THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS

THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS
A son of shopkeeper was sent to the wisest
man in the World to learn the secret of
happiness. The wise man lived on a beautiful
castle high atop a mountain. To reach there
the lad had to go through the desert for 40
days.
The lad on entering the main room of the
castle, saw a hive of activity: tradesmen came
and went, people were conversing in the
corners, a small orchestra was playing soft
music, and there was a table covered with
platters of the most delicious food. The wise
man conversed with everyone, and the boy
had to wait for two hours before it was his
turn to get his attention.
The wise man listened attentively and then
suggested that the boy look around the palace
and return in two hours to get the
explanation.
“Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do
something”, said the wise man, handing the
boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. “As
you wander around, carry this spoon with you
without allowing the oil to spill”.
The boy began climbing and descending the
many stairways of the palace, keeping his
eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he
returned to the room where the wise man
was.
“Well”, asked the wise man, “Did you see the
Persian tapestries that are hanging in my
dining hall? Did you see the garden that it
took the master gardener ten years to create?
Did you notice the beautiful parchments in
my library?”
The boy was embarrassed to confess that he
had observed nothing. His only concern had
been not to spill the oil that was entrusted to
him.
“Then go back and observe the marvels of my
world”, ordered the wise man .
Relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and
returned to his exploration of the palace, this
time observing all of the works of art on the
ceilings and the walls. He saw the gardens,
the mountains all around him, the beauty of
the flowers, and the taste with which
everything had been selected. Upon returning
to the wise man, he related in detail
everything he had seen.
“But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to
you?” asked the wise man. Looking down at
the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil
was gone.
Said the wise man ,”The secret of happiness is
to see all the marvels of the world and never
to forget the drops of oil on the spoon”.
The morale of the story , “Take care of small
things to reap the rewards of life towards
happiness”.