A Faithful Servant

F

aithful means staying with or supporting a particular person, organization or belief. Servant here means a person who works for another person’s house, and cooks, cleans etc. for them.

Once upon a time, there lived a rich man in a town. He had much money, gold and silver. He was not miserly like other rich men. He was kind to the poor and was always ready to help them.

The rich man had a faithful servant named Ali. On an Eid day, he gave Ali one thousand taka and asked him to distribute the money among the poor. Ali did what his master told him to do.

Again the rich man gave Ali one thousand taka and asked him to distribute the money among the blind and lame. This time also Ali did what his master told him to do.

      The rich man gave Ali one thousand taka and said, “give away the money to the saints”. Ali walked about all day long. But no where he could find saints. He met some persons whom people called saints. But Ali found them either greedy or mean-minded.

      “How can a mean-minded or a greedy man be a saint”?  He thought, So he did not give away the money to anybody. In the evening he came back. He returned the money to his master and said, “sir, I could not find out a saint an where in the town.” The rich man said “What nonsense do you talk? Could you not meet a single saint in this big town?”

      Ali replied, “Sir, I met some persons whom people called saints. But I found all of them either greedy or mean-minded. So I did not give away the money to anybody.”

      The rich man was very pleased. He said, “My dear Ali, you have failed t find out a saint. But I have found out one, He is standing in front of me. Take this money yourself. This is due to you.”