Fruit Of Your Work

In-between first and second century there lived a valiant king in Rome. His name was Hadrian. One day while he was going through the kingdom of Tiberius, he saw a very old man was working hard on the field to sow fig(a sweet fruit) saplings.

The king said, “ If you had worked hard in your youth, you need not have to work so hard now.’’ The old man replied, “I have been working hard all my life — in childhood, in youth and now in this old age.”

The king asked, “Do you expect that one day these saplings will grow and you can have it’s fruits?”

The old man replied, “Now my age is around hundred years. If God desires I can of course have it’s fruit. If not, then my son, my grandson and others will eat — like I had eaten my father’s and grandfather’s sown fruits.”

The king became happy with the reply. He said, “Alright. If you remain alive until the trees give fruits, let me know.”

After many years one day the king saw from his balcony an old man was coming to the palace with a sack behind his back. Out of curiosity he went out and ordered his gatekeepers to allow the old man come near him.

The old man reminded the king about the incident that happened long ago and gave him the sack full of fig fruits as gift. He returned the sack filled with gold.