Take Another Look

There was an ancient story of a poor farmer who didn't appreciate his farm. He always complained of lack despite harvesting bountiful produce that he sold regularly at different markets. He told his friends that he wanted a better life.

His closest friend was an explorer who specialised in buying and selling lands. The farmer begged his explorer friend to buy his farm. Rather than agreeing to buy the farm, the explorer told his farmer friend to be patient, learn and strategise best crops suitable for his farm.

“What other thing can you do apart from farming if you sell your farmland?” The explorer asked.

“I'll travel around like you to buy farmlands and sell them to rich people,” the farmer said. “I'll make a fortune from this.”

“You have a stream on your farm, don't you?”

“Yes,” the farmer replied. “It has tiny, small fish in it.”

“If you look carefully, you can feed them and start fishing alongside your farming occupation,” he advised the farmer.

The explorer persuaded his friend to continue farming and learn fishing to make more money, but he was h£ll-bent on selling the farm.

“If you pay close attention to the farmland or even the stream, I bet there's a fortune in it for you.”

“I just want to sell it!” The farmer shouted.

“I'll buy it from you, then. Just name your price,” the explorer said.

After some days of negotiation, he paid the farmer a sum of money to buy his farmland. The farmer soon began to flaunt his newfound wealth as he travelled aimlessly around looking for farms to buy and sell.

On his first day on the farm he bought from his friend, the explorer observed the length and breadth of his new property. He spent hours studying the crops his friend had left unharvested. He started mapping out the piece of land, thinking how best to make it count.

Later, he went to the clean, flowing stream and stooped to look at the fish swimming in it. He was fascinated by nature, so he plucked some grains and fed the fish.

When he stood to leave and took a few steps towards the hut because it was getting dark, something caught his attention. He noticed a few white precious stones piled up at the bed of the stream. He stopped and looked back.

“It is just some stones,” a thought told him. But his curiosity wouldn't let him go, so he ambled to the stream and squatted to gaze at the stones.

He knew what he saw. They were not ordinary stones. The assurance of this reality brought a smile to his face. He looked again and chuckled. Then, he laughed!

“Diamonds!” He almost yelled. Then, he cupped his mouth, as his heart sprinted.

One visit to the farmland that his friend despised changed his entire life as he became stupendously rich.