A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman.
" I've been thinking," he said, " I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone. "
" I've been thinking," he said, " I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone. "
Is that all, my sis? I meant, that's the end of this story? *thinking hard*
ReplyDeleteSomething within the woman is the most valuable of all. That's the mother's gem!
ReplyDelete@ Krislin :
ReplyDeleteDear Krislin, I think you didn't get the story well. The meaning of the whole story sums up in the last line itself. The traveler asked her to give what she had 'within' her that enabled her to give him the precious stone.
'kindness trumps greed'...we may have heard this maxim many a times which we can relate to this story. The woman appreciated human morals more than any other earthly material. She prefers selfessness and human morals to the precious stone which can give a security for a lifetime. This surprised the traveler and made him come back to return the precious stone in the hope of knowing what made the woman give the stone without any hesitation so selflessly.
He considers the greatness of the woman's heart more precious than the value of the stone.
@ Balqis :
ReplyDeleteyes, exactly ! :)
This is beautiful. It expressed the kindness and unselfishness she has in her heart. Be so willing to give up something valuable to someone who she felt would need it more than her. But on a side note, how rude of him to even ask her that. She already reaching to give you food and he had the audacity....Sorry. Just keeping it real. lol
ReplyDeletelol :)
ReplyDelete