The Barber’s Folly Story with Moral | Panchatantra Stories

Hamid was a merchant. He was rich a long time ago, but had become very poor over the years.

He had a family of four children and could certainly not feed them even once a day. Every morning, his wife would tell him, “Hamid, do something! We require money. We have four small children and soon they may die of starvation. Is there nothing that you can do to get us food? “

Hamid would go out to find work each day, but would never be fortunate. One night, he was fed up with trying to find job, and was extremely unhappy with the way his kids had to go to sleep hungry. So he made the decision that he might kill himself the very next day and that would be the only way to be at peace.

Hamid fell asleep with these thoughts and had an unusual dream. A monk made an appearance in his dream. He said, “Hamid, ending your life is no solution. l appear in front of you due to the good deeds of all your ancestors and forefathers. Tomorrow, l will pay a visit to your home. When you see me, strike my head using a stick and l will change into gold. “

Hamid got up next day wondering it was merely a dream. That day, Hamid had called the barber to his house. Just as the barber was cutting his hair, there was a knock on the doorstep. When Hamid opened the door, he could not trust his eyes! Standing in front of him was the exact same monk who had shown up in his dream.

Hamid knew exactly what he had to do. So he fetched a stick from the house and gently struck the monk on his head. The monk turned into gold.

The barber who was looking at all this silently was at a great shock. He thought to himself, “l never believed that monks can change into gold when they are strike on the head with a stick! “

Hamid thanked the barber, offered him a bag of gold and requested, “My friend, do not tell anybody about what you saw. This is for you and your family. Now you can live happily. “

But the greedy barber could hardly sleep that night. He assumed, “If all monks can be changed into gold, then I need to invite a few to my house. “

So the next morning, the barber visited the monastery near his residence.

He met the principle monk and said, “Sir, please visit my house tomorrow with your followers and bless my children. ” The monk was very happy with the barber’s invitation and decided to visit him the next day.

The next day, the monks visited the barber’s home, who locked all of them inside his house and before they realized, began striking them with a stick on their heads.

The monks were surprised with what was happening. They pleaded with the barber to stop, but he would not.

Eventually, the monks were able to get away, but were bruised black and blue all over! The Sheriff who was passing by noticed the monks running out. He charged the barber for what he had done. The barber was penalized to a life-time in prison. Greed had brought the barber to a life of misery.