Fables and Stories: Supplemental Guide 8A | The Crowded, Noisy House 139 Show image 8A-4: Cow in the living room
“Oy vey!” he moaned. “I did as you said. I brought the cow into the
house, and things are even worse than before. The children, they
cry and fight. My wife, she screams a lot. My mother-in-law, she
kvetches—and whines and complains—about everything. The goat,
she butts us with her head and knocks the dishes off the shelves. The
cow, she eats our clothing. The house is like a barn! We can’t sleep
for all of the bleating and mooing! Help me, Rabbi. I don’t think it
could be any worse!”The rabbi was silent and pondered for a long time. Then he asked,
“Do you have any other animals?”“Well,” said the man, pausing. “I have a goose.”[Say to students: “Tell your partner what advice the rabbi is going to give the
man.” Call on two partner pairs to share.]
“Perfect!” said the rabbi. “Go home and take the goose into your
house. Let it eat and sleep with you.”Two days later, the man went back to the rabbi.“Oy vey!” he groaned.
“Things are worse than ever! The children, they cry and fight. My wife,
she screams a lot. My mother-in-law, she kvetches—and whines and
complains—about everything. The goat, she butts us with her head
and knocks the dishes off the shelves. The cow, she eats our clothing.
The goose, he honks and poops on the floor. I tell you, Rabbi, it is
wrong for a man to eat and sleep with animals. I don’t think it could
be any worse!”“My son,” said the rabbi in a gentle voice, “You are right. Go home
and take the animals out of your house. You will find the answer.” Show image 8A-6: Quiet, empty house
The next day the man came running to the rabbi.“Rabbi!” he cried, his face beaming, “you have made life sweet for
me. Now that all the animals are outside, the house is so quiet, so
roomy, and so clean! How wonderful!”