TRUE STORY
A woman baked chapati for members of her family and an extra one for a
hungry passerby. She kept the extra chapati on the Window-sill, for
whosoever would take it away.
Everyday, a hunchback came and took away the chapati. Instead of
expressing gratitude, he muttered the following words as he went his
way: “The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to
you!”
This went on, day after day. Everyday, the hunch-back came, picked up
the chapati and uttered the words: “The evil you do, remains with you:
The good you do, comes back to you!”
The woman felt irritated. “Not a word of gratitude,” she said to
herself… “Everyday this hunchback utters this jingle! What does he
mean?”
One day, exasperated, she decided to do away with him. “I shall get rid
of this hunchback,” she said. And what did she do? She added poison to
the Chapatti she prepared for him! As she was about to keep it on the
window sill, her hands trembled. “What is this I am doing?” she said.
Immediately, she threw the chapati into the fire, prepared another one
and kept it on the window- sill. As usual, the hunchback came, picked
up the chapati and muttered the words: “The evil you do, remains with
you: The good you do, comes back to you!” The hunchback proceeded on
his way, blissfully unaware of the war raging in the mind of the
woman.
Everyday, as the woman placed the chapati on the window-sill, she
offered a prayer for her son who had gone to a distant place to seek
his fortune. For many months, she had no news of him.. She prayed for
his safe return.
That evening, there was a knock on the door. As she opened it, she was
surprised to find her son standing in the doorway.. He had grown thin
and lean. His garments were tattered and torn. He was hungry, starved
and weak. As he saw his mother, he said, “Mom, it’s a miracle I’m
here.
“While I was but a mile away, I was so famished that I collapsed. I
would have died, but just then an old hunchback passed by. I begged of
him for a morsel of food, and he was kind enough to give me a whole
chapati.
“As he gave it to me, he said, “This is what I eat everyday: today, I
shall give it to you, for your need is greater than mine!” “
As the mother heard those words, her face turned pale. She leaned
against the door for support. She remembered the poisoned chapati that
she had made that morning. Had she not burnt it in the fire, it would
have been eaten by her own son, and he would have lost his life! It
was then that she realized the significance of the words:
“The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!”
Do good & Remain Blessed!
Don’t ever stop doing good, even if its not appreciated at that time.
