The Lazy Man and the Crippled Wolf: A Tale of Misreading God's Signs

Once upon a time, in a quaint little village nestled at the foot of a mountain range, there lived a very lazy man. His name was Taro, and he was known throughout the village as a man who would do anything to get food without doing any hard work.

Every day, Taro would wander aimlessly around the countryside, searching for an easy way to get his next meal. He would often try to steal fruit from the orchards or vegetables from the fields, but he was always caught and chased away by the farmers.

One morning, Taro was wandering through a nearby apple orchard when he spotted a ripe, juicy apple hanging from a low branch. Without hesitation, he reached out to pluck the apple from the tree. But as soon as he touched it, he heard a voice behind him.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" yelled a farmer, running towards him. Taro panicked and ran as fast as he could, hoping to escape. He ran and ran until he reached the edge of the forest, where he collapsed in exhaustion. As he lay there, panting and gasping for breath, he saw a strange sight.

There, in front of him, was an old wolf with only two legs. Taro was amazed. How could a wolf survive with only two legs? He watched as the wolf crawled around, unable to run or feed itself. There were threats from other animals, but the wolf seemed content.

Suddenly, Taro saw a lion approaching the wolf with a piece of meat in its mouth. Taro climbed up a nearby tree to save himself, but the wolf stayed where it was, unable to escape. To Taro's surprise, the lion left the piece of meat for the wolf to eat.

Taro was amazed at the sight before him. He felt happy seeing God's play and started to think that God always has a plan set to take care of his creations. Then he believed that God must have something planned for him too. Filled with hope and faith, Taro left to find a place to sit and wait for someone to feed him. He waited for hours, then days, but nobody came to feed him. Finally, he couldn't bear the hunger any longer and left in search of food. As he wandered through the forest, Taro met an old sage. The sage asked Taro why he looked so down, and Taro explained everything that had happened to him, including what he had seen with the wolf and the lion.

The old sage listened patiently and then said, "It's true that God has a plan for everyone. You are obviously a part of his plan, but son, you took his signs in your own way. He didn't want you to be like the wolf; he wanted you to be like the lion."

Taro was puzzled. "But how can I be like the lion?" he asked.

The sage replied, "The lion is a predator, a hunter. He doesn't wait for someone to feed him; he goes out and hunts for his food. He takes what he wants, and he doesn't let anyone stand in his way. That's what God wants from you, Taro. He wants you to be a predator, not a beggar."

Taro thought about this for a moment, and then he realized what the sage was trying to tell him. He had been misreading God's signs all along. He had been waiting for someone to feed him, when all along he had the power to feed himself.

From that day forward, Taro changed his ways. He became a hunter, a predator. He learned how to fish, how to trap animals, and how to hunt for his own food. He became strong, independent, and self-reliant.

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." - Nelson Mandela