Short Stories » Buttermilk

Buttermilk

MANY boys would be willing to earn money if it could be done in a genteel way and in fine clothing. Such opportunities are rare, and especially in the outskirts of a city.

You know that such trades as lime and brick-making are carried on outside of town. It also happens that there also is where farms and pastures abound. Perhaps you are wondering what connection there can be between a brick-yard and a pasture, but it is a natural and convenient one, I can prove.

Generally, the great strong men who work at such trades are also rough in manners and speech, and have also tastes and requirements quite different from those who lead lives that do not tire and irritate the body and mind.

When hot weather came on in a certain brick-yard, there were some men who began to think that water was not just the thing to quench thirst. Certainly the water that flowed near them was not cool and was a little brackish to the taste, so pretty soon somebody said he wished he had some strong beer to drink. Before long others thought so too, and the next thing that happened was the men grumbled more at the hot weather, a few began to get excitable, and some became weak and sick. Things looked discouraging, especially when one after another gave up work, until a small force was left.

One warm forenoon, a timid, smiling boy came among them and inquired if anybody around liked buttermilk. He very soon found out that the majority of them did, and wanted to engage that cooling drink for every day.

Our bright boy began to wonder if the sixteen cows at home in the wide meadow could furnish as much buttermilk as forty men could drink, for it really appeared as though a churnful would not go very far, and then the family did not churn every day, either. Instead of being ridiculed, as he perhaps feared, he found himself taking orders for buttermilk at such a rate that he said he would have to find out if he could get enough to supply the demand.

" No more beer for me if I can get such buttermilk," cried one, and "That's what I say," echoed another.

When Dan^ reported to his mother, she solved the problem. " Buy up all the buttermilk of our neighbors and take the road cart to collect and deliver it with." Dan tried her advice, and if you think he made a financial failure, just watch him drive into the yard and see the men meet him with their tin pails and hear them smack their lips. I noticed at the end of the week that Dan handed his mother a buckskin pocket- book that looked almost ready to give up trying to keep clasped. Of course, dimes, nickels and quarters make a great display of size, and are not "worth their weight in gold," but Dan's income is satisfactory, I judge, and then there are no twinges of conscience, as there would be if he was selling intoxicating drinks to the hard-working men. And, see here, Dan is doing a temperance work among those men, although nothing is said of it. Good for Dan, say I, and I know you think so too.

Now you see the connection between the dry brick-yard and the green pasture, don't you ?

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Butter Milk - Takeaway for Class 1,2,3

Always be kind and considerate to others, just like how the old couple helped the poor man with some buttermilk.

Butter Milk - Takeaway for Class 4,5,6

Even when things seem at their worst, it's important to speak wisely and not give in to despair, just like the little sparrow who waited patiently for help.

Butter Milk - Takeaway for Class 7,8,9

Always be prepared and thoughtful about the consequences of your actions, as rushing into decisions without planning can lead to unnecessary mistakes.

3 Fun Facts

• In the story "Butter Milk," a lazy farmer named Venu learns the value of hard work and planning after his cow spills a pot of buttermilk.
• Venu, instead of being upset about the spilled buttermilk, realizes that investing time and effort can lead to plentiful returns, and he begins to cultivate his field diligently.
• The story emphasizes the lesson that one should not rely on luck alone but should also put in effort to achieve success in life.

Quiz for Class 1,2,3

• What did Tara's mother ask her to get from the nearby shop?
• How did Tara's mother use the buttermilk after Tara brought it home?
• What lesson did Tara learn from her experience with the buttermilk?

Quiz for Class 4,5,6

• What did the old woman find as she was resting under the tree?
• How did the woman manage to save herself from the bull?
• What did the cow think when it saw the old woman dancing under the tree?

Quiz for Class 7,8,9

• What did the old couple sell to make a living, and what did they use to make this item?
• Describe how the mice contributed to the old couple’s dilemma and what solution they came up with to address it.
• What eventually happened to the old couple's pet, and how did it impact their business?