The Golden Lesson of Hard Work

Rama Natha was the son of a rich landlord. His father left him large tracts of land when he died. But Rama Natha did not spend even one day looking after his land. This was because he had a funny idea—he believed there was a magic potion that could turn any object into gold. He spent all his time to learn more about this potion. People cheated him often, promising to tell him about it, but he did not give up. His wife, Madhumati, was tired of this and also worried because she saw how much money Rama Natha was spending. She was sure that soon they would be without money. One day, a famous sage called Mahipati came to their town. Rama Natha became his follower and asked him about the potion. To his surprise the sage answered, “Yes, in my travels in the Himalayas, I heard how you could make such a potion. But it is difficult.” “Tell me!” requested Rama Natha, not believing his luck. “You have to plant a banana plant and water it regularly with your hands. In winter, the morning dew is on the leaves. You have to collect the dew and store it in a bottle. When you have five litres of dew, bring it to me. I will chant some magic words, which will turn it into the magic potion. A drop of the potion will change any object into gold.”

Rama Natha was overjoyed and immediately set to work. He planted a banana plant and watered it every day. It was hard work, but he was determined. Finally, after many months, he had collected five litres of dew. He took it to the sage, who chanted the magic words. To Rama Natha's surprise, the dew did not turn into a magic potion. Instead, it turned into clear water. The sage laughed and said, "There is no such thing as a magic potion. If you want gold, you have to work hard for it." Rama Natha realized his mistake and decided to take care of his land and work hard. He learned that there are no shortcuts to success and that hard work is the key to achieving your dreams. And from that day on, Rama Natha became a successful and hardworking man.