ummeed ka ek beej
Ek suhani subah, Ayan naam ka ek ladka apne purane ghar ke baiche (garden) mein khel raha tha. Khelte-khelte use mitti ke niche ek purana, chamakdar shishe ka bacha (marble) mila. Ayan ko laga yeh koi jaaduayi cheez hai. Usne socha, "Agar main ise mitti mein daba doon, toh shayad yahan se heeron ka ped ug jaye!"
Usne us marble ko bo diya aur roz use paani dene laga. Din guzre, haftay guzre, lekin wahan kuch nahi uga. Ayan udaas ho gaya. Use laga uska "jaadu" nakaam ho gaya hai.
Ek din, jab woh wahan baitha udaas tha, uske dada ji wahan aaye. Unhone Ayan ki udaasi dekhi aur muskurate hue kaha, "Beta, shishe se kabhi zindagi nahi ugti, lekin mehnat aur sabr se zaroor ugti hai."
Dada ji ne Ayan ko ek asli beej diya aur kaha, "Is baar ise bo kar dekho." Ayan ne waisa hi kiya. Is baar bhi usne roz paani diya, lekin is baar uske andar lalach nahi, balki ek nayi umeed thi.
Dheere-dheere mitti se ek nanha sa hara ankur (sprout) bahar nikla. Ayan ki khushi ka thikana nahi tha! Woh roz us paudhe ko badhte dekhta. Kuch mahino baad, wahan ek sundar chameli ka paudha lehra raha tha, jiski khushbu se pura angan mehek utha.
Kahani ki Seekh (Moral): > Asli jaadu kisi chamakdar cheez mein nahi, balki hamare sabr aur koshish mein hota hai. Jo sukoon mehnat se ugayi hui ek phool ki mehek mein hai, woh kisi heere ke ped mein bhi nahi hota.