In Search of Pleasure

Once upon a time, there lived a very lazy young man. He would wander from place to place all day long, and nothing pleased him; he could find no joy in anything. "What is joy, really?" he thought one day and decided to go in search of it.

He left his house and after some time found himself at the foot of a high mountain that blocked his path. There, he saw an old peasant digging the earth.

"Grandfather, do you know where one might find joy?" the young man asked him.

"I do," replied the old man without stopping his work, "but if I talk to you, I won’t be able to work."

"I’ll work for you while you talk, alright?" the young man offered.

"Alright!"

The young man took the shovel and began digging the earth. The sun scorched his back, and his body was drenched in sweat… But if he didn’t work, how would he ever learn where to find joy?

And so he continued his labor.

Meanwhile, the old man sat down under a tree and watched the young man. About two hours passed, and the old man called out:

"Hey, lad, take a little rest!"

The young man threw down the shovel and joined the old man in the pleasant, cool shade. The old man offered him a pouch of golden tobacco. The young man lit up.

"Ah, how wonderful! This is joy!" he exclaimed involuntarily.

"That’s right," confirmed the old man, "this is true joy! If you work hard, joy will find you on its own."

More fairy tales

• The Tale of the Younger Brother
• Wives in the Mirror
• The Ginseng Shapeshifter
• The Carp Maiden
• The Sold Shadow