"Why waste your breath on songs when the machine does the work in silence?" he asked with a smirk.
The merchant, feeling slighted, challenged the village to a contest: his machine against the traditional team led by Lo Kuro Teyze. The prize? The merchant would donate his finest silk to the village for the upcoming weddings if he lost. Lo Kuro Teyze
Lo Kuro Teyze and her team finished their section just as the first stars began to blink. She walked over to the merchant and offered him a piece of fresh flatbread. "The machine forgot to take a break for tea," she chuckled. "Even the strongest iron needs a moment of grace." "Why waste your breath on songs when the