Bundles of Temptation

After days of wandering in search of work, the young man had become completely disheartened. He had scoured every street, every market, and every businessman's door, but he couldn't find work anywhere. His pockets were empty and his heart was sad. He was returning to his village with tired steps when someone called out from behind, "Hey, brother! Can I find a laborer here?"

The young man turned around. An old man stood before him. His back was bent, his forehead wrinkled, and he carried three heavy bundles on his shoulders. His tired face clearly betrayed his long journey. The young man said respectfully, "Yes, sir, I'll do the labor. Tell me, what's the job?"

The old man said, "I have to go to Ramgarh. I can carry two bundles, but the third one is too heavy. If you take it there, I'll give you two rupees."

The young man replied without thinking, "You're old, sir. It's my duty to help you." 

With this, he placed the third bundle on his head.

After walking some distance, the young man found the bundle unusually heavy. He asked curiously,"Baba, what's in this? It feels very heavy."

The old man said,"There are one-rupee coins in it."

Hearing this, the young man felt a moment of greed, but the next moment he calmed himself down:"I want to earn money through honest work, not fraud."

After walking a short distance, they came across a river. The young man immediately jumped into the water, but the old man stayed on the bank. He said, "Son, my back doesn't support me. Crossing the river with two bundles is beyond my capacity. Pick up one more bundle, and I'll give you another rupee."

The young man picked up the bundle without hesitation. The old man asked suspiciously, "Are you going to run away with the bundles? There are silver coins in it."

The young man smiled and said, "Rest assured, Baba, wealth acquired through dishonest means never brings happiness."

After crossing the river, a steep hill appeared ahead. The climb was difficult. The old man stopped again and said, "Now, you must carry the last bundle as well. It contains gold coins."

The young man said proudly, "It's because of my honesty that I have to work as a laborer today. I used to be a clerk for a businessman, but I refused to do wrong, so I had to leave."

Picking up the three bundles, the young man moved on. As he climbed the hill, greed arose in his heart: "What can the old man do if I run away? I can become rich overnight."

Finally, he succumbed to greed and ran straight to his home. Upon reaching home, he opened the bundles. He was shocked to see that instead of gold and silver coins, they were filled with lumps of mud.  Then he found a piece of paper on which was written:

"This was all a test to select an honest minister for the kingdom. The old man carrying the bundles was the Maharaja himself. If you had remained honest, you would have received the ministerial position."

Upon reading this, the young man sat down, clutching his head. He realized that momentary greed had robbed him of his bright future.

💐Moral : - Life tests us again and again. Only the person who resists greed and remains steadfast in honesty is truly successful.

Read more : -  Nature's Justice