@MikkyTheWriter 24 August 2025

The Farmer Who Chased the Wind The Farmer Who Chased the Wind In a quiet village surrounded by hills and rivers, there lived a farmer named Ade. Everyone in the village knew him for his hard work. Ade had fertile land, strong oxen, and enough harvest to feed his family and even sell in the market. But despite all this, Ade was never satisfied. Whenever he looked at his neighbor Musa’s field, he would say, *“If only my corn grew as tall as his.”* When he saw Chinedu’s new cows, he would complain, *“If only I had cows like that, I’d finally be rich.”* Even when he counted his money at night, he sighed, *“If only I had more.”* One evening, as Ade sat under the old iroko tree, an old traveler passed by. Seeing the frown on Ade’s face, the traveler asked, “Why do you look so troubled, farmer?” Ade replied, “I have land, I have food, I have money… but it is never enough. I want more. I want to be the richest man in the land.” The traveler smiled and said, “Then tomorrow at sunrise, run as far as you can until sunset. Every piece of land you cover will be yours. But remember—you must return to this iroko tree before the sun sets, or you will lose everything.” Ade’s eyes lit up with greed. “I will own half the world!” he shouted. The Run for Riches At dawn, Ade set off, running across fields and meadows. He laughed as he imagined all the land becoming his. By noon, he was far from the village. Tired, he thought of turning back—but then he saw a valley full of fertile soil. “Just a little more,” he said, pushing himself forward. Hours passed. The sun began to dip low in the sky. Ade realized he was miles away from the iroko tree. Panic filled his chest. He turned back, running with all his strength. Sweat poured down his face, his legs shook, his heart pounded. Villagers saw him running like a man chased by spirits. At last, as the final rays of sunlight touched the horizon, Ade collapsed at the foot of the iroko tree—dead from exhaustion. The traveler appeared once more, shaking his head. “All the land Ade needed was enough ground to be buried in.” Moral of the Story Greed blinds us. In chasing “more,” we often forget to appreciate what we already have. True wealth is not in endless possessions, but in contentment. As the elders say: *A man who chases the wind will never catch it.*