Prevod

Long ago, when God himself still walked the earth, the soil was far more fertile than it is now: in those days the ears of grain yielded not fifty- or sixtyfold, but four- or five-hundredfold. The grains grew all the way up the stalk, from bottom to top: the ear was as long as the stalk itself. But people, being what they are, cease in times of plenty to value the blessings that come from God, and grow careless and heedless. One day a woman was walking past a cornfield, and her little child, who was skipping along beside her, fell into a puddle and soiled its little dress. The mother tore off a handful of the beautiful ears and used them to wipe the dress clean. When the Lord, who happened to be passing, saw this, he grew angry and said, "From this day forth, the stalk shall bear no ear: mankind is no longer worthy of this heavenly gift." Those standing nearby who heard him were terrified, fell to their knees, and begged him to leave at least something on the stalk: even if they themselves did not deserve it, he should spare it for the sake of the innocent chickens, which would otherwise starve. The Lord, foreseeing their misery, took pity on them and granted their plea. And so the ear was left at the top, where it grows to this day.