In a small village, nestled far from the bustle of city life, there lived a man named Shekhar. He was known throughout the village as a tireless worker, someone who never shied away from hard labor. But despite his willingness to work, opportunities were scarce in his village. Day after day, Shekhar watched the sun rise and set, knowing his skills were going to waste.
One evening, as he sat outside his modest home, a thought struck him. “Why stay here?” he wondered. “In the city, surely I’ll find work that matches my abilities. There, my hard work will finally earn me the wages I deserve.”
And so, with nothing but hope in his heart and determination in his step, Shekhar set out from his village toward the distant city.
The journey was long and grueling. Mile after mile, Shekhar walked under the scorching sun. His feet ached, his throat was parched, and eventually, exhaustion overtook him completely. His legs simply refused to carry him any further.
“I can’t… I can’t go on,” he muttered to himself, collapsing onto the dusty ground.
As he sat there, catching his breath, something in the distance caught his eye—a small hut, and beside it, a magnificent horse tied to a post.
“Perhaps…” Shekhar thought, a glimmer of hope returning to his tired eyes. “Perhaps I could rent that horse! It would carry me the rest of the way to the city.”
his remaining strength, Shekhar dragged himself toward the hut. Standing beside the horse was a man, clearly its owner, watching him approach with suspicious eyes.
“Sir,” Shekhar called out, his voice hoarse. “I need to reach the city, but it’s still many miles away, and as you can see, I’m completely exhausted. Would you consider renting me your horse?”
The horse owner’s face twisted with irritation. “You think I’ll just hand over my horse to a stranger?”
“No, no!” Shekhar quickly replied. “I’m not asking for charity. I’ll pay you a fair rental fee for the horse.”
The owner stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Hmm… I suppose I could rent it to you. But I need to travel to the neighboring village first. If you take me there on my horse, then you can have it for your journey to the city.”
“Done!” Shekhar agreed without hesitation.
Shekhar climbed onto the horse, taking the front position, while the owner sat behind him. They set off together under the merciless afternoon sun. The heat was unbearable, and soon both men were drenched in sweat, their clothes clinging to their backs.
“This heat is unbearable,” Shekhar gasped. “We should stop and rest somewhere.”
Both men scanned the barren landscape, searching desperately for even a single tree to provide shade. But there was nothing—no trees, no shelter, nothing but endless open ground.
Then Shekhar had an idea. He dismounted from the horse and sat down in its shadow, sighing with relief as the shade cooled his burning skin.
But he had barely settled when the horse owner’s face flushed red with anger.
“What do you think you’re doing?” the owner snapped.
Shekhar looked up, confused. “I’m resting in the shade. What’s wrong?”
“I rented you the HORSE,” the owner snarled, “not its shadow! That shadow belongs to me! Move aside—I’m the one who’ll rest here!”
Shekhar couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Sir, surely you’re joking! If I’ve rented the horse, its shadow naturally comes with it. But look, there’s enough shade for both of us. Why don’t you sit here beside me?”
But the horse owner was stubborn and greedy. “No! The shadow is MINE and mine alone! I will sit here, and you will move!”
What started as a small disagreement quickly escalated into a heated argument. Voices rose. Fingers pointed. Words became harsher.
“The shadow is mine!”
“No, it’s mine!”
The argument turned physical. The two men began shoving each other, then throwing punches. In the middle of that desolate wilderness, with no one to stop them, they fought over something as fleeting as a shadow.
Startled by the commotion, the horse panicked. With a terrified whinny, it broke free from its tether and galloped away across the plains, disappearing into the distance.
When the fighting finally stopped, the horse owner looked around—and his face went pale.
“My horse! Where’s my horse?!” he cried out in despair. “It’s brand new! It barely knows the way home! How will I ever find it now?!”
Shekhar, bruised and exhausted, couldn’t help but respond. “Well, serves you right! Just moments ago, you were fighting over the horse’s shadow. Now you’ve lost the horse itself!”
The reality of what had happened crashed down on the horse owner like a wave. He struck his forehead with his palm and sank to the ground, moaning in anguish.
“What have I done? My greed… my foolish greed over a mere shadow has cost me everything! In my desire to possess the horse’s shadow, I’ve lost the horse entirely!”
The Lesson:
This story teaches us a timeless truth—greed is a dangerous trap. Sometimes, in our hunger for just a little bit more, we end up losing everything we already have. The things we chase in our greed often vanish like shadows, leaving us with nothing but regret.
Remember: be grateful for what you have, and beware of the shadow of greed.
THE END