The Value of Life

The Value of Life

One day, a boy came to his father with a question that gave him a headache. “Father,” he asked, “what is the value of my life?”

The father, who was an intelligent man, picked up a mental calculation stone and humbly gave it to his son. “The value of something,” he explained, “depends on where you take it.”

He told his son: "If you want to understand your value, take this stone to the market. If anyone asks the price, raise three fingers but don't say a word."

The boy was curious and eager to learn and set out to go to the market with the stone in his hand. The boy wandered around the bustling stalls until an old woman approached him, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “How much is this lovely stone?” she asked:

The boy followed his father's instructions, holding up only three fingers. The woman took that as a price and offered: "Three dollars? I'll take it."

Disappointed by the meager offer, the boy hurried back to his father. “But father,” he cried, “the woman at the market only paid three dollars!”

The father smiled gently. “That's why, son, the next place we'll take this stone is the museum.”

Curious, the boy brought the stone to the museum. After waiting for a while, a polite man in a suit approached him. “Sir,” the man respectfully said to the boy, “may I know the price of this particular stone?”

The boy raised three fingers again, remaining silent as instructed. The man, realizing the potential value of the stone, surprised him with an offer of "$300. I'd be happy to buy it."

Stunned by the higher prices at the museum, the boy rushed back to his father. "Dad! A man at the museum wants to buy the stone for $300!"

The father nodded in understanding. “Come on son,” he said, “the last place we will visit is the gem store.”

Eager to see what value the stone had in this specialized shop, the boy hurriedly left. He located the shop and entered, where an older gentleman was examining the stone with a trained eye.

As the man held the stone, his eyes widened in disbelief. "Amazing!" he exclaimed. “Is this the stone I have been looking for all these years?”

His excitement was palpable. "What is your price? How much is this treasure?"

The boy, accustomed to communicating in silence, raised three fingers again. This time, the reaction was extraordinary. The man, his voice shaking with excitement, declared: "$300,000! I'll take it without question!"

Collect by Cindy.