The Fly
edited by Jane Yolen
Everyone in the village knew the usurer, a rich and smart man. Having
accumulated a fortune over the years, he settled down to a life of leisure in his
big house surrounded by an immense garden and guarded by a pack of
ferocious dogs. But still unsatisfied with what he had acquired, the man went
on making money by lending it to people all over the county at exorbitant rates.
The usurer reigned supreme in the area, for numerous were those who were in
debt to him.
One day, the rich man set out for the house of one of his peasants. Despite
repeated reminders, the poor laborer just could not manage to pay off his
10 longstanding debt. Working himself to a shadow, the peasant barely succeeded
in making ends meet. The moneylender was therefore determined that if he
could not get his money back this time, he would proceed to confiscate some of
his debtor’s most valuable belongings. But the rich man found no one at the
peasant’s house but a small boy of eight or nine playing alone in the dirt yard.
“Child, are your parents home?” the rich man asked.
“No, sir,” the boy replied, then went on playing with his sticks and stones,
paying no attention whatever to the man.
“Then, where are they?” the rich man asked, somewhat irritated, but the
little boy went on playing and did not answer.
20 When the rich man repeated his query, the boy looked up and answered,
with deliberate slowness, “Well, sir, my father has gone to cut living trees and
plant dead ones and my mother is at the marketplace selling the wind and
buying the moon.”
“What? What in heaven are you talking about?” the rich man commanded.
“Quick, tell me where they are, or you will see what this stick can do to you!”
The bamboo walking stick in the big man’s hand looked indeed menacing.
After repeated questioning, however, the boy only gave the same reply.
Exasperated, the rich man told him, “All right, little devil, listen to me! I came
here today to take the money your parents owe me. But if you tell me where
30 they really are and what they are doing, I will forget all about the debt. Is that
clear to you?”
“Oh, sir, why are you joking with a poor little boy? Do you expect me to
believe what you are saying?" For the first time the boy looked interested.
“Well, there is heaven and there is earth to witness my promise,” the rich
man said, pointing up to the sky and down to the ground.
But the boy only laughed. "Sir, heaven and earth cannot talk and therefore
cannot testify. I want some living thing to be our witness.”
Catching sight of a fly alighting on a bamboo pole nearby, and laughing
inside because he was fooling the boy, the rich man proposed, “There is a fly.
40 He can be our witness. Now, hurry and tell me what you mean when you say
that your father is out cutting living trees and planting dead ones, while your
mother is at the market selling the wind and buying the moon.”
Looking at the fly on the pole, the boy said, "A fly is a good enough
witness for me. Well, here it is, sir. My father has simply gone to cut down
bamboos and make a fence with them for a man near the river. And my mother
“oh, sir, you’ll keep your promise, won’t you? You will free my parents of
all their debts? You really mean it?”
“Yes, yes, I do solemnly swear in front of this fly here.” The rich man
urged the boy to go on.
“Well, my mother, she has gone to the market to sell fans so she can buy oil
for our lamps. Isn’t that what you would call selling the wind to buy the
moon?”
Shaking his head, the rich man had to admit inwardly that the boy was a
clever one. However, he thought, the little genius still had much to learn,
believing as he did that a fly could be a witness for anybody. Bidding the boy
goodbye, the man told him that he would soon return to make good his
promise.
A few days had passed when the moneylender returned. This time he found
the poor peasant couple at home, for it was late in the evening. A nasty scene
60 ensued, the rich man claiming his money and the poor peasant apologizing and
begging for another delay. Their argument awakened the little boy, who ran to
his father and told him, “Father, Father, you don’t have to pay your debt. This
gentleman here has promised me that he would forget all about the money you
owe him.”
“Nonsense!’ The rich man shook his walking stick at both father and son.
“Nonsense! Are you going to stand there and listen to a child’s inventions? I
never spoke a word to this boy. Now, tell me, are you going to pay or are you
not?”
The whole affair ended by being brought before the mandarin who
70 governed the county. Not knowing what to believe, all the poor peasant and his
wife could do was to bring their son with them when they went to court. The
little boy’s insistence about the rich man’s promise was their only
encouragement.
The mandarin began by asking the boy to relate exactly what had happened
between himself and the moneylender. Happily, the boy hastened to tell about
the explanations he gave the rich man in exchange for the debt.
“Well,” the mandarin said to the boy, “if this man here has indeed made
such a promise, we have only your word for it. How do we know that you have
not invented the whole story yourself? In a case such as this, you need a
80 witness to confirm it, and you have none.” The boy remained calm and
declared that naturally there was a witness to their conversation.
“Who is that, child?” the mandarin asked.
“A fly, Your Honor.”
“A fly? What do you mean, a fly? Watch out, young man, fantasies are not
to be tolerated in this place!” The mandarin’s benevolent face suddenly became
stern.
“Yes, Your Honor, a fly. A fly which was alighting on this gentleman’s
nose!” The boy leaped from his seat.
“Insolent little devil, that’s a pack of lies!” The rich man roared indignantly,
90 his face like a ripe tomato. "The fly was not on my nose; he was on the
housepole . . .” But he stopped dead. It was, however, too late.
The majestic mandarin himself could not help bursting out laughing. Then
the audience burst out laughing. The boy’s parents too, although timidly,
laughed. And the boy, and the rich man himself, also laughed. With one hand
on his stomach, the mandarin waved the other hand toward the rich man:
“Now, now, that’s all settled. You have indeed made your promises, dear
sir, to the child. Housepole or no housepole, your conversation did happen
after all! The court says you must keep your promise.”
