A Primitive Tribe (1)

Long ago, there was a tribe.

The chief said: To make sure anyone too injured to go hunting has something to eat, everyone will hand over an extra piece of dried meat each day. While someone is recovering, I'll give him some of the meat everyone else has contributed, so he won't starve.

The chief also said that with so much dried meat, someone would have to be put in charge of it.

Tiezhu looked dim-witted to the chief, so he gave him the job. He told everyone: This man has no cunning in him. We can rest easy with him looking after it.

Later, the tribe's hunters ran into a brown bear. Many of them were injured.

The injured waited at home for the chief to bring them dried meat. They waited and waited, but he never came.

They gathered outside his house and demanded that he keep his promise.

The chief said: That dim-witted Tiezhu has eaten every last piece of it!

Then he said: Tiezhu has committed a terrible wrong. Today, he must be beaten to death.

Tiezhu died. The chief sent the uninjured out to hunt and share their catch with the injured. The crowd dispersed.

Some of the injured had a nagging feeling that something was wrong, but couldn't put it into words.

Then one of them muttered to himself: The wrongdoer may have been punished, but nobody has covered our loss.

He turned back to see the chief. Pushing aside the grass curtain, he found the chief standing in front of a pile of dried meat, grinning greedily.

The next morning.

The chief said: Last night, I discovered twenty pieces of dried meat hidden in Daniu's home. He was the one who stole the meat and framed Tiezhu. He has already been brought to justice.

After that, everyone still had to hand over an extra piece of dried meat every day. But no one knew what it was for anymore.