Old Joe lived way out in the countryside all by himself. His best friend was also his closest neighbor. It seemed they had grown old together. Now that their spouses had passed on, and their children were raised and finally living lives of their own, all they had left were their farms–and each other.

But for the first time in their long friendship, they’d had a serious disagreement. It was a silly argument over a stray calf that neither of them really needed. The calf was found no the neighbor’s land and he claimed it as his own. Old Joe said, “No, no, now that calf has the same markings as one of my cows and I say it belongs to me!”

They were stubborn men, and neither would give in. Rather than hit each other, they just stopped talking and stomped off to their respective doors and slammed them shut! Two weeks went by without a word between them.

Will Joe and his neighbor reconcile? Come back to find out!

“Old Joe and the Carpenter” can be found in Doorways to the Soul: 52 Wisdom Tales from Around the World by Elisa Pearmain