Happiness Lies in Contentment Story

Once upon a time, there was a joyful shoemaker who spent his days working and singing from morning until night. He had a wealthy neighbor who worked as a banker. One day, the banker asked the shoemaker, "How much do you earn in a year?" The shoemaker chuckled and replied, "I don't really count it that way, sir. I live day by day, managing to get by. Each day brings its own food, and that makes me happy."

The banker then said, "I want to make sure you never have to worry about not having enough. Here, take these thousand pounds, keep them safe, and use them when you're in need." The shoemaker had never seen so much money at once in his life. He hurried home and buried the money in the ground. However, something unfortunate happened – he also buried his happiness. During the night, he couldn't sleep peacefully. He stayed awake, thinking about the money. This led to him losing both his sleep and his happiness.

One day, he went to the banker and admitted that the money had taken away his ability to sleep. He decided to return the money to the banker. Once he did, he found himself able to sleep soundly again, and he felt peaceful and happy. This story teaches us that real happiness comes from being content with what we have, rather than constantly wanting more.