BAG OF GOLD COINS

By TONY PRO.

Once upon a time, in a small village nestled between hills and rivers, there lived a poor farmer named Jona. Life had not been kind to him. He worked hard every day, toiling in the fields under the sun, yet he barely had enough to feed himself. Still, Jona was known in the village for his honesty and kindness.

One morning, while digging in his small garden, his shovel struck something hard. Curious, he dug deeper and uncovered a mysterious bag buried in the soil. When he opened it, his eyes widened in disbelief, it was filled with gold coins. More money than he had ever seen or imagined.

At first, he thought it must be a dream. Then came the rush of thoughts: I could buy land, fix my house, never go hungry again. But as quickly as the joy came, so did doubt. Who does this belong to? What if someone lost it?

Jona carried the bag into the village and went straight to the chief’s house. He explained what he had found and handed over the bag. The chief was stunned by his honesty.

Word spread quickly. The villagers praised Jona’s integrity. Days later, an old merchant visited the village. He had passed through months earlier and had lost a similar bag. When he heard the news, he came to confirm, and indeed, it was his.

Deeply moved by Jona's honesty, the merchant gave him half the gold coins and offered him a job as his business partner. From that day on, Jona’s life changed. Not because he found treasured, but because he chose integrity over greed.

The true value of a person is not what they find, but what they choose to do with it. Honesty is a treasure greater than gold.