A man who used to ran a successful business in the city was a father to a very lazy and sluggish boy. His son was a careless spender too but never even helped anyone in need with his money.
The father was very upset to see his son like this and decide to teach him a lesson.
The next day he made an announcement to him: “You will only be given meals at night only if you earn something in your day.”
The boy in disbelief went to his mother asking for sympathy and confirming that his dad is not joking. The mother could do nothing except feeling sorry for him
As a token of help, she gave him a gold coin.
At the night on the table, when the father asked, the boy showed his gold coin promptly.
His father knew he didn’t earn it on his own. He asked his son to throw it into the well in the garden. The boy did so without any hesitation.
The father sent his wife to her parents, knowing she won’t stop herself from helping his son. Next morning when the boy woke up and didn’t find his mother around. He went to his Grandfather and told him about his dad.
His grandfather also felt sorry for him and gave him another coin.
When the father asked him about that day’s earnings, he again came up with a gold coin. Knowing the fact, he went to his father explaining to him, “I want to teach my son a lesson.”
When the boy couldn’t get anything from his grandfather, he went to the market to earn something in reality. He met a shopkeeper there and asked if he could offer him some work. The shopkeeper looked at the boy and said: “If you carry this heavy trunk to my home. I’ll give you three silver coins.”
The boy agreed to this but after the work, he felt exhausted and drenched in sweat. He was very happy to earn three coins by himself. He rushed home to show it to his father.
The father appreciated him this time but again asked him to throw them in the well.
The boy almost got into tears and defeatedly said: “Father! My whole body is aching and I gave my best to earn these. And you’re asking me to throw it in the well?”
The father smiled, “So, now you feel that when the fruits of your hard labor are wasted how does it feel like? You didn’t hesitate to throw those gold coins who you didn’t earn yourself but now you understand the worth of hard work and how much it took me to collect all this money. Definitely not to waste on lame things, you do.”
The boy was regretting every moment of it and thanked his dad for his greatness.
The value of hard work is not only hidden in its reward but the degree of achievement too.