The norm

In our village there is an interesting norm. If I grow a tree on my orchard and the branch of that tree grows beyond my field into neighbor’s field, I’m liable to share, half the produce of that branch, with my neighbor. The more simple the life seems on surface, the more complicated are the laws of a community.

There was a person in that village who didn’t like his neighbors. Who does? And he planted an orange tree. The tree, ignorant about the boundaries of land grew in all directions. A few years passed and a wayward branch crossed the diving line between the fields.

The person realized that he will be forced to do the unthinkable.. share the fruits of his toil with his neighbor. That was out of question. So one day as the sun was rising he climbed the tree with an axe and cut the branch.

I’ve no comments on the norm or the implications for either of the neighbors but I do feel bad about the tree. But isn’t that too a norm. In all conflicts the innocent pays.