The Eggs by Aliki

This is a retelling of a Greek Folk Tale.

A captain of a boat went to shore to get something to eat. However, the restaurant owner had run out of food. All he had was 4 eggs that he was cooking for himself, so he offered them to the captain.

A storm came in and one of the captain’s men ran in and told him they must leave at once. The captain ran out, forgetting to pay for the food.

Six years later he returned to the port, found the man and offered to pay for the eggs he had eaten.

The innkeeper wanted 500 gold pieces for the eggs. Those eggs would have grown into 2 hens and 2 roosters and over the years they would have multiplied into a great chicken farm.

The innkeeper was taking him to court to demand his money. If he paid that amount, he would loose his boat, house and everything he owned. It would ruin him.

The captain went into a bar to think about his problem. He told a man his story. That man happened to be a lawyer and he told him that he would go to court and make sure he didn’t loose his boat.

The lawyer showed up late and told the judge that his wife had cooked beans for dinner and the left over beans they planted.

The innkeeper laughed, “Who ever heard of cooked beans sprouting?”  

The lawyer replied, “And who ever heard of fried eggs hatching?”

Lessons for Character Education

Problem Solving

 While thinking about his problems, the captain told someone about it. Sometimes talking to someone else will help you solve your problems. Because you might be able to solve it by just talking or the other person might be able to see the answer. Just like the lawyer did. When two or more people get together they can come up with great ideas and solutions to problems.

Conflicts

The innkeeper looked at the captain as an easy way to make lots of money. The captain tried to reason with him but the innkeeper’s demands were unreasonable. There might be times when people will make unreasonable demands on you. You might need a judge to listen to the problem and to make a decision..

Responsibility

The innkeeper had a great idea if he had kept those eggs and let them hatched and their babies hatch, he would have a large chicken farm. But by the fact he didn’t have a large chicken farm meant he used his resources instead of investing or saving them.