The Empty Jar That Was Not Empty
In Israel of bygone days lived an old man. His wife and his two daughters used to spin yarn from cotton. The old man used to sell them in the market. With the money he got, he bought food for his family. They lived on this daily meagre income. They had not saved any money. The two daughters were of marriageable age. But the old man was in no position to arrange for their marriage for money would be needed because of the ceremony. One day the old man felt too tired to go to the market to sell the yarn. So they sent their elder daughter to do the needful. The elder daughter sold the yarn for the expected price and bought loaves of bread and was on her way back home. She took to a shortcut. In a lane, there was a small hut. She heard moaning coming from the hut. Curious, she peeped in and saw a woman and her small children lying on the floor. It was the woman who moaned. "What torments you?" asked the girl.
"Hunger. We had had no food for the past three days," replied the woman. "If I give you some food, will it be of much help to you? What will you do for tomorrow?" asked the girl. "Only if we could gather little strength, we will go over to the next town. My kinsmen are there and they are well to do people." The girl gave them all the loaves she had bought. The woman thanked her much and said, "Friend, I have nothing to give you in return but this old jar. Please take this with you. It is not empty." The girl looked into the jar. It was empty. She said, "Empty or full, I have no need for your jar. Thanks." "Please take this. I tell you, it is not empty." The girl took the jar, more to satisfy the woman than to benefit out of it anyway. At home she narrated what befell her on the way, but not without some embarrassment. All were going to starve for her charity. But nobody made any adverse comment on her action. Said her mother, "True we have to pass the night without food, but we had had some food in the morning, after all!" "That is right. Let us try to sell the jar. It may fetch money enough to buy at least one loaf of bread," said the old man. The younger sister was sent to the market with the jar. She sat down in a corner of the market waiting for some customer to buy her jar. Dozens of people looked at the jar, but nobody even cared to ask her what its price was. When the market was about to close, an old fisherman came near her and said, "I have only one fish left in my basked. Why don't you buy it? I'll give it cheap."
"I have no money to buy your fish. But if you are willing to exchange it for this jar, you are welcome to do so!" said the girl. The fisherman cast a look at the jar and said, "I don't mind. Something is better than nothing." They exchanged their wares. The girl returned home with the fish. "Something is indeed better than nothing," said her mother as she sat down to cut the fish. Lo and behold, pop came a sizable pearl out of the fish. All looked at it with wonder. In their joy, they forgot their hunger. In the morning the old man went to his childhood friend who was a jeweler. Examining the pearl, the jeweler said, "This is the finest pearl I have ever seen. I cannot buy it because it is beyond my means. I will take you to my friend, another jeweler, who can pay the right price for it," said the friend. The other jeweler was happy to pay a price which made the old man rich. His daughters were married off and the old couple found enough money left with them to spend their last days in comfort. "I understand the mystery of that hungry woman's assertion that her jar was not empty!", one day the old man told his wife, daughters, and sons-in-law as they sat for dinner. "What do you mean?" asked his wife. "The jar was full of love," explained the old man. They had a hearty dinner and lived happily.
For Audio Story Check Below:
For More Bedtime Stories Click Here
Comments
Post a Comment