"AT THE RIGHT TIME"

A long time ago, in a tribe, there lived two hunters. One was talkative and arrogant, while the other was quiet and calm. The talkative hunter constantly complained about his friends and surroundings, always speaking ill of them. This had become a habit—he would gossip about everyone, complaining about his wife one day and his children the next. He always believed that people only used him for their own interests, making himself miserable and lamenting that things never went well for him.

Despite this, the quiet hunter thought that the talkative hunter might have been a compassionate person in the past. Since they lived in the same place, they would occasionally chat and share their experiences. The quiet hunter always told him to change his perspective, explaining that his troubles stemmed from his outlook on life. But the talkative hunter never listened. No matter how much advice the quiet hunter gave or how many discussions they had, nothing changed.

Meanwhile, the quiet hunter decided to get a pet to keep him company. As he wondered where and how to find one, he kept thinking of the tabby cat that always waited for him at the entrance of the valley, meowing whenever it saw him. The cat would always get food from him, and the hunter enjoyed sharing his catch with it. One day, he decided to take the cat home. He picked it up and walked with it through the valley, but just as they arrived at his house, the tabby jumped from his arms and disappeared. The hunter was heartbroken. The cat, which had slept in his lap throughout the journey, was suddenly gone.

One day, the quiet hunter encountered the talkative hunter again. As usual, the talkative hunter started complaining—about the state of the country, his mother-in-law’s troubles, and more. But this time, the quiet hunter didn’t respond. He simply listened and asked questions to better understand the situation, without offering any opinions. Seeing this, the talkative hunter started to become aware of himself. He asked, “Why is it that you are healthy while I, despite having everything, am sick?” For the first time, the talkative hunter fell silent and began to reflect.

Over time, small changes started happening in him. He began thinking before speaking and no longer lashed out at the world as he once did. He became a more cheerful person. While old habits die hard, he was changing nonetheless. Seeing this transformation, the quiet hunter, who had once considered cutting ties with him, was now overjoyed.

As for the quiet hunter, he once again found himself thinking about where to get a pet. While asking his friends, one of them mentioned a wealthy village where the pets were well cared for and beautiful. Curious, the hunter set off on a journey, traveling across hills and valleys until he reached the rich village. To his amazement, all the animals there were white, with multicolored eyes. He thought, “If I had one of these animals, I would never tire of looking after it.”

He sought out the village elders and explained his desire to have a pet. The elders thought about it and decided that it was not the right time. The hunter protested, “When will the right time be?” They simply told him to leave and return on another day. Disappointed once again, the hunter decided to stop asking and let things unfold naturally, returning to his valley.

One day, while at home, he received news. The valley elders had decided to form a cooperative among the hunters to support one another. This way, registered hunters would hunt together, making it easier to overcome dangers and share their catches so that no one would go hungry. Any excess meat would be sold to purchase seeds for agriculture. The hunter had been waiting for such news, as he had struggled with food during the winter months.

One day, he ran into the talkative hunter again. This time, the talkative hunter asked for his help, sharing something personal and saying he couldn’t understand why it had happened to him. The conversation, once again, led to the topic of love. The quiet hunter asked him, “Is there anything in this world that you love?” The talkative hunter thought for a while but couldn’t find an answer. At that moment, the quiet hunter shared his frustration about not being able to have a pet. They talked and then parted ways.

Some time later, while the talkative hunter was chatting with friends at the gathering place in the valley, the quiet hunter passed by and stopped to say hello. As they talked, one of the talkative hunter’s friends mentioned how many pets he had and how he struggled to take care of them all. Hearing this, the quiet hunter offered to take care of one. The friend, who didn’t know the quiet hunter well, asked many questions, and after being satisfied with his answers, decided to give him one of his favorite pets.

A week later, they met again, and the quiet hunter saw a beautiful tabby cat in a carrier. “Is this mine?” he asked with excitement. Overjoyed, he thanked both the talkative hunter and his friend for making it possible. At that moment, he finally understood what it meant for something to happen at the right time and felt deep gratitude.