There was a tailor and a goldsmith who were friends and decided to go out traveling together.The sun had just gone down that evening, and as they walked along, they suddenly heard singing in the distance.The singing sounded a little strange, but it was so particularly beautiful that it made you want to go on.
The two listened to the song while quickening their pace, and before they knew it, they had reached the top of the mountain.By this time the moon had also risen, illuminating the mountain brightly.They saw a group of small men and women dancing in a circle, holding hands and singing the beautiful song.
In the middle of the crowd sat an older man, a little taller than the others, wearing a garment of very varied colors, with a white beard that hung down to his chest.The two travelers stood there mesmerized, and before they could react, the old man beckoned to them, gesturing for them to come and dance with him.
The little men were also enthusiastic and offered to give up an empty seat.The goldsmith was a hunchback with a small bulge on his back, but he was bold enough to be the first to walk in and join the dancing crowd.The tailor was a bit scared at first and didn’t dare to get too close, but as he watched everyone dancing so happily, he slowly relaxed and joined in.
The dance circle was rearranged, and everyone continued to dance and sing, the atmosphere was particularly lively.At this time, the old man drew a knife from his waist, sharpened it, and then turned his attention to the two new guests.
The two men were shocked and a little frightened at this scene.Before they could figure out what was going on, the old man had gone up to the goldsmith, and with very quick movements shaved all the hair from his head and the beard from his chin.Then it was the tailor’s turn, and his hair and beard were also shaved clean.
Originally, the two men thought that something bad would happen, but in the end, after the shaving, they felt very relaxed, as if they were willing to be shaved.The old man smiled and patted their shoulders, then pointed to a pile of cinders next to them, signaling them to put them in their pockets and take them away.
Although they didn’t know what the cinders were for, they did as the old man wanted.After that they continued on their way, trying to find a place to spend the night.When they came to the valley it was exactly twelve o’clock midnight, and the bells of the nearby monastery struck, and the dancing little people ceased their singing, and the whole mountain was quiet at once.
The two travelers found a small inn and lay down on straw mattress beds to rest.They were so tired that they even forgot to take the lumps of coal out of their pockets, only to be awakened the next morning by the weight of their heavy bags.They reached into their pockets and found that instead of lumps of coal, they had glittering gold inside!
To their surprise, their shaved hair and beards grew back, just as thick as before.
And just like that, they became rich.But the goldsmith got more money than the tailor because he was particularly greedy and had loaded more coals before.But even so, he was not satisfied and wanted to go again, hoping for more wealth.
He said to the tailor, “Let’s stay another day, and go again in the evening, and we may get more gold.”But the tailor shook his head and said, “I am satisfied enough; now that I have money, I can marry whom I like and live a good life.”But he agreed to stay another day in order to take care of his friend’s mood.
That night, the goldsmith went up the mountain in a great hurry, carrying several large bags.Sure enough, he saw the little men dancing again, and the old man was there.Like last time, the old man shaved his head and told him to bring back a bunch of lumps of coal.
This time, he filled more bags, thinking, “It doesn’t matter if they’re heavier, they’re all gold anyway!”With a heart full of joy, he returned to the inn and fell asleep, dreaming of waking up tomorrow as a super-rich man.
But the next morning, when he reached for his pockets, he found them full of black lumps of coal.He hurriedly took out yesterday’s bag, and all the gold inside turned into lumps of coal as well!He panicked and rushed to touch his head, realizing that he was bald and flat, and even his beard was gone.
Not only that, but when he looked down, a small bulge like the one on his original back had grown on his chest as well.Only then did he realize that this was his punishment for being greedy.He couldn’t help but cry.
The crying woke up the tailor, who hurriedly comforted him, saying, “Don’t be afraid, we’ll go out together, and I won’t leave you behind.”Although the goldsmith was eventually helped by the tailor, he had to live with a bald head and two bulges for the rest of his life, and had to wear a hat to cover his head whenever he went out.
The truth behind the story
This story is about the price of greed.The goldsmith had good luck at the beginning, but he didn’t know how to be content and wanted more, but he lost what he had and was physically punished.
Unlike the tailor, he knew when to stop and the importance of fulfillment.He wasn’t controlled by his desires, so he ended up reaping the rewards of a happy life.
This contrast teaches us that people cannot be too greedy or they may lose what they already have.
What can we learn?
- Sufficient is always enough: When we have enough, we should learn to be satisfied.Being insatiable will only bring trouble.
- Don’t over-pursuing material things: Money is important, but if you lose your mind for it, you may even lose what you originally had.
- Kindness and gratitude are important: the tailor knew how to be grateful and was willing to share his wealth with his friends; while the goldsmith only cared about himself and ended up in a tragic end.
- Behavior has consequences: Everyone’s choices affect the future.Doing something bad or wrong often comes with a price.
- Respect for the Unknown: The little man and the old man in the story may be the symbols of some mysterious power, reminding us to remain in awe of the unknown.
Summary
This fairy tale may look like a short story, but it hides a lot of deep truths behind it.It tells us to be contented, kind and honest, and not to covet what does not belong to us.Otherwise, just like the goldsmith, not only do you not get more, but you will also lose everything you already have.
Through this story, we can reflect on our choices in real life and learn how to be a measured, grateful and contented person.
