الدَّجاجَةُ وَالبَيْضُ الذَّهَبِيُّ
كانَ يا ما كانَ في قَديمِ الزَّمانِ، في قَرْيَةٍ صَغيرَةٍ، وَلَدٌ اسْمُهُ يَزَن يَعيشُ مَعَ جَدَّتِهِ الفَقيرَةِ. كانَتْ جَدَّتُهُ تَمْلِكُ دَجاجَةً صَغيرَةً بَيْضاءَ، كُلَّ يَوْمٍ تَبيضُ بَيْضَةً واحِدَةً فَقَطْ. وكانَتِ الجَدَّةُ تَقولُ دائِمًا: “القَليلُ الَّذي فيهِ بَرَكَةٌ… أَحْسَنُ مِنَ الكَثيرِ الَّذي فيهِ طَمَعٌ.” لَكِنَّ يَزَن لَمْ يَكُنْ يَفْهَمُ كَلامَها. كُلَّ صَباحٍ، كانَ يَبيعُ البَيْضَةَ وَيَشْتَري خُبْزًا وَحَليبًا لَهُ وَلِجَدَّتِهِ. وَفي يَوْمٍ مِنَ الأَيَّامِ، بَيْنَما كانَ يُطْعِمُ الدَّجاجَةَ، لاحَظَ شَيْئًا غَريبًا… وَجَدَ بَيْضَةً ذَهَبِيَّةً تَلْمَعُ تَحْتَها! رَكَضَ فَرِحًا إِلى جَدَّتِهِ وَهُوَ يَصْرُخُ: “صِرْنا أَغْنِياءَ!” باعَتِ الجَدَّةُ البَيْضَةَ، وَعاشا بِراحَةٍ لِأَوَّلِ مَرَّةٍ مُنْذُ سِنواتٍ. وَفي اليَوْمِ التَّالي… وَضَعَتِ الدَّجاجَةُ بَيْضَةً ذَهَبِيَّةً ثانِيَةً. وَمِنْ يَوْمِها، أَصْبَحَتْ تَبيضُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ بَيْضَةً ذَهَبِيَّةً. لَكِنَّ الطَّمَعَ بَدَأَ يَدْخُلُ قَلْبَ يَزَن. صارَ يُفَكِّرُ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ: “إِذا كانَتِ الدَّجاجَةُ تُعْطي بَيْضَةَ ذَهَبٍ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ… فَهٰذا يَعْني أَنَّ بِداخِلِها كَنْزًا كَبيرًا!” حاوَلَتِ الجَدَّةُ أَنْ تُحَذِّرَهُ: “لا تَسْتَعْجِلِ الرِّزْقَ يا يَزَن… الطَّمَعُ يُفْسِدُ النِّعْمَةَ.” لٰكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَسْمَعْ كَلامَها. وَفي لَيْلَةٍ، بَيْنَما كانَتْ جَدَّتُهُ نائِمَةً… أَخَذَ سِكِّينًا، وَذَبَحَ الدَّجاجَةَ. فَتَحَها بِسُرْعَةٍ وَهُوَ يَتَنَفَّسُ بِخَوْفٍ وَطَمَعٍ… لٰكِنَّ المُفاجَأَةَ كانَتْ صادِمَةً. لَمْ يَجِدْ ذَهَبًا… وَلا كَنْزًا… وَلا شَيْئًا مُخْتَلِفًا. كانَتْ مُجَرَّدَ دَجاجَةٍ عادِيَّةٍ. جَلَسَ يَزَن يَبْكي بِحُرْقَةٍ، وَهُوَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى الدَّجاجَةِ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ. وَمُنْذُ ذٰلِكَ اليَوْمِ… لَمْ تَعُدْ هُناكَ بَيْضاتٌ ذَهَبِيَّةٌ، وَعادَ الفَقْرُ إِلَى البَيْتِ مِنْ جَديدٍ. أَمَّا الجَدَّةُ، فَقالَتْ بِحُزْنٍ: “الطَّمَعُ يا بُنَيَّ… يَأْخُذُ مِنْكَ النِّعْمَةَ الَّتي كانَتْ تَكْفيكَ
The Hen and the Golden Egg Once upon a time, in a small village, there was a boy named Yazan who lived with his poor grandmother. His grandmother owned a small white hen that laid only one egg every day. The grandmother always used to say: “A little with blessings is better than a lot with greed.” But Yazan did not understand her words. Every morning, he would sell the egg and buy bread and milk for himself and his grandmother. One day, while he was feeding the hen, he noticed something strange… He found a golden egg shining beneath it! He ran happily to his grandmother, shouting: “We’re rich!” The grandmother sold the egg, and for the first time in years, they lived comfortably. The next day, the hen laid another golden egg. And from that day on, it laid a golden egg every single day. But greed slowly began to enter Yazan’s heart. Every night, he kept thinking: “If the hen gives a golden egg every day… that must mean there’s a huge treasure inside it!” His grandmother tried to warn him: “Do not rush your fortune, Yazan… greed destroys blessings.” But he did not listen to her. One night, while his grandmother was asleep, he took a knife and killed the hen. He quickly cut it open, breathing with fear and greed… But the surprise was shocking. He found no gold… No treasure… Nothing different at all. It was just an ordinary hen. Yazan sat down crying bitterly as he looked at the hen in his hands. From that day on, there were no more golden eggs, and poverty returned to their home once again. The grandmother said sadly: “Greed, my son… takes away the blessing that was once enough for you.”
