Hasan began selling the eggs at the market in secret to keep his wealth hidden. Gradually, he earned more money than he had ever imagined. His life changed—he bought new clothes, expanded his house, and even made plans to travel to the capital.

But as Hasan grew richer, greed took root in his heart. “If I wait for one egg a day, it will take too long. What if there is more gold inside the hen?” he wondered.

The next day, he decided to act. Hasan went into the chicken coop with a knife and took his golden hen. “If I get all the gold at once, I’ll never have to work again,” he said to himself. But when he cut the hen open, he found nothing—just the ordinary insides of a chicken.

The farmer realized he had made a terrible mistake. He had destroyed the source of his wealth in his greedy desire to have everything at once. His hen could no longer lay golden eggs, and his riches began to disappear as quickly as they had come. When the neighbors learned what he had done, they mocked him: “This is what happens when greed takes over reason.”

Hasan returned to his old life. He worked in his field again, but every time he passed by the chicken coop, he was reminded of his foolishness. Over time, he came to understand that patience and gratitude were more valuable than all the riches in the world.

Moral of the Story: This tale teaches that greed and the desire to have everything at once lead to loss. It is important to value what you have and be grateful for every opportunity.

Questions about the Story:

• Why did Hasan decide to kill the hen?
• What were the consequences of his greed?
• What lesson can we learn from this story?