Weekend Story- Value Of Real Work

There was a youth who was very lazy, much to his father’s disappointment, who wanted him to work and earn his own living. Despite his father’s warnings, the boy refused to look for work, and his mother tacitly supported him. She felt he was still young and didn’t need to work and earn money.

One day, the father had had enough and threatened to kick the boy out of the house if he didn’t start working to earn some money.

“By the time I return from work, you must have done some work and earned money today. If not, you can leave the house.”

The boy was shocked by his father’s ultimatum and looked to his mother for support.

“I don’t know what work I can do today. Can you please help me, mother?” The boy appealed to his mother.

The mother had some money saved. So she gave some to the boy and asked him to give it to his father, saying he had earned it, working at the market.

That evening, when the father returned, the boy proactively approached him and handed over the money.

” I had to work hard to earn this money, father,” the boy told his father, thinking he would be happy.

The father,however, did something strange. He took the money to the kitchen stove and started burning it, saying, ” I don’t believe you. I am certain you did not do an honest day’s job, so I don’t need your money !!”

The boy was stunned and protested vehemently, “Father, how could you be so unfair? I did earn the money.”  But the father would have none of it. The money turned to ash.

The same scene repeated the next couple of days.  

The father would leave the house in the morning, warning the boy that he would be thrown out if he did not work or earn money. The boy would do nothing but take the money his mother had saved up to give his father when he returned from work in the evening, and the father would burn the money while the son protested angrily.

On the third day, after the father left the house, the mother turned to her son and said, “My dear, I have no more cash to spare. If you want to avoid your father’s wrath, please find yourself some work and earn money. Otherwise, you know what will happen.”

Left with no alternative, the boy reluctantly gave up the comfort of his home in search of some work. Initially, no one was willing to give him any work. But after a few hours, he got a job as a day laborer, digging up a water tank in the middle of the town square. After a few hours of back-breaking labor, the boy earned some money. He made his way back home, weary but satisfied. He had finally done what his father had asked him to do.

When the father also returned home in the evening, the boy proudly handed over his hard-earned money. As usual, without even glancing at his son, the father took the money to the kitchen stove to burn it. However, the boy rushed to his father this time and pulled the notes out before they caught fire. 

“Please, believe me, father. I worked hard to earn this money. You have to be fair to me,” the boy pleaded.

The father turned to his son, smiling.

“Today, I believe you, my son-I know your work was real because you were fighting to keep the money from burning. After all, you had to work hard to earn it !!”