Your Cow is eating my Crops

The Child was crying continuously and inconsolably in the small village hut.  Mother was busy with the household work.  Her husband, child's father, was busy lazying in a corner of the hut.  He got irritated and shouted at his wife.  Poor fellow, that was the least he could do.

"Why don't you do something about the crying child?"
"What can I do?"
"Do something to stop its crying"
"It is crying because of hunger.  It wants milk"
"Why don't you give some milk?"
"There is no milk in the house. I am telling you since a week to get a cow"
"Okay, I will get a cow from the Haagalahalli village fair on Friday"
"What should the child do till then?"
"Do something now and borrow milk from someone in the village.  Can't you manage even such small things?"
"I am managing that way since one week"
"Okay. Only three days before the village fair.  Manage till then"

The child had stopped crying, may be because it had no more energy to cry.  The wife was busy with other household work and had no time to argue further.  But the husband was free.  He continued.

"The cow will give more milk than we need.  Surplus milk will go waste"
"Do not worry about it.  We can always sell surplus milk"
"Who will buy milk in the village?  Everyone has a Cow or Buffalo"
"We can sell some milk.  I will make curds from any surplus milk"
"What to do with the Curds?"
"We can eat some.  I will make butter and butter milk from the extra curds"
"What will we do with a lot of butter?"
"I will make Ghee from the extra butter.  It can be kept for a few days and can be sold in the village fair"

The husband had a problem in every move and at every stage.  The wife had a solution for all such problems.  He was not the one to be defeated in the argument.  He continued.

"It is fine with all that.  But you should not give any Ghee to your parents"
"Who will do cleaning and bathing of the cow?"
"Of course, you will do. Who else?"
"Who will give fodder to the cow and clean the yard?" 
"You have to do it.  I may be busy with other things"
"Who will make curds, butter and ghee?" 
"You have only suggested all these things.  Naturally you will only do it"
"Then why I should not give some milk or curd or butter or ghee to my parents?"
"I am telling you.  You should not give"
"Why?  I will definitely give them"

The husband was enraged.  He had no valid argument but could not keep quiet also.  He started beating the wife.  Now it was the turn of the wife to cry.  She started crying loudly, unable to bear the pain.  A neighbor heard the crying and came to see to what was going on.

"Why are you beating her?"  

"She says she will give Ghee to her parents despite my telling her not to do so"

"Where is the Ghee?" 

"It will come from the surplus butter" 

"Where is the Butter?" 

"It will come from the surplus curds" 

"Where is the Curd?" 

"It will come from the surplus milk" 

"Where is the Milk?" 

"The cow will give the milk" 

"Where is the Cow?" 

"I am buying it in the Haagalahalli fare on Friday" 

The neighbor understood the perfect logic clearly.  He quietly went out and returned with a big stick and started beating the husband.

"Why are you beating me?"

"Your cow is eating the crops in my lands.  I am put to loss.  It is your cow.  Hence I am beating you"  

"Where is the cow?' 

"You are buying it in the village fair on Friday"

"But that is still three days away"

"But it has already given milk and your wife has made curds, butter and ghee" 

The husband understood the bigger logic now and the matter was resolved.

Many times domestic quarrels are on such non-issues.  Quarrels start even before the issue is born.  It is better to cross the bridge when we reach there.  And start the quarrel, if necessary, after the issues arise.