Earned by One's Own Labor
A merchant used to give his son one abbasi every day and say:"Take it, my son, save it, and try to accumulate money."
The son would throw this money into the water. The father found out about it but said nothing. The son did nothing, didn’t work, and ate and drank in his father’s house.
One day, the merchant told his relatives:
"If my son comes to you and asks for money, don’t give him any."
Then he called his son and said to him:
"Go and earn money yourself. Bring it to me, and I’ll see what kind of money you’ve earned."
The son went to his relatives and asked for money, but they refused him. So, he was forced to take a job as a laborer. All day, the son mixed lime with his bare feet, and after earning one abbasi, he brought the money to his father. The father said:
"Well, my son, now go and throw the money you’ve earned into the water."
The son replied:
"Father, how can I throw it away? Don’t you know the suffering I endured for it? The toes on my feet still burn from the lime. No, I can’t throw it away; my hand won’t allow it."
The father answered:
"How many times did I give you one abbasi, and you took it and calmly threw it into the water? Did you think this money came to me for free, without effort? That’s it, my son, until you work, you won’t know the value of labor."
More fairy tales
