A certain local official was widely known for his greed. One mild and overcast day, he brought several guards with him to inspect a river dike. From a distance, he noticed two young boys arguing fiercely over something in a large grassy field, though he could not clearly see what it was. Curious, he walked closer. All he saw was a single straw hat placed upside down between the two boys. Realizing the man was an official with guards, the boys felt nervous, yet they continued to cling tightly to the hat and argue loudly.
The official demanded to know what they were fighting over. One boy quickly replied that he had trapped a turtle dove under the hat, that he had covered it first, and that the other boy was trying to steal it. He added that the hat was his. The other boy immediately objected, insisting that he was the one who had covered the bird first, and that the hat belonged to him.
When the official heard the words turtle dove, his eyes lit up. He imagined a rich, hearty late night meal. Pretending to be stern and fair, he ordered the boys to stop arguing and declared that he would examine the bird himself and decide the case.
Hearing this, the boys clutched the hat even tighter and begged him not to lift it, saying that the bird was young but clever and would fly away if uncovered. The official became even more eager. He insisted that he had to see it no matter what. The boys then added that the bird was newly fledged and smelled terrible, hoping to discourage him. Instead, this only fueled his stubbornness. He snapped that even if it smelled bad, he would still look.
Angered by the boys resistance, the official ordered his guards to pull them away. As the children cried and struggled, he quickly bent down, barely rolling up his sleeves, and carefully lifted the hat with one hand while reaching underneath with the other, ready to seize the bird.
To his shock, there was no bird at all. His hand sank into something warm, soft, and foul. Pulling it out, he saw that it was nothing but fresh buffalo dung smeared all over his fingers. Overcome with humiliation and rage, the official shouted furiously and ordered punishment for the boys. However, when the guards looked around, both children had already vanished, leaving the greedy official standing there in shame.
This story delivers a clear message that greed clouds judgment, and that clever minds can outwit power when injustice and desire take control.