Once, there was a very rich merchant, who had only one son. The little boy was pampered and spoiled by both his parents. When he attained puberty, he became extravagant and started splurging his father’s hard earned money. One day the father scolded him, stopped his pocket money and asked him to earn on his own, only then would he again give him his pocket money.
The son laughed and said, ” Big deal! This is a cakewalk for me, father.” Next day he left home expecting a volley of job offers waiting for himself. Little was he aware that owing to his bad manners and nasty habits neither he got good education, nor talent. Hence, he failed to obtain a good job. At the day’s end he took out a few cents from his savings and went to his father who was sitting in front of fireplace. He proudly showed four cents to his father, but the father was wise and intelligent. He threw those cents in the fire and said, ” These can’t be your earnings.” The embarrassed son couldn’t face his father on being caught.
Next day he couldn’t muster up the courage to work hard in order to earn. Thus, he begged from his mother and showed the amount to his father. Again the father flung the coins in the fire saying that those were not his earnings.
Third day the son stole some money and presented before his father. Again he failed to dupe his father and the coins were thrown in the fire.
By now the son had understood that he had to work honestly and earn some money if he really wanted to impress his father. He worked laboriously for two days and earned three cents. He proudly showed them to his father, repeating his earlier gestures, the father stood up to throw them in the fire. This time the son sprinted forward and held his father’s hand. He said, ” Father please don’t destroy my hard earned wealth.”
The father smiled and said, ” My dear son, this is what I have been trying to explain to you since last many years. It really hurts to see our hard earned money going down the drain.” The son clearly understood the value of sweat and toil. He left all his bad indulgences and started helping his father in his business.
Pragya Puran-3, pg.-41