16/09/2023
Here is a new similar story:
The Street Vendor
A wealthy man was walking down the street when he saw an old woman selling eggs. He stopped and asked her how much she was selling them for.
"50¢ an egg," the old woman replied.
The man laughed. "I'll give you $2 for all of them," he said.
The old woman looked at him sadly. "I can't do that," she said. "I need to make a profit."
"But you're just a street vendor," the man said. "No one will know if you give them to me for less."
The old woman shook her head. "I'm not going to cheat you," she said. "If you want to buy my eggs, you'll have to pay my price."
The man sighed. "Fine," he said. "I'll take a dozen."
He paid the old woman and walked away with the eggs. He didn't even bother to thank her.
Later that day, the man was at a fancy restaurant with his friends. They ordered a big meal and ate until they were stuffed. When the bill came, the man was shocked to see that it was over $200.
He paid the bill and left a $50 tip.
As he was walking out of the restaurant, he thought about the old woman selling eggs. He had been so stingy with her, but he had been so generous with the restaurant staff.
He realized that he had been wrong. He should have paid the old woman a fair price for her eggs. He should have treated her with respect.
He decided that he would do better from now on. He would be more generous to those who were less fortunate than he was. He would remember that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.
The End
This story raises similar questions to the original story. Why do we often treat the poor and the needy with less respect than we treat those who are wealthy and powerful? Why is it so easy to be generous to those who don't need our help, but so difficult to be generous to those who do?
We all need to challenge ourselves to do better. We can all make a difference in the world, even if it's just by paying a fair price for someone's goods or services, or by simply being kind and respectful.
