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Recently, while browsing through Leo Tolstoy’s short stories, I came across this seemingly childish gem: A grain the size of a chicken egg. At first glance, it felt like a bedtime story for overly imaginative children. But by the time I finished and thought about it, I realized it was a classic Russian pop story – simple on the surface, but packed with layers of wisdom and meaning, each deeper than the last. Who would have thought that a super-sized grain could provide such a feast for thought?
For those of you wondering about the reference: Tolstoy A grain the size of a chicken egg begins with a strange discovery: children playing in a ravine come across a gigantic kernel of corn the size of a chicken egg. Naturally, they sell it for a penny to a traveling merchant, who then delivers it to the king. The king, intrigued and probably wondering if this could solve all future famines, blocked his ministers and wise men from discovering its origins. Spoiler alert: they fail spectacularly.
Enter an old farmer, summoned as the kingdom’s last hope. He doesn’t know either, so he calls his father. The father’s memory is also failing, so he intervenes are dad. The clan’s great-grandfather finally spills the beans (or rather, the grain) and shares a nugget of wisdom: such colossal grains used to be common in are the day when men lived by the sweat of their brow and were not dependent on the labor of others. In short, the grandfather subtly roasts the king’s generation and blames their laziness and greed for the demise of such miracles.
So, what is the conclusion of this seemingly simple story?
First, kings, monarchs, leaders or bosses – call them what you will – have always relied heavily on the common people, both in terms of brawn and mental math, that is, both in terms of brains and brawn. Whether it’s farmers working the fields or elderly people unraveling the mysteries of giant grains, it’s the ordinary people who do the hard work and think. Leaders may sit on thrones, but let’s face it: the real MVPs (Most Valuable Players) are the ones who dig through ravines and memories to get things done.
Second, just because someone sits on a throne (or a nice office chair) doesn’t mean they earned it or know what they’re doing. Sometimes the so-called ‘wise men’ are outclassed by the village idiot. In Tolstoy’s story, the king’s leading advisors could not distinguish a grain of corn from a clue, while the wisdom of the common man, passed down from generation to generation, solved the matter. It’s a brutal reminder that titles and degrees don’t guarantee brains. True wisdom often lies in the people who quietly get things done, those who don’t need a crown to prove their worth. Remember Shah Rukh Khan’s dialogue from the film Chennai Express: ‘Don’t underestimate the power of a common man!’
Tolstoy seems to convey the same thing in a similar tenor: “Do not underestimate the unusual feeling of the common man.”
Third, it is a story as old as time. Each older generation likes to blame the next for being lazy, greedy and downright unworthy of the treasures they have inherited. In Tolstoy’s story, the great-grandfather doesn’t hold back and almost wags his finger at the age of the king for allowing giant grains – and presumably a good work ethic – to become extinct. It’s the classic “back in the day” mantra, complete with a dash of nostalgia and a dash of judgment. Whether it’s super-sized corn or priceless traditions, each generation gets its share of the side of the previous one. It seems that some things, like guilt, never go out of style.
After thinking about all these priceless nuggets of wisdom, I finally had an epiphany: maybe it’s best to skip the life lessons, enjoy the story, and call it a day. Not every story needs to be dissected like a science project. So here’s my takeaway: enjoy the read, chuckle at the irony, and move on. Overthinking is overrated anyway!
The opinions expressed above are those of the author.
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