And still chuckling, he dismissed all parties.
edited by Jane Yolen
Everyone in the village knew the usurer, a rich and smart man. Having
accumulated a fortune over the years, he settled down to a life of leisure in his
big house surrounded by an immense garden and guarded by a pack of
ferocious dogs. But still unsatisfied with what he had acquired, the man went
on making money by lending it to people all over the county at exorbitant rates.
The usurer reigned supreme in the area, for numerous were those who were in
debt to him.
One day, the rich man set out for the house of one of his peasants. Despite
repeated reminders, the poor laborer just could not manage to pay off his
10 longstanding debt. Working himself to a shadow, the peasant barely succeeded
in making ends meet. The moneylender was therefore determined that if he
could not get his money back this time, he would proceed to confiscate some of
his debtor’s most valuable belongings. But the rich man found no one at the
peasant’s house but a small boy of eight or nine playing alone in the dirt yard.
“Child, are your parents home?” the rich man asked.
“No, sir,” the boy replied, then went on playing with his sticks and stones,
paying no attention whatever to the man.
“Then, where are they?” the rich man asked, somewhat irritated, but the
little boy went on playing and did not answer.
20 When the rich man repeated his query, the boy looked up and answered,
with deliberate slowness, “Well, sir, my father has gone to cut living trees and
plant dead ones and my mother is at the marketplace selling the wind and
buying the moon.”
“What? What in heaven are you talking about?” the rich man commanded.
“Quick, tell me where they are, or you will see what this stick can do to you!”
The bamboo walking stick in the big man’s hand looked indeed menacing.
After repeated questioning, however, the boy only gave the same reply.
Exasperated, the rich man told him, “All right, little devil, listen to me! I came
here today to take the money your parents owe me. But if you tell me where
30 they really are and what they are doing, I will forget all about the debt. Is that
clear to you?”
“Oh, sir, why are you joking with a poor little boy? Do you expect me to
believe what you are saying?" For the first time the boy looked interested.
“Well, there is heaven and there is earth to witness my promise,” the rich
man said, pointing up to the sky and down to the ground.
But the boy only laughed. "Sir, heaven and earth cannot talk and therefore
cannot testify. I want some living thing to be our witness.”
Catching sight of a fly alighting on a bamboo pole nearby, and laughing
inside because he was fooling the boy, the rich man proposed, “There is a fly.
40 He can be our witness. Now, hurry and tell me what you mean when you say
that your father is out cutting living trees and planting dead ones, while your
mother is at the market selling the wind and buying the moon.”
Looking at the fly on the pole, the boy said, "A fly is a good enough
witness for me. Well, here it is, sir. My father has simply gone to cut down
bamboos and make a fence with them for a man near the river. And my mother
“oh, sir, you’ll keep your promise, won’t you? You will free my parents of
all their debts? You really mean it?”
“Yes, yes, I do solemnly swear in front of this fly here.” The rich man
urged the boy to go on.
“Well, my mother, she has gone to the market to sell fans so she can buy oil
for our lamps. Isn’t that what you would call selling the wind to buy the
moon?”
Shaking his head, the rich man had to admit inwardly that the boy was a
clever one. However, he thought, the little genius still had much to learn,
believing as he did that a fly could be a witness for anybody. Bidding the boy
goodbye, the man told him that he would soon return to make good his
promise.
A few days had passed when the moneylender returned. This time he found
the poor peasant couple at home, for it was late in the evening. A nasty scene
60 ensued, the rich man claiming his money and the poor peasant apologizing and
begging for another delay. Their argument awakened the little boy, who ran to
his father and told him, “Father, Father, you don’t have to pay your debt. This
gentleman here has promised me that he would forget all about the money you
owe him.”
“Nonsense!’ The rich man shook his walking stick at both father and son.
“Nonsense! Are you going to stand there and listen to a child’s inventions? I
never spoke a word to this boy. Now, tell me, are you going to pay or are you
not?”
The whole affair ended by being brought before the mandarin who
70 governed the county. Not knowing what to believe, all the poor peasant and his
wife could do was to bring their son with them when they went to court. The
little boy’s insistence about the rich man’s promise was their only
encouragement.
The mandarin began by asking the boy to relate exactly what had happened
between himself and the moneylender. Happily, the boy hastened to tell about
the explanations he gave the rich man in exchange for the debt.
“Well,” the mandarin said to the boy, “if this man here has indeed made
such a promise, we have only your word for it. How do we know that you have
not invented the whole story yourself? In a case such as this, you need a
80 witness to confirm it, and you have none.” The boy remained calm and
declared that naturally there was a witness to their conversation.
“Who is that, child?” the mandarin asked.
“A fly, Your Honor.”
“A fly? What do you mean, a fly? Watch out, young man, fantasies are not
to be tolerated in this place!” The mandarin’s benevolent face suddenly became
stern.
“Yes, Your Honor, a fly. A fly which was alighting on this gentleman’s
nose!” The boy leaped from his seat.
“Insolent little devil, that’s a pack of lies!” The rich man roared indignantly,
90 his face like a ripe tomato. "The fly was not on my nose; he was on the
housepole . . .” But he stopped dead. It was, however, too late.
The majestic mandarin himself could not help bursting out laughing. Then
the audience burst out laughing. The boy’s parents too, although timidly,
laughed. And the boy, and the rich man himself, also laughed. With one hand
on his stomach, the mandarin waved the other hand toward the rich man:
“Now, now, that’s all settled. You have indeed made your promises, dear
sir, to the child. Housepole or no housepole, your conversation did happen
after all! The court says you must keep your promise.”
And still chuckling, he dismissed all parties.