In a dusty village at the edge of a great forest lived an old potter named Somanna. Every morning he carried water from the river in two clay pots that hung from either end of a long pole across his shoulders.
One pot was round and perfect. Its walls were smooth and its mouth was even. It carried water all the way home without losing a single drop.
The other pot was crooked. It leaned a little to one side, and a thin crack ran down its belly. By the time Somanna reached home, it was only half full.
The Crooked Pot’s Sadness
For two whole years, this went on. The perfect pot was proud. “I do my job exactly right,” it would say, glistening in the sun.
The crooked pot grew quieter every day. It watched the water drip, drip, drip from its crack and felt ashamed.
One morning, as Somanna knelt at the river, the crooked pot finally spoke.
“Master, I am sorry. I am cracked and bent. Because of me, you do twice the work for half the water. You should replace me with a better pot.”
Somanna looked surprised. “Why do you feel this way?”
“Because I am not like the other pot. I am not good enough.”
The Walk Home
Somanna smiled softly. “Today, as we walk home, I want you to look at the side of the path.”
So the crooked pot looked. On its side of the narrow path grew hundreds of wildflowers: yellow marigolds, purple morning glories, and tiny white jasmine that filled the air with sweetness. Bees hummed and butterflies floated from bloom to bloom.
On the other side of the path, where the perfect pot hung, there was only dry, brown earth.
“Do you see?” said Somanna. “I always knew about your crack. So two years ago, I planted seeds along your side of the path. Every day, as we walked back from the river, you watered them.”
The crooked pot was silent.
“Those flowers decorate the village temple,” Somanna continued. “They are woven into the hair of the girls on festival days. They are placed at every doorstep during Ugadi. Without you being exactly the way you are, none of this beauty would exist.”
What the Perfect Pot Learned
The perfect pot, which had been listening, felt a little humbled. “I always thought I was the better pot.”
“You are a wonderful pot,” said Somanna kindly. “You carry water to our kitchen and we cook with it every day. But being useful in one way does not make you better than someone who is useful in another way. The two of you together give this home everything it needs.”
A New Way of Seeing
From that day on, the crooked pot no longer hung its head. When the water dripped, it thought of the jasmine and marigolds waiting along the path. It still leaned a little, and it still had its crack, but it no longer wished to be something else.
Many years later, when Somanna’s grandchildren asked why he never replaced the crooked old pot, he would point to the flowers along the river path.
“Because,” he said, “some of the most beautiful things in the world grow from the places where we are different.”
Moral of the Story
Everyone has flaws, and what we see as a weakness can become a strength. Being different does not mean being less. Self-acceptance lets us see our own value.
Questions for Discussion
- Why did the crooked pot feel ashamed?
- How did Somanna turn the crack into something good?
- Was the perfect pot better than the crooked pot? Why or why not?
- What is something special about you that makes you different from others?
This story is inspired by a folk tale told in many parts of India and around the world. It is a lovely read for building self-esteem in children, especially those who feel they don’t fit in.
You May Also Enjoy
- The Magic Seed of Kindness: A Short Story About Sharing for Kids
- What the Old Banyan Tree Remembered
- The Village That Argued About the River
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