The Two Women and the Poor Stranger

The Two Women and the Poor Stranger

By Imran Hasanat

Mrs. Chun was a stout woman who lived all by herself in an old, lonely house at the edge of the town. She liked to think of herself as a very kind and generous lady. In every tea gathering with her friends, she would proudly say, “I’m such a good woman. I always try to help others.”
But words alone never make anyone kind.

One cold evening, there came a knock at her door. When Mrs. Chun opened it, she saw a poor, weary man standing outside. His clothes were torn, his hair messy, and his face pale from hunger.

“Madam,” he said softly, “I haven’t eaten in two days. Could you please give me something to eat?”

Mrs. Chun looked him up and down with disgust. “Go away!” she shouted. “I have nothing for you. If you’re hungry, go and work for your food instead of begging from people like me!”

Then she slammed the door in his face.

The poor man stood silently for a few moments, staring at the closed door with sadness in his eyes, and then slowly walked away. Inside, Mrs. Chun felt no pity at all. She went back to her kitchen, made herself a steaming cup of tea, and sat comfortably, sipping it with satisfaction.

A few streets away lived another woman, Mrs. Ting, a simple lady with a gentle heart. That same evening, the poor man reached her house and knocked on her door. When Mrs. Ting opened it and saw his condition, her heart melted with compassion.

“Oh dear,” she said softly, “you look exhausted and hungry. Please, come inside and sit down. It’s cold out there.”

The man hesitated. “I don’t want to trouble you.”

“Nonsense!” Mrs. Ting smiled warmly. “I don’t have much — just a loaf of bread and three apples — but we can share. I’ll eat one apple, and you can take the other two.”

The poor man smiled for the first time that day. He sat down, and together they shared the simple meal — the bread and the apples — talking gently as if they were old friends.

When the man finished eating, he stood up and said in a calm voice, “You have shown me true kindness. In return, I bless you with this gift: Whatever you begin at sunset will continue until the moon rises.”

Mrs. Ting was puzzled. “What a strange thing to say,” she thought as the man walked away.

A moment later, she noticed one apple still lying on the table. “The poor man only ate one apple,” she said to herself. “I’ll save this one for tomorrow.” She picked it up and placed it in her fruit basket.

When she turned around, she gasped — another apple had appeared on the table! She stared in disbelief. She took that one too and put it in the basket. But when she looked again, yet another apple was there!

Now she understood the meaning of the man’s words. “Whatever you begin at sunset will continue until the moon rises.”

The sun was setting, and as she placed apple after apple into the basket, new ones kept appearing. She continued until the moon rose high in the night sky. By then, her basket was overflowing with bright, shining apples.

The next morning, she took the apples to the market and sold them all. The money she earned was more than she had ever imagined.

That afternoon, Mrs. Chun saw her neighbor returning home, carrying a bag full of coins and smiling happily.

“Where did you get all those apples?” Mrs. Chun asked, surprised. “You don’t even have an apple tree!”

Mrs. Ting laughed and told her the whole story — how the poor man had come for food, how she shared her bread and apples, and how he had blessed her before leaving.

Mrs. Chun said nothing, but jealousy burned in her heart. “Next time that beggar comes,” she thought, “I’ll treat him like a king. Then I’ll get a bigger blessing than hers!”

The next day, the same poor man knocked again. As soon as Mrs. Chun saw him, her face lit up with false kindness.

“Oh, my dear sir!” she said sweetly. “Please come in! You must be hungry and tired. Let me serve you some tea and delicious cakes.”

The man smiled gently and entered. Mrs. Chun brought out her finest china cups, poured him tea, and served plates of soft, sweet cakes. The poor man ate and thanked her politely. Then, before leaving, he said the same words:

“Whatever you begin at sunset will continue until the moon rises.”

As soon as he left, Mrs. Chun’s eyes glittered with greed. “Now I know what to do,” she whispered to herself. “When the sun sets, I’ll start putting coins into my purse. The moon will rise late tonight, so I’ll have hours to fill bags full of money!”

That evening, just as the sun began to set, she placed a shiny silver coin on the table, ready to begin. But in her excitement, she turned too quickly — and bumped into the teapot. Hot tea spilled all over the floor!

“Oh no!” she cried. She grabbed a cloth and began wiping the floor as fast as she could. But while she cleaned, the sun slipped below the horizon.

Then it happened — her hands kept scrubbing and cleaning, over and over, without stopping. She couldn’t control herself. The spell had begun.

Minutes turned into hours. The moon rose slowly, but until it appeared fully, she could not stop moving her hands. By the time the silver light filled the sky, Mrs. Chun was exhausted, her clothes wet, her body aching.

Her plan for riches had turned into a punishment for greed.

That night, she finally understood what she had never learned before:
True kindness cannot be faked. A heart that helps only for reward will always end up empty.


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Moral:

Kindness done with sincerity brings blessings. Kindness done for greed brings sorrow.