The Golden Seeds of Kindness

The Golden Seeds of Kindness

BY:Ubaid

Tanzeela Ahmed narrates a tale from a small mountain village, where a young boy named Aqil lived with his parents. Aqil was eleven years old and a fifth-grade student. His father worked with a contractor who broke the stones of the mountains and sold them to different parts of the country, while his mother supported the household by doing embroidery and stitching clothes for women in the nearby village.

Though life was not easy, Aqil was a dutiful son. After finishing his schoolwork, he would help his mother in her work. Whenever she completed embroidery or stitching, Aqil would deliver the finished clothes to the women’s houses. This saved his mother precious time and also kept her from going outside too often. On his way back, Aqil would bring whatever groceries or supplies his mother needed.

One day, his mother handed him a bundle of clothes that needed to be delivered to a woman whose house was quite far from their home. Aqil quickly set off. By the time he delivered the clothes and started back, the evening sun was already dipping behind the mountains. The lonely, uneven path stretched ahead of him in silence.

As he walked, Aqil suddenly heard a faint sound—someone groaning in pain. Surprised, he stopped and listened carefully. The sound seemed to be coming from behind a large rock nearby. He cautiously went closer and called out, “Who is there?”

To his astonishment, he saw a boy almost his own age sitting on the ground, clutching his foot and wincing with pain. The boy was unusually handsome, with bright eyes and a gentle face. But his foot was swollen and bleeding. A sharp thorn had pierced his flesh deeply.

“Who are you? How did you get here? And how did this happen?” Aqil asked, bewildered by the sudden encounter.

The boy’s voice trembled. “The thorn has caused me so much pain. I don’t have the courage to pull it out myself. Could you please help me?”

Without hesitation, Aqil knelt beside him. To distract him, Aqil pointed at a glittering stone nearby. “Look at that beautiful rock over there!” As soon as the boy turned his head, Aqil quickly and skillfully pulled the thorn out.

The boy gasped and then smiled with relief. “Oh! The thorn is gone. I thought it would hurt terribly, but you did it so gently. You truly have a gift!”

Aqil smiled back, tore a piece from the handkerchief tied around his wrist, and wrapped it carefully around the boy’s wounded foot.

“Thank you, my friend. I will always remain grateful to you,” the boy said warmly. “But it’s getting late now. We should both go home.”

“Alright,” Aqil replied. “But at least tell me your name. Where do you live?”

“My name is Bantu. Our home is on the other side of the forest.” Saying this, Bantu stood up slowly, waved, and walked away in the opposite direction. Aqil too hurried home.

When he entered, he found his mother worried. She asked why he had taken so long, and Aqil honestly told her everything about meeting Bantu and helping him. His mother kissed his forehead and praised his kindness.

That night, when his father returned home, he looked disturbed. On his wife’s inquiry, he explained that the contractor he worked for had been caught smuggling precious stones under the guise of selling ordinary rocks. The illegal business had been shut down, leaving him suddenly jobless. “I don’t know how we will run the household now,” he sighed heavily.

Days turned into weeks. The little money his mother earned from embroidery was spent, and the small savings they had managed were gone. One day, they had nothing to cook at home. His mother handed Aqil a beautifully embroidered kurta and said, “Take this to the lady. Whatever money she gives us, we will buy food with it.”

On his way back after delivering the kurta, Aqil unexpectedly met Bantu again. Seeing his friend looking downcast, Bantu asked the reason for his sadness. Aqil shared the truth about his family’s difficult situation.

Bantu thought for a moment and then handed him a small golden pouch. “Keep this carefully. Whenever you face a serious problem, pray with a sincere heart and plant one seed from this pouch in the ground. Your wish will be answered.”

Aqil returned home and gave the money from the kurta to his mother. His father bought some bread, and they thanked God for easing their hunger. That night, before sleeping, Aqil remembered Bantu’s words. He prayed with all his heart for his family’s well-being and planted one small seed from the golden pouch in the soil behind their house.

The next morning, loud knocking at their door woke them up. When Aqil’s father opened it, he found a friend standing there with exciting news. “A large company has signed an agreement with the government for mountain excavation. The people here were impressed by your honesty and recommended you to the company’s representatives. They want to appoint you as in charge! Come with me quickly.”

Overjoyed, Aqil’s father left with him. Aqil and his mother were filled with happiness. Aqil ran to the backyard and gasped to see a small green plant sprouting where he had buried the seed.

Later, Aqil planted more seeds with prayers—for his mother’s embroidery to prosper, for peace in their home—and each time a fresh plant grew. Their life slowly transformed.

Whenever he delivered clothes in the mountains, Aqil visited the spot where he had first met Bantu, hoping to see him again. But Bantu never appeared.

Time passed. One night, Aqil made a heartfelt wish before planting another seed. The next morning, to his utter amazement, he found Bantu standing in his house, accompanied by a strikingly beautiful woman. Aqil ran to him.

“Where have you been, Bantu? I missed you so much,” Aqil cried with joy.

Bantu smiled. “We had to leave.”

“Leave? Without telling me?” Aqil asked in surprise.

The woman then spoke with a gentle voice. “Your kindness and compassion touched Bantu deeply. That is why he became your friend and gave you the golden pouch. We are friends of humanity, but we cannot appear before ordinary humans. Today, your sincere wish has called us back.”

Bantu nodded. “She is right. My mother is the Queen of Fairies, and I am a fairy child. We came from the Land of Fairies.”

Aqil stood speechless.

The Fairy Queen added, “Remember, if your wishes were ever selfish or evil, no plant would grow and no prayer would be answered. The golden pouch works only for the pure of heart. That is why your kindness was rewarded.”

Bantu hugged Aqil. “Always do good, avoid lies, and help others. If you fail, the golden pouch and its seeds will vanish forever. Farewell, my friend.”

And before Aqil could say anything more, both of them disappeared like morning mist.

But in Aqil’s heart, their message remained alive forever. He continued to live with honesty, kindness, and hope—never forgetting that true magic lies in goodness.