Greed Is a Dangerous Curse

Greed Is a Dangerous Curse

“Now you will be sentenced to one year in prison.”

There once lived a poor woodcutter in a small village. Every day, he would go into the forest early in the morning, cut wood with great effort, and then return to the city to sell it. Whatever little money he earned was enough to feed his family for the day. His life was simple, hardworking, and honest, but deep inside his heart, there was a hidden desire to become rich quickly.

One day, while wandering deeper into the forest than usual, the woodcutter came across the largest and oldest tree he had ever seen. The tree stood tall and strong, its branches spreading wide like a giant umbrella. The sight of such a massive tree filled the woodcutter’s heart with excitement and greed. He thought to himself that if he cut down this one tree, he would get an enormous amount of wood and earn far more money than ever before.

Without thinking about the consequences, he began chopping the tree. It took him the entire day, but by evening, the mighty tree finally fell. The woodcutter felt extremely happy and proud of himself. He gathered all the wood and carried it home, imagining how wealthy he would become after selling it.

The next morning, however, the entire village was in chaos. People were shouting, gathering in groups, and talking loudly. News had spread that the largest tree in the forest had been cut down. The villagers were shocked because that tree was not an ordinary one. It had been planted by the king himself many years ago to celebrate the birth of his son. When the prince turned twelve, the king had ordered the prince’s name to be carved onto the tree as a lasting memorial.

The king was furious when he heard the news. He immediately sent his soldiers throughout the village to find the person responsible. They were instructed to search every house carefully.

When the woodcutter heard this, fear struck his heart. His hands began to tremble, and his face turned pale. Realizing the seriousness of his crime, he quickly went to his friend’s house and told him everything.

“Please help me,” the woodcutter pleaded. “I don’t know what to do now.”

His friend listened carefully and said, “The king’s soldiers are searching every house. Now tell me, will you hide yourself, or will you hide the wood?”

The woodcutter replied helplessly, “The wood is piled up in large quantities. Even if I hide myself somewhere, the soldiers will search my house. The villagers will surely tell them that this is my home.”

His friend then advised him, “You should run far away from this village, somewhere no one can find you.”

The woodcutter nodded nervously and said, “I think the soldiers are already coming toward our village. I should leave immediately.”

As he opened the door to escape, he was shocked to find the king’s soldiers standing right in front of him. They seized him at once and said, “We have searched your house and found a large pile of wood. On one of the logs, the prince’s name is carved. That tree was planted by the king himself. Come with us to the palace.”

The woodcutter was terrified. His legs felt weak, and his heart was pounding. When he was brought before the king, he fell to his knees and begged for forgiveness.

“Your Majesty,” he said with tears in his eyes, “please forgive me. I have made a terrible mistake. I acted out of greed and did not think about the consequences.”

The king looked at him sternly and replied, “You will be punished for your actions. I have also learned that you cut down trees regularly and never plant new saplings in their place. Do you not know the law of this land? Whoever cuts a tree must plant another one to replace it. Forests are a shared treasure, and destroying them harms the entire nation.”

The king paused for a moment and then declared, “For your crime and your greed, you are sentenced to one year in prison.”

The woodcutter lowered his head in shame. He finally understood that his desire for quick wealth had ruined his life. If he had been content with honest earning and respected nature, he would not have faced such punishment.

This story teaches us a powerful lesson: greed is a dangerous curse. It blinds people, pushes them toward wrongdoing, and ultimately leads to regret and punishment. True prosperity lies in honesty, patience, and respect for nature and the laws of society.