The Shiny Deception
Once upon a time, there was an old woman and her grandson, a little boy, who lived in a small, humble hut. The boy’s parents had died when he was very young, and his grandmother had taken on the responsibility of raising him. Sadly, she was very ill, and life was difficult for both of them. One snowy day, she asked the boy to go to the bakery in the market and buy some bread. She gave him five coins, all the money they had, unaware that it would be their last meal.
The boy bravely set out, walking down many streets and paths, until he finally reached the market. As he was heading to the bakery, something caught his eye: a shop with shelves full of precious and shiny stones. Mesmerized by their beauty, he stepped inside and asked the shopkeeper, “What are these, sir?” “These stones are very rare and expensive!” the shopkeeper exclaimed, grinning wickedly. “You can sell them for a fortune and become rich!”
Excited by the possibility of making money, the boy eagerly handed over his five coins and purchased several stones. He then rushed to the jewelry shop and said, “Hello, sir! I have brought you some very rare stones that no one else has!”
The jewelry maker examined the stones carefully, only to discover that they were nothing more than painted pebbles coated in metal polish. “These are worthless!” he shouted angrily. “You’ve been tricked!” He refused to give the boy any money.
Heartbroken and defeated, the boy walked home. When he told his grandmother what had happened, she scolded him for spending their last coins on something so foolish. “Those five coins were all we had left,” she said sadly.
As the days passed, their situation grew even worse. The old woman’s illness worsened, and they had nothing to eat. The boy tried desperately to find the shopkeeper who had deceived him, but he was too young and couldn’t locate him. In his efforts to make money, he worked hard, doing laborious tasks, but he earned a little more than a single coin.
In the end, both the boy and his grandmother lived the rest of their lives in starvation, regretting the boy’s decision to trade away their last coins for false hope.
Moral: “Greed and haste can lead to regret; value what you have before chasing illusions.”
Jazila M
Grade VIII-B
Mahatma Baba Matric