Long ago, in a village surrounded by thick forests, there lived a tortoise known for his cleverness. Unlike other traders who sold yams, fish, or cloth, the tortoise sold something no one could see.
"Wisdom!" he would shout in the marketplace. "Who will buy wisdom today?"
The villagers laughed whenever they heard him.
"Can wisdom fill an empty stomach?" they mocked.
But the tortoise only smiled.
One morning, a poor farmer approached him.
"How much for your wisdom?" he asked.
"Ten cowries," replied the tortoise.
The farmer reluctantly paid.
The tortoise leaned close and whispered, "Never plant your seeds on the first day of rain."
The farmer was disappointed. That was all?
Yet he followed the advice.
Many villagers planted their seeds immediately after the first rainfall. A week later, the rains stopped, and the crops dried up. The farmer waited patiently. When the rains returned, he planted his seeds and harvested more food than anyone else in the village.
News spread quickly.
Soon, people lined up to buy the tortoise's wisdom.
A hunter paid twenty cowries.
"Never chase two animals at once," said the tortoise.
A trader paid thirty.
"Count your money before you celebrate your profit."
Years passed, and those who followed the tortoise's advice became successful. Their farms flourished, their businesses grew, and their families prospered.
Yet some villagers still refused to buy wisdom.
"It is too expensive," they complained.
One day, a stubborn rich man mocked the tortoise in front of everyone.
"You charge too much for mere words!"
The tortoise nodded calmly.
"Perhaps," he said. "But tell me, what has ignorance cost you?"
The man had no answer.
The marketplace fell silent.
At that moment, the villagers understood. Wisdom was not expensive. The mistakes they made without it were far more costly.
From that day on, the tortoise never lacked customers.
So many people finally learned that a few words of wisdom could save years of regret.
What do you think is more expensive: paying for wisdom or paying for the consequences of ignorance?
Let me know your opinion in the comment section.
