REWARD BY GOD – STORY
Once there lived a king who used to manage all the affairs of the kingdom quite nicely. All the citizens were happy under the king’s protection.
The king was very anxious to know what the citizens of his country would be talking about him.
One day he dressed up as a normal man and set out to the streets.
While he was walking he stopped at one place and saw a group of people talking.
He went near them and tried to hear what they were talking.
One man said, “We are so lucky. All the facilities that we are enjoying is because of the mercy of the Lord (God) .”
The king went further and saw another group of men talking.
A man in that group said “Everything we are doing & enjoying is because of our king. We are very fortunate to have a nice king like this”
The king went back to his palace. He was very happy to hear what the second man had said about him in glorification.
He decided to send some gifts to the two men who had commented.
He took a pumpkin and cut into half and filled 100 gold coins in it and closed the pumpkin and made it as it was.
He sent that pumpkin (filled with gold coins) to the man who had praised him.
And to the second man who praised God, he sent big basket of flowers.
The king’s servants went and distributed the gifts to respective persons.
The first man who praised the king was happy to receive a gift from King.
But he did not know what to do with a such big pumpkin. It was too big for him.
So he went and gave it to a person who sells flowers in the market and told him “The king has sent me this big pumpkin, but I don’t eat them so I thought I would give it to someone who would make use of it.”
The flower seller took the pumpkin and went away to sell his flowers.
The man who had received the big basket of flowers was also very happy to receive a gift from the King.
He used the flowers in his daily puja.
But the king had sent plenty of flowers and there was so much flowers remaining.
He said to himself “If I give the excess flowers to the flower seller he would make some money out of it.”
Thinking of this he went to the flower seller and gave him the flowers.
In return to the flowers given by the man the flower seller gave him the pumpkin which was given to him by the first man.
The second man went home and cut the pumpkin and to his surprise he found 100 gold coins kept inside it.
Seeing this he was very happy and said once again that God is very merciful and kindly provided me this.
Lord looks after His devotees.
The king had no intention of giving the pumpkin filled with the gold coins to the man who had praised the Lord but Lord has different plan and everything is working according to His plan.