3. ONCE THERE WAS A RICH MERCHANT NAMED SHIVRAJ WHO LIVED IN A SMALL TOWN. HE HAD ONLY ONE SON, RAMESH. AS HE WAS THE ONLY SON, RAMESH WAS PAMPERED SO MUCH THAT WHEN HE GREW UP, HE BECAME TERRIBLY SPOILED AND LAZY. SHIVRAJ WAS GROWING OLD, AND HE WANTED TO HAND OVER HIS BUSINESS TO HIS SON. BUT HE WAS WORRIED THAT RAMESH, WITH HIS IDLE WAYS WOULD RUIN HIS BUSINESS. HOW COULD HE BEST TEACH HIS SON TO LEARN TO TAKE MATTERS SERIOUSLY?

4. Shivraj thought of an idea! He called his son and said, “Today you have to earn your own money. Go anywhere, do anything, but you must earn something. Otherwise, you will not get any food!” Ramesh, who was too lazy to even tie his won shoe laces, went to his Mother and asked her for five rupees so he could show it to his Father as a token of his earnings. At first his Mother refused; but when Ramesh kept on insisting, she gave him a five-rupee coin.

5. In the evening when his Father asked about his earnings, Ramesh showed him the five- rupee coin. Shivraj asked his son to throw the coin into a well, and without any hesitation he obeyed. His Father immediately knew that his son had not earned the money. He later found out from his wife how Ramesh had obtained the coin from her. Shivraj then suggested that she go for a short holiday to her parents’ home, so that the son might not disturb her again while the Father was trying to teach him a lesson. The next day, Ramesh was again told by his Father to earn something, otherwise he would not be given any food. This time, he went to his elder sister and complained with tears about Father’s harsh instructions. Unable to see her brother cry, she also gave him a five- rupee coin. When Shivraj came home in the evening, Ramesh showed the coin to him. Coin into the well again.”

6. Ramesh happily obeyed his Father’s instructions, and once again Shivraj knew that he had not earned it himself. When he found out the truth from his daughter, he sent her also to her Grandmother’s house. The next morning, Shivraj again asked his son to go and earn something if he wanted to eat. This time, however, there was nobody left to give him any money. Ramesh kept on thingking how he could earn something. As evening approached, he began to get worried.

7. Not knowing what to do, he went out of the house and walked towards the railway station, when he suddenly saw a man waiting for a coolie. Having no other choice, Ramesh offered to carry the man’s luggage in return for two rupees The luggage was quite heavy, and Ramesh was not used to hard work. However, he finally managed to get the luggage settled in the train and was given two rupees for his labour. When he reached home, his Father was waiting for him. He asked, “Did you earn something today?”

8. Ramesh showed him the two rupee note, and Shivraj again asked him to throw in into the well. But this time, Ramesh refused to do so. “Father, do you know how hard I worked to earn this money? And you want me to throw it into the well? I suffered so much pain to earn this money!” With a glow in his face, Shivraj replied, “Son, I always wanted you to realize that money earned through hard work is precious. One should never waste it. I’m glad that you have finally learned this important lesson!” At last Ramesh could understand the value of money, only after earning it by his hard work. From that time onwards, he never wasted it again.