Happiness

Whether it happened or not, there once lived a shepherd in a certain country. He was honest, hardworking, and sober, never harmed anyone, and all his herds and flocks grazed in the mountains and meadows without supervision. Neither beast nor man harmed them, for he had no enemies.

In the same country lived a lazy and idle man. He did nothing and was too lazy to move. While others worked, he lay around, living in poverty and only complaining about his fate.

One day, the shepherd met him. He greeted the poor man and asked:

"How are you living, my friend?"

"What kind of life is this?" whined the man. "I'm barely alive from hunger."

"Come with me," said the shepherd. "Work for me for a year, help me with the threshing and grape harvest, and I'll give you a pair of good oxen. You'll plow and sow your own field, and you'll never go hungry."

The lazy man thought to himself:

"Work for him? Break my back for a pair of oxen? No, I'll just go and take what I want from his herd. They say his animals graze without supervision—who's going to stop me?"

So he thought and went.

He climbed into the mountains and saw the cattle scattered across the pasture, with no shepherds in sight. He looked at this wealth, and his heart ached with envy. As he approached the herds, suddenly something jingled, and the entire multitude of cows, bulls, and sheep began to run, bellowing and crowding together in one place.

The lazy man approached and saw a tiny little man standing among the cattle. The cows and sheep were nuzzling him, licking his face and hands, while he petted and stroked their fur.

The lazy man was amazed and asked:

"Who are you, what kind of creature are you? Where did you come from, and how did you appear so suddenly?"

"I am the happiness of the owner of this herd," said the little man. "I'm the one who guards all his cattle, and I won't let anyone harm them."

"And where is my happiness?" asked the poor man.

"Your happiness is on such-and-such a mountain, under such-and-such a bush," said the little man.

"Will I find my happiness if I go there?"

"Why wouldn't you? You'll find it!" said the little man.

The lazy man set off. He walked and walked until he reached the designated mountain. He searched and searched for his happiness but couldn't find it. Exhausted, he lay down under a tree in despair and dozed off.

He slept for a good while. When he woke up, the sun was already setting. Suddenly, he heard someone sighing.

He got up and looked around—who was sighing like that?

He saw a little man lying under a thornbush, nothing but skin and bones, groaning and moaning.

"Who are you, what kind of creature are you? Why are you lying here?" asked the lazy man.

"I am your happiness," said the little man.

"You good-for-nothing!" the lazy man shouted angrily. "How can you be my happiness if you're lying here groaning? I'm dying of hunger, and you just lie here without a care for me?"

"My dear man," said the happiness, "you lie down and sleep, so I lie down and sleep. You sit idle, and I do the same. Get up, move your hands, work hard, and I'll help you—then prosperity will come."

The poor man went back. He began to work. He labored tirelessly, sparing no effort. He overcame his poverty, got back on his feet, married, started a family, and lived a carefree life.

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Happiness

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