A WIDOW’S COW

 Once, in a quiet village in Punjab, there lived a poor widow who owned a single cow. This cow was her only source of income, giving her fresh milk every day. Some of the milk she kept for herself, and the rest she sold in the village market to buy food and essentials. Life was hard, but her cow was a steady companion, and she managed to live with some degree of comfort.

One morning, to her horror, the widow found her cow missing. She searched everywhere, asking neighbors and calling out along the paths, but there was no trace of it. Soon, word reached her that a notorious bandit from the nearby hills had stolen the animal. The bandit was feared by everyone in the region; he was known for his ruthlessness, and no one dared to confront him.

But the widow was undeterred. She made her way straight to the bandit’s hideout, her heart pounding but her resolve unshaken. When she finally stood before him, she looked him in the eye and demanded, "Return my cow. It is all I have in this world."

The bandit, taken aback by her boldness, sneered and decided to make a game of it. He took a bowl of water and poured a handful of parchas—small, broken lentils—into it, stirring them into a muddy mess. Then, with a mocking grin, he told her, "If you can separate each grain from the water, I’ll return your cow."

It was an impossible task, clearly designed to humiliate her, but the widow did not waver. Calmly, she looked around and noticed a sieve lying nearby. Picking it up, she poured the water through the sieve, carefully straining it until all the parchas were separated. Patient and unflinching, she completed the task, her eyes never leaving the bandit’s face.

The bandit was astonished. Her calm intelligence and fearless determination had outwitted his attempt to mock her. Moved not only by her wit but by her courage, he returned her cow, realizing the depth of her strength. And in a surprising turn, he vowed never to steal from or harm the innocent again, having been humbled by the simple wisdom of a determined widow.

Muhammad Minhaj  Pre-Engineering II