The Shoemaker [short story] : a story with a moral

Media

Part of The Young Citizen: The Magazine for Young People

Title
The Shoemaker [short story] : a story with a moral
Language
English
Year
1941
Subject
Short stories, Philippine (English)
Philippine fiction (English)
Rights
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Fulltext
NOV.l!MBER, 1941 THE YOUNG CITIZEN 3.93 THE SHOEMAKER A Story with c Moral The· Happy .Shoemaker THERE ONCE lived a happy shoemaker who sang from morning till night. He was perfectly happy. He worked hard, ea<ned an honest living, and enjoyed excellent health. What more does anyone want to be happy? In the same village there lived a very rich man. Every t!me he passed in front of the shoemaker's shop, he sighed and thought, "How is it that this shoemaker, who is so poor, can sing all day? I am rich, I can buy anything I want, and yet I have no wish to sing." One day he decided to talk to the shoemaker. "Let's see," he said. "My friend, how much do you earn in a year?" "Oh, my!" said the shoemaker. "I have never counted it up. I always have plenty of wor1', and there is al~ays. enough food at my house." " "Well, how much do you make a day?" "Sometimes· more, sometimes· less." The rich man, laughing at his simplicity, said io him, "Take these hu.ndred gold coins, my friend. Some day they may be very useful." The blacksmith, very happy, carried away the bag of money and buried it in his cellar. He had never seen so much money before in all his life. But he began to be worried. Iri the daytime all went well. But at n'ight! He dare not sleep for fear of thieves, and if he heard a cat in the yard, he felt sure the cat was someone who was after his · money. \ At last the poor man could stand it no longer. He ran to the rich man and said to him: "Give me back my songs and my sleep, and take back your hundred gold coins." ANSWER T HESE I. What moral do you learn from this story? 2. Why did the shoemaker sing? 3. Why did the shoemaker become worried? 4. Can money always buy happiness?. 5. Which would you prefer- poverty and happiness, or riches and worry? ' 6. 'What is the secret of happiness? (Think much about this. Talk to your parents, and teachers, and older persons about it.) 7. Do you know a poor, honest, hardworking man? Is he happy? 8. Do you know a very rich. man? Is he always happy?