The Reward

One day a farmer went to his field to work and came across a huge pumpkin that grew in his field. He was delighted at the huge size of it and decided to present it to the king. So he carried the pumpkin and started towards the king’s palace. 

  

All the villagers who saw the pumpkin praised him for growing such a large fruit. When the farmer presented the pumpkin, the king was delighted and congratulated him for his hard work.

            Then he called his treasurer and said, ‘give this poor farmer a thousand gold coins, he deserves this for his labor’. The poor farmer became rich.

            The poor farmer became rich. This news reached a rich villager, who was also a big miser. ‘A thousand coins for just a mere pumpkin’ he thought. Then he took a diamond necklace from his chest and said, ‘I wonder how many coins the king will give me if I present him this necklace.’ He thought, the king might give him a cart-load of coins for the expensive gift. So dreaming his fortune, he set out for the king’s palace with the diamond necklace.

            The king admired the shining diamonds and said, ‘you must be very rich to possess this’. The rich miser nodded. The king looked around for his ministers and said, ‘he doesn’t need any coins, but I think I have a surprise for him.’ Then he pointed at the huge pumpkin that lay there and said’ yes, I want you to take that home and admire the work behind it’.

            The villager was shocked. He quietly lifted the pumpkin and slowly walked out of the palace repenting for his greed and folly.

            He felt the king had taught him a lesson.