Words of Wisdom: ‘Talking’ Rice Grain Convinces Little Girl Not to Waste Food

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Words of Wisdom aims to highlight important morals, which we feel our readers will benefit from reading. We hope you enjoy this fable.

While we are already accustomed to hearing animals’ sounds, we usually won’t give a thought to whether other living things, such as plants and vegetables, are able to produce sounds. However, if we could hear them talk, what would they want to tell us?

Here’s a story about a rice grain that broke down into tears when a young girl accidentally dropped it on the table while eating. She would’ve thrown it away if not for their interesting little dialogue.

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A little girl named Duo Duo had just finished her meal and was helping her mom clean the table when she heard someone crying. The cries were coming from a grain of rice that was left on the table.

It seemed weird to Duo Duo that the rice grain was crying so loudly.

“Why are you crying?” asked the puzzled girl.

“It’s all because of you who took me out from your bowl of rice and onto the table!” said the rice grain. “What should I do? It took me great pains to get to your house, yet you threw me away!”

Illustration - Shutterstock | Dhimas Adi Satria

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Duo Duo was surprised and told the rice grain that this was not the first time she had dropped rice, but no other rice grains had complained except this one.

Hearing this, the rice grain was greatly saddened.

“How could you drop your rice every day?! When we were growing up in the paddy field, the sun told us all to do our best to grow up, so that each of us will one day become a remarkable grain of rice,” recalled the heartbroken rice grain.

The rice grain added that many of her siblings were hoping to become remarkable rice grains, but didn’t have a chance when sparrows and worms came to eat them. Fortunately for this rice grain, she was able to escape from these “disasters,” as she put it, and grew up well.

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Before leaving the paddy field, the sun told them their purpose was to ensure humans were able to live and have the strength to work after eating them. Hearing this, every rice grain in the field felt proud of themselves and wanted to each become a remarkable rice grain.

However, this rice grain almost didn’t make it to Duo Duo’s house.

When this rice grain was harvested and separated by a threshing machine, she and a few grains were dropped on the ground and were later stuck under someone’s shoes. Fortunately, an elderly man picked her up and sent her on her journey, eventually arriving at Duo Duo’s house.

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Duo Duo was amazed to hear of the rice grain’s journey.

“I went through all kinds of hardships to become a remarkable rice grain, but ended up becoming an unlucky rice grain. I have already reached the human’s bowl yet I was thrown on the table. I don’t want to become trash…” the rice continued before tearing up.

Hearing this, Duo Duo realized she had done wrong to this rice grain. She recalled how her mom had always reminded her of the uneaten rice that was left stuck to the inside of her bowl, and that this was wasting food.

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Duo Duo was determined to makes things right.

“Don’t cry, I’ll change you into a remarkable rice grain!” she told the rice, and with that, she picked it up and ate it.

Once Duo Duo ate the rice grain, she could hear her laughing with joy in her stomach, for she had finally completed her rice mission in life.

“Hey, everyone! I’ve come! I’ve become a remarkable rice grain just like everyone!” the rice grain announced to her rice sisters.

Illustration - Shutterstock | XiXinXing

Though this is just a story on not wasting food, it is important for us to pay attention to reducing food wastage in our lives.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, food wastage is becoming an increasing problem worldwide with about 1.3 billion tonnes of food being either wasted or lost each year.

In the United States, food wastage was estimated to be between 30 and 40 percent, the United States Department of Agriculture announced.

Hopefully, this story will help serve as a reminder for us to think twice before wasting our food.

Credit: Minghui | Mei Duo Duo 梅朵朵