Once there lived a greedy man in a small town. He was very rich, and he loved
gold and all things fancy. But he loved his daughter more than anything. One day,
he chanced upon a fairy. The fairy’s hair was caught in a few tree branches. He
helped her out, but as his greediness took over, he realised that he had an
opportunity to become richer by asking for a wish in return (by helping her out).
The fairy granted him a wish. He said, “All that I touch should turn to gold.” And his
wish was granted by the grateful fairy.
The greedy man rushed home to tell his wife and daughter about his wish, all the
while touching stones and pebbles and watching them convert into gold. Once he
got home, his daughter rushed to greet him. As soon as he bent down to scoop
her up in his arms, she turned into a gold statue. He started crying and trying to
bring his daughter back to life. He realized his folly and spent the rest of his days
searching for the fairy to take away his wish.
Moral of the Story
Greed will always lead to downfall.