The Story of the Wonderful Ring

There was a farmer who did many hard works in his farm, but despite that, he did not have enough to buy food. One day, he went out to plow his farm. He was thinking about a way to increase his income, so that he would have enough money for himself and his wife to buy food.

While walking, he met an old woman who told him to walk ahead toward a distant tree, and told him that she had cut it and it was now split. The farmer was surprised by the old woman’s words and thought to himself, then decided to go to look at that tree.

The farmer took the axe and ran toward the place of that tree, which the old woman had told him about. The farmer walked in his way to the tree until night fell, and he decided to sleep in the forest. When he woke up in the morning to complete his journey, he kept walking and walking as if he were walking alone, until he found the targeted tree.

The Farmer Reaches the Tree: The farmer took the axe and kept cutting the tree’s trunk. It was a large tree, and he kept trying to cut it for several hours. It was shaking strongly until leaves fell to the ground. It started pouring rain, and the nest which a bird had built high up remained. The farmer kept running until he caught up with the eggs to return them to the nest. But the eggs were broken by the path and scattered.

The Wonderful Ring: Something strange happened. The rain started falling strongly, and a huge thunder came out of it. The farmer thanked the bird for its help in getting out of the egg, and gave him a ring. He told him that he possessed the wonderful ring, and that if he put it on his finger and rotated it, it would grant him one wish.

And he would not allow him more than one wish, and from then on, he would become like any other ring. The bird advised the farmer to think well and not waste the opportunity in something he would regret later. So the farmer took the ring and walked in his way back to his home, feeling that he was very lucky with the story.

When he reached the city, the farmer wanted to know the value of the ring he had gotten from the bird. He went asking the dealer about its price. The dealer told him it was a normal ring that didn’t possess anything. The farmer became angry with the dealer’s words and told him it was the wonderful ring, and that it possessed in its value all the rings of his shop.

The dealer was very surprised by what he heard, and began thinking about a way to obtain the ring. He began deceiving the poor farmer to stay with him that night until morning came. He prepared a delicious dinner table for the poor farmer. The poor farmer entered the room of the dealer to sleep. That night, the dealer descended to the farmer’s room and took the wonderful ring from the farmer’s hand. Instead, he placed on his finger another ring for him of the same shape as the wonderful ring.

Morning came, and the poor farmer woke up. He felt reassured about the existence of the ring on his finger. He thanked the dealer and left for his home. He did not realize that the ring was false, which the dealer had placed on his finger. The dealer locked the door of the home and went to his room, then took the ring and asked him to give him a wish of gold coins. Immediately, coins of gold began falling on him until the dealer’s home was filled with gold coins.

The Farmer’s Wisdom: The farmer reached his home and told his wife the story of the wonderful ring. He asked his wife to wish for a large field in exchange for the small field he owned, but he told his wife that he could plant many crops in the small field. There would be no need for a large field, nor was there a need to rush to make a wish now.

The farmer began planting many crops in his small farm, kept selling what grew from the plants, and was able to buy a large field. His wife asked him to ask the wonderful ring for a cow or a donkey to help with the large farm work, but the farmer refused this wish and told his wife that he would work hard also this year, and would be able to buy many farm animals.

Thus, with the passing of the third year, the farmer and his wife were able to get money to buy a cow and a donkey. But his wife was angry and said to him: Until when will you tire yourself like this? Let us wish for something this time. The farmer replied: We are still enjoying our youth, and a long life is ahead of us. You must remember that the ring will not grant us but one wish, so let us save the wish until we need it.

Forty years passed, and with them, the farmer’s fortunes grew, his home improved, and his children grew up. He did not use the wonderful ring that was in his hand until they both passed away to their God.