Week 7 Storytelling: The Bonze and his tricks

While we read the Story of "The Miserly Farmer", here is the story behind the Bonze.

The Bonze (priest) has been known to trick farmers, but not just any farmer. He tries to out smart the farmers of fruits. While everyone loves fruit, fruit farmers are the easiest to trick, according to the Bonze. Since everyone loves to eat fruit because of its colorful appearance and its sweet flavor, no one can pass up a good piece of fruit. So here we are, with the story of the Bonze.

Farmers Market streets: Wikimedia

Growing up, the Bonze had everything and knew everything, but he was always put down for the way he looked. While he was very knowledgeable and respected, people didn't care for him as a priest. So, he had to find a way to support himself. 

While he was able to live a life full of happiness, he always felt something was missing. Every week he walked the streets of the market and admired the sellers there. There was everything and anything at the market, but the fruit stands were always the most loved.

Although he didn't have a green thumb to grow his own produce, he always bought a fruit each time he went.

Then, he came up with an idea.

He could trick the sellers into giving him free fruit if he dressed up as a homeless priest. He thought to himself, who could deny a Bonze fruit if he is suffering.

So from then on, he decided to dress the part in order to get fruit from the farmers at the market.

He knew this plan was wrong and that he shouldn't do it, but he wasn't one to have a green thumb, and he loved the fruits of the markets. So if it meant he had to trick a few people in order to get what he wanted, he was willing to do so.

So from then on, the Bonze used his great knowledge to trick the farmers and get the sweet tasty fruits.


Author's Note:
The Misery Farmer
The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921)

In the original story, it focuses on the way that the Bonze tricked the farmer. While the farmer harvested these sweet pairs and refused to give one to the Bonze, he used his ways to steal everything that the farmer had once had. He drew the attention of crowds by growing his own pairs on a tree and giving them out to the people, but in the end he ended up taking the farmers pears and axle from his cart. So, I decided to give you the back story of how the Bonze became so sneaky and trickster like in order to get the fruits of the market.