June 3 - Day 66 - 'You should never hesitate to trade your cow for a handful of magic beans.' Tom Robbins

You may notice that my cow picture was taken yesterday and not today. The sky this morning was much greyer and the cows had disappeared into the distance. A cow picture was, however, required so that I could use the quote - I know - but you have to make use of what there is.

You might think from previous blogs that I will now tell you all about the breed of cows. The one problem with this is that I’m not completely sure. I think they are Dexters because of the size and the small patch of longer hair on their heads but I could be wrong as I had thought at first they were Aberdeen Angus. Given there are cross-breed varieties as well, I think it’s best to play safe and move on to the other agricultural story - Jack and his Beanstalk.

As I cycled here this morning, probably prompted by trying to clear indestructible bindweed from my vegetable patch, I was thinking about the traditional tale. The story raises all sorts of ethical and philosophical questions. Selling the family cow for five magic beans was not just a big risk but raises the question of whether you need to become vulnerable if you are to really trust someone. Was his decision an over-optimistic irrational decision or one where he used reason to decide that owning the beans was better than owning the cow?

Later when Jack steals a bag of coins from the giant’s castle because his mother is on the verge of starvation, is it right or wrong? Is it the Robin Hood myth of redistributing wealth or the breaking of a moral rule that just shouldn’t be broken. When Jack finds out that the giant has killed his father and stolen his coins, does it make the ethical question of right and wrong more difficult or not?

The great thing about stories, is that they make us think and try to make sense of a world in a safe fictional context where decisions don’t actually alter our lives. The reality is that each day we have to decide about trust and try to determine what is right and wrong knowing they can have an impact on many aspects of our lives. Doing what is right isn’t always clear or straightforward but if we at least think through our decisions, the impact they have on others and also question our motivation then surely we are more likely to be able to trust and be trusted.

Edward Miller said, ‘Stories are our primary tools of learning and teaching, the repositories of our lore and legends. They bring order into our confusing world. Think about how many times a day you use stories to pass along data, insights, memories or common-sense advice.’ As we approach the weekend, perhaps we should all take a chance on the magic beans rather than the cow being more beneficial - or perhaps just take time to tell or read a story.