Please have PATIENCE to read this story.It is nice!

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Please have PATIENCE to read this story.It is nice!

 

There was a rich old noble who lived in a great palace. There also lived nearby

a poor man in a dilapidated hut, who subsisted on crumbs of food cast away by

others. But he was ever cheerful, and never complained of his ill-luck.

 

Once it so happened that the poor man had nothing to eat for a long while. So he

went to the rich noble for help. The old noble received him kindly and asked

what for he had come. The poor man said that for days he had nothing to eat and

that he would be happy if he was given some food. " Is that all! " said the noble.

" Come, sit down! " Then he called-out; " Boy! A very important guest has come to

dine with me. Ask the chief to make ready the dinner at once, and bring some

water to wash our hands. "

 

The poor man was surprised. He had heard that the noble was a very kind man, but

he did not expect such a ready welcome. He was all praise about his host. The

noble at once interrupted him and said, " Don't mention it, my friend. Let us sit

down for the feast. " And the old noble began to rub his hands as if some water

was poured on them and asked the poor man why he did not wash his hands.

 

The poor man found no boy or water but decided that he should do what he was

told, and so he pretended to wash his hands likewise. " Now let us sit down to

dinner, " said the noble, and began to order various delicious dishes. But there

was no trace of any food or even a single bearer.

 

Then the noble said to the poor man, " We have such wonderful feast before us.

Enjoy yourself, my friend. You must finish all these fine dishes. " And the noble

pretended to eat from imaginary plates.

 

The poor man was faint with hunger, but kept his wits. He did not allow despair

to overcome him. He also pretended to eat from the empty table. The noble now

and then exclaimed, " What a delicious soup! The curry is wonderful, isn't it my

friend? " The poor man replied, " Sure, sure! " " Then why not have some more, " and

the noble pretended to dish out some imaginary curry. Likewise, he pressed more

and more imaginary dishes on the poor man and asked him if they tasted all

right.

 

Though desperately hungry, the poor man thanked his host profusely and said that

he had never eaten such a glorious feast in his life. He did not betray a sign

of remorse. He kept on maintaining the face cheerfully without the least

affectation, as though everything was real.

 

The noble was a generous person. He was a man of charitable disposition. He

wanted to test whether the poor man would give way to despair. He had heard of

his reputation that he never lost patience. He thought that such a contented,

cheerful person as this poor man should not starve and suffer from poverty. But

he had his doubts. So he himself wanted to test him. Now he found that, all that

was said about him was true.

 

The noble then clapped his hands and a retinue of servants came in with all the

delicious dishes he had been mentioning. An elaborate dinner was laid on the

table. This time the poor man did not have to pretend. He now ate heartily with

the noble.

 

After they had finished their meals, the noble said, " Friend, you are a man of

infinite patience. You know well how to make best of everything and bear

adversity cheerfully. You are the man I was looking for to manage one of my

farms. You should live with me hereafter. "

 

Thereupon the poor man did not have to suffer any more from poverty.

 

This story has several lessons for the common man to learn. When the poor man

went to the rich man, he did not ask for any charity so that he might dispense

with begging for some days. This shows that he was not greedy. He lived in the

present. He wanted some food and he asked for only that. Now, if he had asked

for some money, he would have got it, and would have spent it in a few days,

only to revert back to his former poverty. He did not ask any more than what he

needed immediately, and this paved the way for his good luck in being employed

in the rich man's farm.

 

When the poor man was harassed by his host with imaginary dishes, he did not

lose his patience in spite of his extreme hunger. If he had done so, he would

have been asked to get out and would have lost his dinner as well as his

unforeseen appointment.

 

He did not either complain about his ill-luck or bewail his misfortune as an

ordinary beggar would have done before a rich man.

 

Hence the moral is that: one must be patient and make the best of everything.

 

One should learn to bear adversity cheerfully, do one's best, pray to God, and

trust in His grace.

 

One should never complain about one's misfortune. As one soweth so one reapeth.

Hence there is no use in bewailing ill luck.

 

One must learn how to muster courage and build one's destiny through

self-effort.

Patience is golden.

Without patience life will be a total failure.

 

One important point in this story is that when one goes to somebody for any

favour, one should be prepared, to nod to his tune, if anything is to be

expected from him.

 

Greed and the Grace of God cannot live together.

 

Where there is greed, there good luck can hardly exist. One should learn to live

in the present, and ask for nothing more than one's due.

 

With patience, cheerfulness, contentment and amiable disposition one should

learn to make the best of the circumstances one is situated in.