"The Lazy Farmer’s Lesson"

"The Lazy Farmer’s Lesson"

Once upon a time, in a quiet village nestled between green hills, lived a farmer named Ramu. He owned a piece of fertile land passed down from his father, but unlike his father, Ramu was lazy. He would wake up late, work only when necessary, and spend most of his time resting under a tree or gossiping with neighbors.

The villagers often advised him, “Ramu, your land is rich. If you worked hard, you could have a good harvest every season.”

But Ramu would shrug and say, “Why sweat in the sun? A little bit of work is enough to get by.”

One year, the monsoon came late. Most farmers prepared their fields early, sowed the seeds quickly, and managed to save their crops. Ramu, however, hadn’t even plowed his field.

“It’ll rain eventually,” he said lazily. “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

But tomorrow never came. By the time Ramu began sowing, the rains were almost gone. His seeds dried in the ground, and his field remained barren.

At harvest time, he had almost nothing. With no grain to eat or sell, Ramu became worried. He went to his neighbor, Hari, a hardworking farmer.

“Hari,” Ramu said, “please lend me some grain. I’ll return it after the next harvest.”

Hari was kind. He gave Ramu a bag of rice and said, “Work hard next season, and you won’t need to borrow again.”

Ramu promised to change, but once the season ended, he fell back into his lazy ways. “Hari will help me again if needed,” he thought.

Next season, the same thing happened. Ramu delayed, did minimal work, and had another poor harvest. He borrowed again — not just from Hari, but from others too. Soon, Ramu was deep in debt.

One day, the village chief called him. “Ramu,” he said sternly, “you’re capable of working, yet you depend on others. If you don’t change, you’ll lose your land.”

This shook Ramu. He realized his laziness had brought him close to ruin. That night, he sat alone and thought about his father — how he used to wake up before sunrise, till the land with care, and return home with pride. Ramu felt ashamed.

The next morning, Ramu rose with the sun. He began cleaning his field, removing weeds, and fixing his tools. The villagers watched in surprise.

“Is that really Ramu?” someone whispered.

Ramu worked every day — plowing, sowing, watering. He asked Hari and other farmers for advice. Instead of mocking him, they encouraged him.

The rains came, and Ramu’s crops began to grow — strong and healthy. For the first time in years, he felt proud of his work. When harvest season arrived, Ramu’s field was golden with grain.

He filled his storeroom, paid back his debts, and even gave some rice to those in need. The village chief praised him. “You’ve proven that effort brings reward.”

Ramu smiled and replied, “I learned it the hard way, but I won’t forget it again.”

From then on, Ramu became one of the most respected farmers in the village. He continued to work hard, help others, and live with dignity.

Moral of the Story:

Laziness may seem easy, but it leads to regret. Hard work brings not just success, but self-respect and peace of mind.