The Greedy Washerman

Once upon a time in a small village, there lived a poor washerman and his wife. They spent their days washing clothes by the riverbank, struggling to make ends meet. But the washerman had a strange fascination — he loved gazing at the sky, dreaming of wonders far beyond his reach.

One day, while his wife was spreading clothes to dry under the sun, she looked up at the sky — and her eyes widened in shock. A giant flying elephant was gently descending from the clouds. The moment it touched the ground, it disappeared!

The strange event happened again the next day, and the next. Finally, one night, she told her husband everything. At first, he laughed, but then curiosity got the better of him. “Tomorrow,” he said, “we will both watch closely. Let’s find out what this magical elephant is up to.”

The next day, they waited, eyes fixed on the sky. And there it was — the same flying elephant gently floated down and landed in the nearby sugarcane fields. The couple followed it quietly and watched as the elephant feasted on the sugarcane, ate its fill, and then prepared to fly again.

As it began to rise into the air, the washerman and his wife quickly grabbed its tail — and up they went!

They flew higher and higher until they reached a glowing mountain, sparkling with gold, diamonds, and precious jewels. It looked like a forgotten treasure chest left open for anyone lucky enough to find it.

The washerman and his wife rushed toward the glittering treasure, grabbing as much as they could carry. But as night fell, they grew anxious — what if they got stuck here? So they waited for morning to come, and when the elephant prepared to fly again, they held its tail and returned safely to earth.

Back in their village, their lives changed overnight. From poor and humble to rich and admired, their sudden wealth shocked everyone. But they told no one the secret.

One day, when the washerman went out of town, a nosy neighbor visited his wife. Through clever conversation, she tricked the wife into revealing everything — the flying elephant, the treasure, and the magic mountain.

That night, the washerman returned and was furious. “You told them?!”

But the secret was out.

The next morning, the entire village came to his doorstep, begging him to guide them to the magical field. The washerman hesitated but then greed crept into his heart. “Maybe I can collect even more treasure,” he thought, and agreed.

So the next day, the entire village marched to the sugarcane fields. They waited… and waited… until finally, the flying elephant appeared again.

As the elephant began to fly, everyone grabbed on — one after another — forming a long chain behind the washerman, who clutched the elephant’s tail tightly.

While flying high in the sky, someone shouted, “Washerman! Just how much treasure is there?”

The washerman, overwhelmed with greed, stretched out his arms and shouted, “This much!” — and as he let go of the elephant’s tail to show the size...

They all came crashing down — headfirst into the ground!

The flying elephant disappeared into the clouds, leaving them behind. And just like that, the villagers learned a painful lesson:

> Greed always leads to downfall.




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Moral of the Story:

Greed can blind you and make you lose everything — even what you already had.