Story:
Once upon a time, in a dense forest, there lived a king and his queen. The queen was known for her beauty, and the king was very fond of her. However, the queen had a wish: she wanted to have a golden deer that lived in the forest. She had heard many tales about this magical deer and was determined to have it.
The king, eager to fulfill his queen’s desire, set out with his hunting party to capture the golden deer. They searched the forest high and low but could not find the deer. Just when they were about to give up, the golden deer appeared before them.
The deer spoke to the king, saying, “O King, I know you seek me to please your queen. I am a magical creature, and if you harm me, you will bring misfortune upon yourself and your kingdom. Instead, let me offer you a gift.”
The golden deer then offered the king a beautiful golden leaf. The deer said, “This leaf has the power to grant you anything you wish for. But use it wisely, for it carries great responsibility.”
The king accepted the leaf and, grateful for the gift, returned to his palace. He gave the leaf to the queen, who was overjoyed. The queen made a wish for a grand palace made of gold, and it was granted immediately.
Soon, the news of the magical golden leaf spread throughout the kingdom. People came from far and wide to see the golden palace and the magical deer. The once peaceful kingdom was now filled with envy and greed.
As time went by, the queen became increasingly dissatisfied, always wanting more and more. The king tried to fulfill her wishes, but no matter how much he provided, she was never content. Eventually, the golden leaf lost its magic, and the kingdom fell into ruin.
The king and queen realized their greed and the consequences of their desires. They went in search of the golden deer to ask for forgiveness, but the deer had disappeared, never to be seen again.
The king and queen learned a valuable lesson about contentment and the dangers of excessive desire.
Moral of the Story:
The moral of the story is “Contentment is the key to happiness; greed can lead to ruin.” It teaches that being satisfied with what one has and avoiding excessive desire or greed leads to a more fulfilling and peaceful life.
This folk tale emphasizes the importance of appreciating what we have and the potential consequences of letting greed and dissatisfaction take over.