An old farmer couldn’t decide which of his three grown sons should inherit the family farm.
One morning, he gave each of them a duck and said,
“Whoever gets the most value for their duck will inherit the farm.”
The three sons set off.
About an hour later, the oldest son returned.
“I sold my duck for ten dollars,” he said proudly.
“Not bad,” the farmer replied.
A few hours later, the second son came home.
“I traded mine for five dollars, a basket of apples, and a basket of oranges.”
“Very good,” said the farmer.
The youngest son had no luck selling his duck.
As he walked through town, he decided to give it away to the first person who wanted it.
He met a friendly woman, who happily accepted the duck. In return, she offered him a generous gift.
Afterward, she was so pleased with the trade that she offered him an even better deal if he would let her borrow the duck again for a short while.
He agreed, and when she returned the duck, he continued on his way.
Not long afterward, a passing car startled the duck.
It flew into the road and was accidentally hit.
The driver jumped out, feeling terrible.
“I’m so sorry!” he said. “Please take twenty dollars for your duck.”
The young man accepted the money and headed home.
When he arrived, his father asked,
“Well, you’ve been gone a long time. What did you get for your duck?”
The son grinned and replied,
“I got a favor for a duck, a duck back for another favor, and twenty bucks for a messed-up duck.”