The lost coin

Johny, is a generous and kind man who lived in a small neighborhood. People know him of being helpful to the needy. He gives when it is necessary. He gives food to the poor, and gives alms to the beggars without thinking whether they use the money for good. In other words, all he care is to give when a person needs it. But he is limited to what he only has being a simple farmer, so some people would think bad about him at times when he is short of resources, and could not give when asked.

One day, by God's grace, Johny won the lottery's Jackpot price. And I assume that was lots of money. And as a rich man Johny bought a wide area of land in the village where he constructed a small house. He invested in a good business which would make money coming in throughout the rest of his life. With the continuous flow of fortune, Johny set aside a sum from his coffers to be given to anyone who would drop by his house and ask for help. Then Johny never realized "he was giving his neighbors fish instead of teaching them how to fish." But he never cared, because he has the blessings.

One day again, when he was about to leave the house he noticed a little boy in the yard looking for something in the uncut grasses of the vast lawns. The boy looked like one of those homeless wanderers of the city streets.

Curious, Johny asked the boy, "what are you looking for?"

He told him he was looking for a coin that was thrown into the yard by another boy the other day.

"Don't bother about finding it, I'll just give you money if you need it." Johny offered with honesty.

"But I need that coin!" The boy insisted never sensing the compassion Johny has tried to show to him. Then he tried once more looking under the grasses.

Johny took some money from his wallet and gave it to the kid. "Here, you can replace that lost coin you have." He knew, the amount he offered him was hundred times larger than the highest valued coin in town.

Gazing back at him, the boy said, "No!" With his eyes hiding a cloud of tears.

Sensing there must be some thing on that coin, or perhaps it was a gold coin, or an antique, or whatever priceless artifact it might be, Johny joined the boy in looking for the lost coin just to satisfy him. While searching together, Johny kept on asking the boy what value the coin had to him.

"It was the most precious coin, I ever had," the boy said with drops of tears rolled down his face. "My lost father gave it to me."

A remembrance with sentimental value. Johny thought. His kindness and desire to help overshadowed reasons, so Johny continued to help in the search. But almost half the day had passed and they found no coin. He asked the boy the exact place it was thrown but he wasn't sure since it was thrown from afar. Johny made up his mind to help the sad boy so he asked the neighbors to join the search while paying them for the days work. He told the neighbors to pull out every grass and scan the soil to find the coin.

But the day's search turned out to be more days until the whole of his land was totally searched, but still to no avail. By the end of each day, Johny paid the neighbors. He let the boy stay at his home and fed him. After a week of searching Johny realized he had a vast field cleared from grasses yet he didn't find the coin. He was definitely sure, the coin was not thrown in his lot so he bought the adjacent lot and started to search there. As a farmer's heart, Johny paid some of his neighbors to plant crops in the cleared field while the search in the other area was going on.

A month has passed but they never found the coin in the other fields too. Johny was desperate.

One morning, he decided to see the boy and tell him the absolute truth that he had to let go of the memories of the coin in order to be happy. As he was about to go to the boy's room he found him standing by the window and noticed a smile on his face. The boy's curly blond hair looks like gold as the sunlight hits them.

Noticing his approach the Boy turned his face to him and said, "I found it!"

Johny didn't understand what he meant and puzzled, he asked, "What do you mean?"

The boy pointed out on the field while saying. "I found the coin."

"Where?" He asked excitedly. He ran quickly to the window and peeped on what he was pointing at. In the field he saw his neighbors working and tilling the land. The green and healthy crops are almost on its fruiting time. The fields are green and are ready to show the fruits of their labors.
But he could not find the coin. "Where is it?" He asked again.

The boy led him to the front yard and found a new crop that sprouted from the ground with a little coin stacked on the cotyledons. "Here it is." When Johny looked at it he found out it was the lowest valued coin of their money.

Johny laughed!

But the boy said, "Sir, the coin is a small portion of your reason." He said calmly which made Johny stunned and speechless. "When you help without reasons, you teach this people to be lazy. But now look at them they work for a fruit. You give them money for their hard work and the money you pay them are of more value. And above all, you teach them how to fish."

Johny could not say a word.

The boy continued, "My father has taught you to be generous and kind but with love and love is manifested by caring for both their material and spiritual character. And now I found the lost coin in what you have done."

Johny wandered his sight around the vast farm he created out of the search from the lost coin. And he made good workers out of his neighbors.

From then on, every man who wanted help has to help others too through Johny's field. If you ask me where the boy goes? I guess you know.