Ko-Yong and Ko-Pong were two Chinese Friends who struggled to make a living in China. They lived in a poor village and often suffered starvation.
One day, Ko-Yong told Ko-Pong, "Let's travel to Thailand. I've heard that the land there is rich and fertile, with streams teeming with fish, fields full of rice, and orchards with abundant crops.
Ko-Pong asked, "What will we do for a living?"
Ko-Yong responded, "We both have two hands and two feet. We should be able to do any kind of work. As long as we are hardworking, how can we ever starve in such a fertile and plentiful land?"
They each spent the last bit of their money on transportation. The ship sailed through a stormy sea until it arrived at its destination, the southern coast of Thailand. Ko-Yong looked around him and smiled, "We won't starve anymore! This truly is heaven!"
Ko-Yong and Ko-Pong decided to go separate ways in search for work because they thought that it would increase their chances of making a living. They promised each other that the first one to be successful would help the other. They agreed to meet at the peir after two years.
After they split up, Ko-Pong took it easy doing odd jobs because whenever he didn't have enough to eat, the villagers were always kind enough to give him food. Crops were bountiful, and the southern climate was cool and comfortable, with the drizzling rain keeping everything fresh and green. Ko-Pong loved a very carefree life. Once he earned some money, he would stop working and laze around, and he would only strive to look for more work when his money was used up.
After two years, Ko-Pong remained just as poor as before. Ko-Pong traveled to the meeting place and saw that Ko-Yong had changed - he had become a millionaire. He rode in a horse-drawn carriage, and had a driver and many servants to look after him.
Ko-Yong explained that after he went on his own, he did all kinds of work without ever complaining. He saved up all he could until he had enough money to buy a big orchard. He planted tamarind and several other fruit trees, and in time his business grew.
When he learned that his friend had no job, Ko-Yong told Ko-Pong to work with him.
At his new job, Ko-Pong did not change his old lazy habits; in fact, he became even lazier, taking off many days at a time.
When Ko-Yong asked him why he wouldn't work, Ko-Pong answered, "You're rich now. There's no need to work hard anymore. Even without working we can live comfortably for the rest of our lives."
Ko-Yong noticed this change in his friend, but did not scold him one bit. He told his friend, "If that's so, I will give you some easy work." Ko-Pong asked, "What kind of work?"
"Plucking all the tamarind leaves from the tree...start with the small tree."
Ko-Pong was very glad to accept a job lighter and easier than ever.
Ko-Pong plucked all the leaves from that tamarind tree within a few days. Soon, the tree wilted and died.
Ko-Pong plucked the leaves from the next tree. This time, it took him up to a week because it was a medium-sized tree. This tree did not die, but it took many weeks to recover.
When he finished pulling off all the leaves from the tree, Ko-Pong went on to pluck the leaves from a big tamarind tree. This time, a whole month went by, and he was still not finished. The leaves would sprout back faster than he was able to remove them.
Ko-Pong felt tired, so he sat down to rest at the trunk of the big tamarind tree, observing all the plucked leaves scattered on the ground. He pondered why the leaves could not all be removed, when the first two trees, didn't take him very long. Then, he thought about himself and how he only worked every other day and used up his money so quickly.
Those who work hard and save up a lot of money are like big tamarind trees - you can never pluck all the leaves off.
On the other hand, a lazy person like him, with very little money, is like a small tree whose leaves can be plucked in a few days, and will eventually wilt and die. He realized that Ko-Yong had given him the job to make him think and feel ashamed of himself.
Ko-Pong went back to Ko-Yong and asked for a harder job. This time he went to work everyday, and soon he became rich and stable like the big tamarind tree.
One day, Ko-Yong told Ko-Pong, "Let's travel to Thailand. I've heard that the land there is rich and fertile, with streams teeming with fish, fields full of rice, and orchards with abundant crops.
Ko-Pong asked, "What will we do for a living?"
Ko-Yong responded, "We both have two hands and two feet. We should be able to do any kind of work. As long as we are hardworking, how can we ever starve in such a fertile and plentiful land?"
They each spent the last bit of their money on transportation. The ship sailed through a stormy sea until it arrived at its destination, the southern coast of Thailand. Ko-Yong looked around him and smiled, "We won't starve anymore! This truly is heaven!"
Ko-Yong and Ko-Pong decided to go separate ways in search for work because they thought that it would increase their chances of making a living. They promised each other that the first one to be successful would help the other. They agreed to meet at the peir after two years.
After they split up, Ko-Pong took it easy doing odd jobs because whenever he didn't have enough to eat, the villagers were always kind enough to give him food. Crops were bountiful, and the southern climate was cool and comfortable, with the drizzling rain keeping everything fresh and green. Ko-Pong loved a very carefree life. Once he earned some money, he would stop working and laze around, and he would only strive to look for more work when his money was used up.
After two years, Ko-Pong remained just as poor as before. Ko-Pong traveled to the meeting place and saw that Ko-Yong had changed - he had become a millionaire. He rode in a horse-drawn carriage, and had a driver and many servants to look after him.
Ko-Yong explained that after he went on his own, he did all kinds of work without ever complaining. He saved up all he could until he had enough money to buy a big orchard. He planted tamarind and several other fruit trees, and in time his business grew.
When he learned that his friend had no job, Ko-Yong told Ko-Pong to work with him.
At his new job, Ko-Pong did not change his old lazy habits; in fact, he became even lazier, taking off many days at a time.
When Ko-Yong asked him why he wouldn't work, Ko-Pong answered, "You're rich now. There's no need to work hard anymore. Even without working we can live comfortably for the rest of our lives."
Ko-Yong noticed this change in his friend, but did not scold him one bit. He told his friend, "If that's so, I will give you some easy work." Ko-Pong asked, "What kind of work?"
"Plucking all the tamarind leaves from the tree...start with the small tree."
Ko-Pong was very glad to accept a job lighter and easier than ever.
Ko-Pong plucked all the leaves from that tamarind tree within a few days. Soon, the tree wilted and died.
Ko-Pong plucked the leaves from the next tree. This time, it took him up to a week because it was a medium-sized tree. This tree did not die, but it took many weeks to recover.
When he finished pulling off all the leaves from the tree, Ko-Pong went on to pluck the leaves from a big tamarind tree. This time, a whole month went by, and he was still not finished. The leaves would sprout back faster than he was able to remove them.
Ko-Pong felt tired, so he sat down to rest at the trunk of the big tamarind tree, observing all the plucked leaves scattered on the ground. He pondered why the leaves could not all be removed, when the first two trees, didn't take him very long. Then, he thought about himself and how he only worked every other day and used up his money so quickly.
Those who work hard and save up a lot of money are like big tamarind trees - you can never pluck all the leaves off.
On the other hand, a lazy person like him, with very little money, is like a small tree whose leaves can be plucked in a few days, and will eventually wilt and die. He realized that Ko-Yong had given him the job to make him think and feel ashamed of himself.
Ko-Pong went back to Ko-Yong and asked for a harder job. This time he went to work everyday, and soon he became rich and stable like the big tamarind tree.
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