Once upon a time, there lived an old man who was blind. However, even though he couldn’t see, he would always carry a lighted lamp with him whenever he went outside in the dark. Others would often see the old man and wonder to themselves but no one said anything to him.
One day as the old man was walking in the streets, a group of young travelers saw him. They were surprised to see an old, blind man carrying a lamp with him. Without thinking any further, those travelers started making fun of the old man.
As the travelers were making fun of the man, one of them says,” Hey old man, you are blind and cannot see. Why are you carrying a lighted lamp then? It is of no use to you.” The man said nothing as they kept on making fun of him by saying mean things.
However, after some time, the man said, “This lamp is not for me but for others who can see.” The travelers were shocked to hear the response of the old man but they couldn’t understand what he meant. Upon asking, the old man replied,” The lamp is for people like you who have eyes. In the dark, you might not see me, a blind man, and push me. So, when you look at the lamp, you will know that someone is near you so that you can mind your way without pushing me.”
The young travelers finally understood the reason behind the old man carrying the lamp. They were very ashamed of their behaviour and apologised to the old man.
Morals: The story teaches us that we should always be polite to one another.
