This story was first told at a small dam that was donated by MCC/CFGB a few years ago. Unfortunately, it has never been very functional as the main trough (where the animals are supposed to get water) has never functioned properly. The people had received a dam basically for free, and never moved beyond a dependent mindset. The story is basically highlighting the "if you give a man a fish/if you teach a man to fish" idea.
"There once were two men, both of whom had no cows. The first man went to his neighbor and asked for a cow. The neighbor, in a generous mood, gave the man a cow to the first man's delight. The neighbor thought to himself, "I am such a good person, I've given this man a cow, surely I will be blessed for my goodness."
The second man without a cow also went to his neighbor. He asked, "please give me a cow, so I can have some milk to drink." The neighbor immediately refused. But he told the poor man, "if you want my help, stay with me at my home and learn how to care for animals from my family."
The second man agreed and stayed with his neighbor for many months. He learned how to milk, how to spray for ticks, when to take the animals to get water, and how to recognize diseases. At the end of 6-months, the poor man was given a calf as a gift for his hard work and sent home.
The next year, the drought came. The first man who was given a free cow did not know how to care for his cow and it quickly died. The second man, knew how to care for his cow and even in the drought it grew and soon was pregnant.
After the drought, the first man went back to his neighbor, asking for another cow. The neighbor, this time, shooed the man away saying, "didn't I just give you a cow last year?" However the second man soon had a calf, milk, and could drink as much curdled milk as he liked."
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