Once upon a time there was a small village in a forest. The villagers were farmers and raised cows. Luckily, some good grassland lay in the middle of the village. The Commons: Space for Everyone - Let‘s share the commons. - My cow can get enough grass. - Yeah, there‘s plenty for every cow. Everyone was allowed to use the grassland. Therefore, it was called "the commons." By tradition, each family only had one cow, so it was easy for each cow in the village to find enough grass to eat. The grass on the commons was green all summer long.

- If I had two cows, I would be richer. - No one will notice it. But one day a villager broke the rule. He brought another cow and let it graze on the commons. He thought that nobody would notice it. A happy feeling filled his heart when he thought of the milk and cheese that the second cow would bring to his family. - He has four children. - If I were you, I would raise another cow. - Thanks for the tip! A few days later, the farmer visited a close friend who had four children. He wanted to help his friend, so he told him in secret, "If I were you, I would bring in one more cow and raise it on the commons." The friend thanked him and did as he was told the next day.

- Who are you? - I‘m new. - Who is lying there? - I don‘t know. - I can be the richest farmer in this village. Soon, other villagers did the same. Some secretly brought one more cow to the commons, while others brought even more to the grassland without telling anyone. They thought that there would be enough grass for the additional cows. Soon the village was full of happy-looking farmers! - Hey, stop pushing me! - Move over! - This is my spot! - We need rain! - I‘m hungry. - Me, too. The number of cows rose slowly at first. Then the cow population grew more quickly. The grass on the commons began to disappear, and it became harder for the cows to find grass to eat. To make matters worse, it did not rain for a long time.

- I don‘t have any cows left! - Good bye. - What happened to the commons? In the past, when a dry year came, the small number of cows on the commons always found something to eat. However, no grass was left now because there were too many cows. Things were harsh for the villagers; many of the cows died. Enjoy, but remember the rule: ONLY ONE COW PER FAMILY. At last, the grass came back. Now it was able to support only one cow per family. The village went back to the one-family-one-cow rule. The villagers all learned an important lesson: when resources are shared, it is important for everyone to value the resources and use them fairly. The villagers now tell this story to their children. They call it "The Story of the Commons."