The sun slowly seeped through the cracks of the old barn and the windows of the newly painted house on the most well-known farm in town. The sounds of nature coming from the barn woke the farmer and his wife. The day was bright and hopeful to say the least, and the hills and fields were quite a sight. The farmer quickly jumped out of bed, got dressed, and went to work. His wife rose from bed as well, and headed down the stairs for a cup of tea before she began her daily sewing.

The chickens laid their eggs, the cows gave their milk, the dogs chased away the wild, the sheep tended their wool, and the pigs ate until they were full. The day was productive as usual, and the farmer and his wife were very happy when night arrived.

The next day the farmer ran to the market at dawn, in need of some supplies for the coming day's work. At the market a stranger stopped him. The man looked foreign to the area, but the farmer treated him kindly nonetheless.

The man told the farmer, "The local folk tell me you are a grand farmer."

"Why thank you sir, may I ask who you are?" the farmer responded.

"I am a retired worker from a foreign land. I have come to help you with your farm."

"My farm is quite well off sir."

"Yes, but it must be improved."

The farmer brought the man home to his farm, not sure of what he had in mind for fixing up his farm. When they arrived, the farmer kindly showed him his animals -chickens, cows, dogs, sheep, and pigs.

The stranger asked, "Are the animals working well for you?"

"Of course," the farmer replied.

"I must confess," explained the foreigner, "I was once a farmer. I learned how things worked, and can improve your farm with ease." The farmer wasn't sure about allowing the stranger to manage his farm, but he kept listening. "I bet every day you see the same thing happen: the chickens lay their eggs, the cows give their milk, the dogs chase away the wild, the sheep tend their wool, and the pigs eat until they are full. Well I once experienced this every day of my life, and I must tell you it only gets worse."

He went on, "The trick is to let the animals work together. Let them share their abilities amongst one another. When you put the animals together, they produce more. They become stronger as a whole."

And so the next day the farmer tried the stranger's idea as he told him to. He mixed the chickens, cows, dogs, sheep, and pigs. But it did not work. The chickens did not lay their eggs, the cows did not give their milk, the dogs did not chase away the wild, the sheep did not tend their wool, and the pigs did not eat until they were full. So he went to the market where the stranger was waiting for him, and explained how the idea did not work. The stranger said, "Did I not tell you it takes a few days before it works? The animals must get comfortable before they become stronger as a group."

And so a few days later the farmer awoke to find no improvement among the animals. The chickens did not lay their eggs, the cows did not give their milk, the dogs did not chase away the wild, the sheep did not tend their wool, and the pigs did not eat until they were full. So he went to the market where the stranger was waiting for him, and explained how the idea was still not working. The stranger said, "Mixing the animals was only the first step. Now you must allow nature do some of the work. Mix in a few wild animals."

And so the next day the farmer tried the stranger's idea as he told him to. He mixed wild animals in his group of domestic animals. Nothing happened. The chickens did not lay their eggs, the cows did not give their milk, the dogs did not chase away the wild, the sheep did not tend their wool, and the pigs did not eat until they were full. So he went to the market where the stranger was waiting for him, and explained how the idea was still not working. The stranger said, "Now you must wait. It is only a matter of time before your farm thrives."

And so the farmer waited for over a year. His farm only became worse. Productivity was at a low, and the state of the animals' living was horrid. They all became hateful and violent, all fighting for the better of themselves. The chickens, cows, dogs, sheep, and pigs all wanted to get rid of each other. The wild animals only added to the conflict. They often ate the domestic animals, and were slowly but surely taking over. The farmer and his wife were saddened over their problem, and were on the verge of losing the rights to their land.

The farmer went to the market, but the stranger was not in sight. So he took a long walk down the road. He saw another farm in the distance, and walked closer, for he had not known another farm even existed in town. He then saw the stranger working outside the barn, taking care of the animals. On this farm the chickens laid their eggs, the cows gave their milk, the dogs chased away the wild, the sheep tended their wool, and the pigs ate until they were full.