The Two Old Men and the Lost Child
A tale of struggle, determination, and the reward of effort
By Ubaid Published 4 months ago • 4 min read
The Story of Two Old Men- BY:Ubaid
In a remote corner of a small village, there lived two old men. Both of them were poor and helpless, and because of their poverty, they shared a tiny hut made of mud and straw. Their wives and children had abandoned them long ago, having grown tired of the endless quarrels and struggles of daily survival. The two old men had therefore decided to live together, away from the constant noise and arguments, hoping that at least in the final years of their lives they might find some peace, comfort, and companionship.
They were too weak to work, their bodies bent with age and their hands trembling with the weight of time. The fields demanded the strength they no longer had, and the bustling market of the city seemed a world far away. Instead, they spent their days in the hut, cooking little meals, talking about the past, and waiting for whatever destiny had in store.
One day, something unusual happened. From the mosque nearby, an announcement echoed through the air: “A child has gone missing! Whoever finds and brings him back will be rewarded with fifty thousand rupees!”
The two old men listened carefully. Fifty thousand rupees was an enormous amount of money, more than they had ever imagined holding in their lifetimes. To them, it seemed like a miracle, an opportunity to change their miserable existence into one of comfort.
But their reactions were very different.
The first old man, weary and skeptical, shook his head. “At this age, what strength do I have to go wandering around looking for a child? My legs ache, my back hurts, and my eyes barely see in the dark. This is not work for people like us. Let the young ones search.”
The second old man, however, thought differently. He had a spark in his eyes that poverty and age had not yet extinguished. “Friend,” he replied, “this is not just about searching for a child—it is about hope. If I succeed, this reward will change everything. We can leave this hut, live with dignity, and finally experience peace before death comes.”
The first man only sighed and turned away, preferring to lie down on the rough floor of the hut. But the second man’s heart was restless. The thought of fifty thousand rupees kept burning in his mind like a flame that refused to die out.
The next morning, he set off. His legs trembled, but his determination was strong. He wandered through the village streets, asking people if they had seen the missing boy. He searched the fields, the orchards, the dusty roads that led to the city. His clothes became dirty, his body drenched in sweat, but he did not give up.
Meanwhile, the other old man stayed behind in the hut, alone and brooding. He thought bitterly, “If my friend succeeds, he will leave me behind. He will have wealth and comfort, while I will remain here, forgotten. Life is cruel. Sometimes I wish no one would succeed.”
But destiny had already written its course. After hours of searching, the old man who had left finally spotted a child sitting near a well outside the city. The boy was crying, lost and frightened. With a trembling but gentle hand, the old man lifted him up, wiped his tears, and whispered, “Don’t worry, son. I will take you home.”
With great effort, he carried the child back to the village and returned to the mosque. When the parents of the lost boy saw their child again, their eyes filled with tears of joy. They embraced him, thanking the old man over and over. True to their promise, they handed him a cheque of fifty thousand rupees.
The old man’s heart overflowed with happiness. Never in his life had he held such wealth. For the first time in decades, he felt alive, proud, and full of hope. With the cheque in his hand and gratitude in his heart, he rushed back to the hut to share the news with his friend.
But what he saw froze him to the core.
The other old man was lying motionless on the floor, his body lifeless. Someone had killed him. The small hut that had once been their shared shelter now felt like a tomb. Shock and sorrow struck him, but after a while, he realized he could not change what had already happened. Death had claimed his companion.
After performing what little rites he could, the old man left the hut behind. With his newfound wealth, he moved to the city. There, he bought a small house, a proper roof over his head, and lived the remainder of his days in comfort and security.
Children of the village later heard the story and remembered it as a lesson: that life often gives opportunities, but only those who dare to strive, even in weakness, find success.
The moral was clear: laziness brings nothing, but determination, no matter how difficult, can transform a person’s destiny.
The old man who dared to hope and work for it had turned his last years into a time of peace. The one who gave up to despair, however, remained only a sad memory.
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